Meaning in life in relation to healthy eating, weight status and physical activity among South African National Defence Force members at Lenz Military Base

Abstract

Good health behaviours such as physical activity and healthy eating are central to both the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases. However, even with nutrition knowledge, practice and maintenance of good health behaviours remain a challenge. Many factors such as socio-economic factors, lack of time, taste preference and lack of self-efficacy have been linked to poor adherence to good health behaviours. A sense of meaning in life which provides self-efficacy and can lead to motivation to attain personal goals has been associated with physical health and good health behaviours. If a link between meaning in life and health behaviours can be identified, interventions focusing on meaning in life may be incorporated as part of health interventions in groups at risk of non-communicable diseases. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the association between meaning in life and healthy eating, weight status and physical activity of the members of the South African National Defence Force at Lenz Military Base. Data on sense of meaning, sociodemographic information, healthy food (fruit, vegetables, meat, chicken, eggs or fish, milk or maas) and unhealthy food (cold drinks, sugar in tea, cookies or cakes, salty snacks, sweets or chocolates and fast foods) intake, anthropometric measurements and physical activity was collected. Data was collected on 80 adult participants. Obesity prevalence was 42.1% and 35.7% for women and men respectively. Thirty one percent of men were overweight as compared to 26.3% of women. More men (71.2%) met the recommended weekly physical activity as compared to women (44.7%). In terms of healthy eating, the presence of meaning in life showed a marginal positive association in men with frequency of fruit intake (p=0.07), a significant association in women with frequency of fruit intake (p=0.03) and a significant association with frequency of milk intake in women only (p=0.046). Search for meaning in life showed no association with frequency of healthy and unhealthy food intake in both men and women. No association between search for meaning and weight status or physical activity was found in men or women, but a positive association between presence of meaning and body mass index was seen in men (p=0.013). Presence of meaning showed a weak negative association with physical activity in men (p=0.069). The presence of meaning may play an important role in facilitating or hindering health promoting behaviours.