Associations Between Diet Quality and Psychosocial and Environmental Factors in Rural Adults

Assess relationships between diet quality and healthy eating motivation, confidence, social support, and food environment.

The study sample of a community-randomized controlled intervention trial responded at baseline to sociodemographic, diet, diet-related psychosocial factor (motivation, confidence, social support), and environment (healthy food availability, food shopping motivation) questions. Linear regression was used to analyze cross-sectional associations between dietary intake (diet quality, fruit and vegetable, fiber, ultraprocessed food) and psychosocial and environmental factors.

Data from 2420 rural adults were analyzed. Psychosocial factors were positively associated with fruit and vegetable and fiber consumption and diet quality. Psychosocial factors were negatively associated with ultraprocessed food consumption frequency, except for social support from friends. Fruit and vegetable availability was positively associated with fruit and vegetable and fiber consumption and overall diet quality. Food shopping motivation was positively associated with fruit and vegetable intake and overall diet quality.

These findings contribute insights into ways psychosocial and environmental factors influence diet quality within rural studies.