Demographic, Anthropometric and Food Behavior Data towards Healthy Eating in Romania

Abstract

Background: Each country has specific social, cultural, and economic characteristics regarding the motivations for improving health. The aim of this study was to evaluate demographic characteristics, anthropometric data, and elements related to food behavior and health, as well as Romanians’ motivations towards healthy eating. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire based study enrolling 751 Romanian participants, which was carried out in in 2017–2018. Results: We obtained a positive correlation between age and Body Mass Index, and this was maintained also when we analyzed the two genders separately, being, however, even stronger for women. The number of hours/day spent watching TV or in front of the computer was positively correlated with both age and BMI. In general, with aging, there is an increasing concern regarding the practice of a healthy diet. The higher education level was significantly associated with healthier choices. Conclusions: The study of the three dietary dimensions, food properties, health attitudes, and dietary behavior, vis-à-vis various disorders revealed that the group most concerned of their diet was those who suffered from cardiovascular disorders.

Keywords

• health
• motivation
• BMI
• food behavior
• education