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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #394121
Research Project: Nutrition, Epidemiology, and Healthy Aging

Location: Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging

Title: Differences in eating behavior among followers of popular diets across categories of perceived adherence

Author
item LIVINGSTON, KARA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item KARLSEN, MICAELA - American College Of Lifestyle Medicine
item ROGERS, GAIL - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item DAS, SAI KRUPA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item LICHTENSTEIN, ALICE - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item FOLTA, SARA - Tufts University
item CHANG, REMCO - Tufts University
item ECONOMOS, CHRISTINA - Tufts University
item JACQUES, PAUL - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item MCKEOWN, NICOLA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University

Submitted to: Current Developments in Nutrition
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/8/2021
Publication Date: 6/7/2021
Citation: Livingston, K., Karlsen, M.C., Rogers, G., Das, S., Lichtenstein, A.H., Folta, S.C., Chang, R., Economos, C., Jacques, P.F., McKeown, N.M. 2021. Differences in eating behavior among followers of popular diets across categories of perceived adherence [abstract]. Current Developments in Nutrition. 5:980. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzab051_024.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzab051_024

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Objectives: To understand how eating behaviors, susceptibility to the food environment, and perceived dietary habit strength differ across self-reported categories of adherence. Methods: We used data in a sample (n=2,829) from Adhering to Dietary Approaches for Personal Taste (ADAPT), an online study conducted in self-identified popular diet followers. Adherence was categorized into 3 groups: > 95% of the time (high adherers=HA), between 75-95% (moderate adherers=MA); < 75% time (lower adherers=LA). The Power of Food Scale (POF) assessed susceptibility to the food environment (availability, presentation, taste), with higher scores indicating food has a higher power over dietary decisions. The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire captured cognitive restraint (CR), uncontrolled eating (UE), and emotional eating (EE), with higher scores indicating greater response to the specific eating behavior. The Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI) measured perceived habit strength with respect to eating, with a lower score indicating stronger habits. We used ANCOVA adjusting for age, sex, time on diet, and diet group to compare POF, CR, UE, EE, and SRHI outcomes across adherence groups. Results: Sixty six percent were HA (n=1881), 28% MA (n=787), and 6% LA (n=161). LA were significantly more susceptible to food availability (mean [95% CI]=14.9 [13.8-16.1]), presentation (12.1 [11.2-13.1]), and taste (13.4 [12.6-14.2], compared to HA (11 [10.7-11.3] , 8 [7.8-8.3],11.6 [11.4-11.9]), respectively. LA indicated significantly greater UE (21 [20.2-21.9]) than HA (17 [16.7-17.4]) and EE (LA=8 [7.5-8.4] vs. HA=6.1 [6-6.3]). No significant differences were observed with respect to CR. LA reported weaker SRHI habits (3.4 [3.2-3.6]) compared to HA (1.7 [1.7-1.8]). Differences seen between the LA and MA were similar to those described for HA. Conclusions: Our findings show that higher self-reported adherence to dietary patterns is associated with lower susceptibility to negative influences in the food environment, lower uncontrolled and emotional eating, and greater habit strength. Future research should investigate the directionality of the relationship between eating behavior and adherence.