PATTERNS OF UNHEALTHY EATING BEHAVIORS IN A MIDDLE-AGED SCOTTISH POPULATION

This paper examines unhealthy eating in a middle aged Scottish population. Data from a 1989 survey of 500 Scottish men and women aged 45 to 59 years are used to explore inter-relations among five items of unhealthy eating, smoking and alcohol consumption. The results show that unhealthy eating behaviours are highly correlated, indicating strong links among certain nutrition habits. The findings also reveal that such patterns of unhealthy eating vary considerably between males and females. Finally, unhealthy eating behaviours were also found to be significantly associated with smoking and alcohol consumption. Implications of these findings for future research in epidemiology and health promotion are considered.