Association between Body Image Flexibility and Intermittent Fasting in Chinese Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Unhealthy dietary behaviors and body dissatisfaction are becoming increasingly common among college students. Understanding the association between body image flexibility and intermittent fasting is particularly meaningful, especially for medical college students. This study aimed to investigate the association between body image flexibility and intermittent fasting among medical students. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 5138 medical college students at Jitang College of North China University of Science and Technology. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to evaluate the association between body image flexibility and intermittent fasting. Subgroup analysis and interaction tests were further used to examine the possible interaction between body image flexibility and intermittent fasting. In this study, 1329 (25.87%) students had intermittent fasting behavior. After adjustment for confounding factors, there was a negative association between body image flexibility and intermittent fasting (OR = 0.94, 95%CI = 0.93 to 0.95, p < 0.001). A significant interaction between body image flexibility and intermittent fasting was found in gender, academic year, major, and monthly living expenses (p for interaction < 0.05). E-value analysis suggested there was unlikely to be an unmeasured confounding. This association could contribute to the establishment of personalized health intervention strategies and provide recommendations for promoting the physical and mental health of medical students.

Associations of lifestyle with mental health and well-being in Chinese adults: a nationwide study.

Background: A healthy lifestyle is beneficial to individuals' health. However, little is known about the associations of lifestyle factors with mental health and well-being. This study examined the associations of lifestyle factors with mental health (i.e., depression, anxiety, loneliness, perceived pressure, and self-rated health status) and well-being in Chinese adults. Methods: A nationally representative survey was conducted in China from 20 June 2022 to 31 August 2022. Data from the survey were analyzed using multiple linear regression to determine the associations of lifestyle with mental health and well-being in Chinese adults. Standardized regression coefficients (ß) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using multiple linear regression. Results: The survey included 28,138 Chinese adults. Multiple linear regression results showed that there were significant negative associations of lifestyle scores with scores of depression (ß = -0.93, 95% CI: -0.98, -0.88), anxiety (ß = -0.71, 95% CI: -0.76, -0.67), loneliness (ß = -0.23, 95% CI: -0.24, -0.21), and perceived pressure (ß = -0.19, 95% CI: -0.22, -0.16). Moreover, there were significant positive associations of lifestyle with self-rated health status (ß = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.79, 2.20) and well-being (ß = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.91, 1.02). Conclusion: This study provides insight into the associations of lifestyle factors with mental health and well-being and highlights the importance of improving and maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviors for favorable mental health and well-being.