Influence of Health Education on Nutrition and Lifestyle Habits in the Spanish Population: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate how education centering around nutrition can influence diet quality and health-related behavior in the Spanish population. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed, and the validated NutSo-HH (Nutritional and Social Healthy Habits) questionnaire was administered. The overall sample was 1087 Spanish adults, 48.11% of whom had studied or were studying a degree in health sciences, compared to 51.89% who had no studies or were studying another subject. Differences between groups were assessed using statistical analyses. Results: The results indicated that people with higher nutrition education exhibited an increased consumption of vegetables (3.64 vs. 3.50), cereals (3.09 vs. 2.70), legumes (2.19 vs. 2.10) and water (3.47 vs. 3.34) (all p < 0.001) and a lower consumption of red meat (1.60 vs. 1.73) (p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences were observed in the consumption of the remaining analyzed food products. People with health literacy reported better self-perceived health (3.94 vs. 3.76) (p < 0.001) and had a lower body mass index (BMI) (23.68 kg/m2 vs. 24.75 kg/m2) (p < 0.001) than those without health literacy. No significant differences were observed in the time spent in sports practice and sedentary lifestyle or in variables related to eating disorders. Conclusions: This study concluded that although health science education showed some benefits in eating habits and perceptions of well-being, did not significantly influence all aspects of nutritional habits and lifestyles. Further studies with a more holistic approach could provide a more complete picture of the influence of health education on overall well-being.