The effect of sustainable nutrition behaviors on life satisfaction and mental well-being in adult women

Today, sustainable nutrition has gained importance not only as a dietary model but also as a concept closely associated with individuals' life satisfaction and psychological well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between sustainable and healthy eating behaviors and life satisfaction, mental well-being, and selected dietary pattern indices (PDI and DII) among women. In this context, the study was conducted with 209 women aged between 20 and 65 who applied to the Etimesgut District Health Directorate in Ankara. Participants' sociodemographic characteristics, health status, dietary habits, knowledge levels regarding sustainable nutrition, anthropometric, and biochemical findings were assessed. Data collection tools included a 24-hour dietary recall form, the Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviors Scale, the Food-Based Life Satisfaction Scale, the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), and the Plant-Based Diet Index (PDI). According to the analysis results, sustainable and healthy eating behaviors were positively and significantly associated with life satisfaction and mental well-being (r=0.257 and r=0.313, respectively, p<0.001). These behavior scores were positively correlated with hPDI (r=0.224) and negatively correlated with uPDI (r=–0.299) (p<0.001). Dietary energy intake was negatively associated with DII and uPDI (r=–0.523 and r=–0.142, respectively, p<0.05). DII scores differed significantly among BMI groups (p<0.01); the lowest DII was observed in underweight individuals, while the highest was found in participants with normal BMI. Additionally, significant differences were found among BMI groups in terms of PDI and hPDI (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively), whereas uPDI scores were similar across groups (p>0.05). The findings suggest that sustainable eating behaviors among the women in this study may be significantly associated with life satisfaction and mental well-being, indicating their potential to support overall well-being. Keywords: Sustainable nutrition, dietary patterns, mental well-being, life satisfaction, plant-based diet index, dietary inflammatory index