Satisfaction with life and with food-related life in central Chile / Satisfacción con la vida y la alimentación en la zona central de Chile

BACKGROUND: Eating is one of the most frequent human behaviors, but there are few studies that relate eating and subjective well-being. Typologies of people were distinguished and characterized according to their level of satisfaction with life and food in central Chile. METHOD: A survey was applied to a sample of 1,277 people in the main municipalities of this area, distributed proportionally by municipality. The questionnaire included the SWLS scales (Satisfaction with Life Scale), SWFL (Satisfaction with Food-related Life), Health-Related Quality of Life Index (HRQOL), Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), and respondents' demographic characteristics and eating habits were also ascertained. RESULTS: Using hierarchical cluster analysis, three typologies were distinguished with significant differences in the scores on the SWLS, SWFL, SHS, self-perception of health, days with physical or mental problems in the last month, sociodemographic characteristics and frequency with which the family eats together. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that a higher level of general subjective well-being, and eating is associated with better health, greater family interaction around meals, higher levels of happiness, and with some sociodemographic characteristics

ANTECEDENTES: la alimentación es uno de los comportamientos humanos más frecuentes, pero aun son escasos los estudios que relacionan la alimentación y el bienestar subjetivo. Se distinguieron y caracterizaron tipologías según su nivel de satisfacción con la vida y con la alimentación en la zona central de Chile. MÉTODO: se aplicó una encuesta a una muestra de 1.277 personas de las principales comunas de esta zona, distribuidas proporcionalmente por comuna. El cuestionario incluyó las escalas SWLS (Satisfaction with Life Scale), SWFL (Satisfaction with Food-related Life), el índice de calidad de vida relativo a la salud (ICVRS), la escala de felicidad subjetiva (SHS) y, se consultaron características demográficas y hábitos alimentarios de los encuestados. RESULTADOS: mediante análisis de conglomerados jerárquicos se distinguieron tres tipologías con diferencias significativas en los puntajes de la SWLS, SWFL, SHS, auto percepción de la salud, días con problemas físicos o mentales en el último mes, características sociodemográficas y en la frecuencia de comidas junto a la familia. CONCLUSIONES: los resultados sugieren que un mayor nivel de bienestar subjetivo general y con la alimentación se asocia con una mejor salud, superior interacción familiar en torno a la comida, mayor nivel de felicidad y con algunas características sociodemográficas

Satisfaction with life and with food-related life in central Chile.

BACKGROUND: Eating is one of the most frequent human behaviors, but there are few studies that relate eating and subjective well-being. Typologies of people were distinguished and characterized according to their level of satisfaction with life and food in central Chile. METHOD: A survey was applied to a sample of 1,277 people in the main municipalities of this area, distributed proportionally by municipality. The questionnaire included the SWLS scales (Satisfaction with Life Scale), SWFL (Satisfaction with Food-related Life), Health-Related Quality of Life Index (HRQOL), Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), and respondents' demographic characteristics and eating habits were also ascertained. RESULTS: Using hierarchical cluster analysis, three typologies were distinguished with significant differences in the scores on the SWLS, SWFL, SHS, self-perception of health, days with physical or mental problems in the last month, sociodemographic characteristics and frequency with which the family eats together. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that a higher level of general subjective well-being, and eating is associated with better health, greater family interaction around meals, higher levels of happiness, and with some sociodemographic characteristics.