IS PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING ASSOCIATED WITH A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE? CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF MEDITERRANEAN DIET INTAKE, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, SMOKING AND WELLBEING IN CHILEAN ADULTS

Background and objectives: In developed countries, wellbeing indicators are usually associated with healthier lifestyles and reduced cardiovascular risk. However, similar information is very scarce in populations from developing countries. The objective of this study was to evaluate psychological wellbeing and its relationship with Mediterranean diet (MD) intake and other lifestyle components in Chile. Methods: We applied a cross-sectional internet survey of psychological wellbeing -including measurements of positive mental health (Mental Health Continuum (MHC) questionnaire), optimism, and subjective vitality- and lifestyle habits. We assessed diet quality by a Chilean Mediterranean Diet Index (Chilean-MDI, range from 0-14 points), physical activity using IPAQ, and current smoking. Results: In this study sample, 44% of Chilean adults displayed high wellbeing measured by MHC, and higher MHC scores were found among older than younger people. MHC correlated with optimism, but not subjective vitality. Regarding lifestyle, only 21% of the sample exhibited a healthy eating behavior based in high adherence to MD (Chilean-MDI ≥9 points), 27% reported low physical activity and 32% were smokers. Healthy eating -defined as a high Mediterranean diet score- was significantly associated with all wellbeing measures. In addition, people with higher wellbeing showed a healthier overall lifestyle. Conclusions: Our findings support a link between wellbeing and different components of a healthy lifestyle behavior in Chile. Interventions aimed to increase wellbeing may lead to a better lifestyle as well as reduced risk of chronic diseases. Supported by Fundación Banmédica.