Eating Behavior and Level of Knowledge About Healthy Eating Among Gym Users: A Multinomial Logistic Regression Study

Abstract

The World Health Organization indicates that unhealthy diets cause approximately 11 million deaths annually worldwide. In Peru, 57.9% of the population consumes highly processed foods daily. The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between knowledge about healthy eating and eating behavior among gym users in a district of Lima, Peru. Using an exploratory and quantitative design, information was collected from 156 users through a hybrid questionnaire, analyzed with SPSS and multinomial logistic regression techniques. The results reveal that 57.42% of the participants have an intermediate knowledge of healthy eating, while only 17.42% reach a high level. Likewise, 49.03% exhibit an intermediate eating behavior. In addition, sociodemographic factors, such as the duration of gym attendance and maintenance of a specific diet, were found to influence eating behavior. It is concluded that there is a significant relationship between the level of knowledge and eating behavior, underlining the importance of nutrition education to improve eating habits in this population. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.