Self-perception of food intake and dietary quality

Abstract

Introduction: Self-perception of dietary quality has been associated with weight and body composition, as well as dietary pattern. Both the gain and maintenance over the long term of excess weight have been frequently associated to dietary and life habits of individuals, which justifies the improvement of assessment methods. Methods: Convenience sample consisting of 14 women who took classes at Contours® gym, aged 18-45 years. Data collection was performed in two stages: the first consisted in the application of questionnaires designed specifically for the research on socioeconomic data, general information on health and the regular use of drugs, self-perception of dietary habits and a 24-hour recall. In the second stage, collection of the 24-hour diet recall was performed. The Revised Diet Quality Index (RDQ-I) was used in the assessment of dietary standards. Results: In the assessment of eating habits, 85.7% of the respondents were classified as healthy. Most of them, 78.57%, rated their dietary pattern as positive, 14.3% were not able to rate it and 7.13% rated it negatively. The Spearman correlation coefficient indicated that there was a moderate positive correlation between the RDQ-I (Revised Diet Quality Index) and self-perception. Conclusions: There is a statistical significant correlation of dietary pattern and dietary quality.