Associations between intuitive eating, overall diet quality, and physical health indicators: Results of the PREDISE study.

Abstract

Intuitive eating is a positive approach to eating involving high responsiveness to hunger and satiety cues. Although the association between intuitive eating and many psychological health indicators is well-documented, its associations with overall diet quality and physical health indicators are less explored. This study aimed to assess whether intuitive eating is associated with adherence to Canada's Food Guide recommendations and with physical health indicators. In the context of the PREDISE study, 1,088 French-speaking Canadian adults from the Province of Québec completed a web-based survey including the Intuitive Eating Scale-2. Three web-based 24-h dietary recalls were completed and used to calculate the Canadian Healthy Eating Index (C-HEI) score, an indicator of adherence to Canada's Food Guide. Participants visited the research center to assess physical health indicators (body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose). Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess how intuitive eating is associated with diet quality and physical health indicators. The total intuitive eating score was not associated with C-HEI (B=1.47, 95% CI: -0.10, 3.04). However, the "Body-Food Choice Congruence" subscale was positively associated with C-HEI (B=5.60, 95% CI: 4.44, 6.76), while the "Unconditional Permission to Eat" subscale was negatively associated with C-HEI (B=-4.04, 95% CI: -5.28, -2.80). The total intuitive eating score was negatively associated with BMI in men (B=-4.83, 95% CI: -5.75, -3.91, p<0.0001) and women (B=-5.01, 95% CI: -6.00, -4.02, p<0.0001), with waist circumference in men (B=-3.60, 95% CI: -5.33, -1.87) and women (B=-2.20, 95% CI: -3.71, -0.70), and with HDL cholesterol only in women (B=-0.10, 95% CI: -0.17, -0.02). The associations of intuitive eating with diet quality are inconsistent, and only a few associations with physical health indicators were observed.