Dysfunctional Eating Behaviors and Dietary Intake in Adults Residing in Puerto Rico

Abstract

Abstract Objectives To document the level of dysfunctional eating behaviors, specifically emotional eating (EE), uncontrolled eating (UE) and cognitive restraint (CR), among adults in Puerto Rico (PR), and explore the association between each behavior and dietary intake (i.e., percentage of calories from fats, saturated fats and servings of fruits and vegetables). Methods Cross-sectional study of adults (n = 94) recruited from three health clinics serving low-income communities in Ponce, PR. The Three Factor Eating Questionnaire R18-V2 was used to measure EE, UE and CR; each score ranged from 1 to 4 (higher values indicate stronger behaviors). The Block Fat and Fruits and Vegetables Screener was used to capture percentage of calories from fats, saturated fats and servings of fruits and vegetables. Analysis included adjusted means (SD) and proportions, and linear regressions adjusted for sex, age and marital status. Results Mean age was 45 years, 52% were female and 55% were married. Adjusted mean (SD) scores for EE, UE and CR were 1.92 (0.78), 1.85 (0.66), and 2.32 (0.85), respectively. Adjusted proportions showed that 76%, 88% and 87% experienced any level of EE, UE and CR, respectively. EE and UE scores were significantly associated with greater percentage of calories from total fats (b = 12.0, 95% CI = 0.42, 3.60 for EE; and b = 1.99, 95% CI = 0.05, 3.93 for UE) and saturated fats (b = 3.36, 95% CI = 0.71, 6.01 for EE; and b = 3.31, 95% CI = 0.09, 6.54 for UE). CR scores were significantly associated with greater intake of fruits and vegetables (b = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.20, 1.19). Conclusions Dysfunctional eating behaviors are prevalent among adults in PR and were associated with dietary intake. Results support the need for larger representative studies of dysfunctional eating behaviors, dietary intake and health in PR to shed light into potential intervention targets to decrease the observed health disparities among adults in PR. Funding Sources National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Ponce Health Sciences University Seed Program.