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The Relationship Between Physical Activity, Dietary Habits and Health Status
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The Relationship Between Physical Activity, Dietary Habits and Health Status

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 4005

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Javier Diaz-Lara

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Performance and Sport Rehabilitation Laboratory, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain
Interests: nutrition-human physiology-exercise; science-skeletal muscle-physical activity
Dr. Millán Aguilar-Navarro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Exercise and Sport Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, 28223 Madrid, Spain
Interests: musculoskeletal system; athletes; nutritional supplementation; performance enhancement; anti-doping
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Adequate levels of physical activity and a balanced diet are two essential components of a healthy lifestyle. However, the growing interest in the interaction between nutrition and exercise adaptations has led to many exciting controversies. Thus, there continues to be a focus on the effects of various dietary strategies, such as macronutrient ratios, micronutrient intake, dietary supplementation, and the overall energy balance, to influence various aspects of human performance and health.

We are pleased to invite you to provide clinicians and researchers with evidence-based recommendations regarding combined physical activity/training programs with dietary intake control, ingesting nutritional supplements, and/or using ergogenic aids to optimize and enhance wellness, performance, and health adaptations.

Aim of the Special Issue and how the subject relates to the journal scope. Please make sure that your Special Issue is in the scope of the journal. You can check the scope in the Journal menu: Aims & Scope. Additionally, the scope should not be too broad or too narrow.

This Special Issue aims to analyze the need to study the effects of combined physical activity and dietary intake on female and male exercise practitioners' adaptations, health, and performance.

Therefore, in this Special Issue, we aim to publish original research articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses addressing the need to study the effects of combined physical activity and dietary intake on female and male exercise practitioners' adaptations, health, and performance.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Javier Diaz-Lara
Dr. Millán Aguilar-Navarro
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • dietary habits
  • energy balance
  • dietary supplements
  • physical activity
  • ergogenic aids
  • micronutrient intake
  • performance

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 454 KB  
Article
Associations Between Sedentary Behaviors and Sedentary Patterns with Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adolescents: The UP&DOWN Longitudinal Study
by Alejandro Sánchez-Delgado, Alejandro Perez-Bey, Julio Conde-Caveda, Rocío Izquierdo-Gómez, Sonia Gómez-Martínez, Oscar L. Veiga, Ascensión Marcos and José Castro-Piñero
Healthcare 2025, 13(19), 2544; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13192544 - 9 Oct 2025
Viewed by 578
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The longitudinal associations between different modalities of sedentary behaviors (SBs) and sedentary patterns (SPs) with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in children and adolescents are unclear. We aimed to analyze the cross-sectional and longitudinal (2-year follow-up) association between SB and SP with the MetS [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The longitudinal associations between different modalities of sedentary behaviors (SBs) and sedentary patterns (SPs) with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in children and adolescents are unclear. We aimed to analyze the cross-sectional and longitudinal (2-year follow-up) association between SB and SP with the MetS score in Spanish children and adolescents. Methods: 76 children (34 females) and 186 adolescents (94 females) were included for SB analyses, and 175 children (82 females) and 188 adolescents (95 females) for SP. Children and adolescents were aged 6–11.9 years and 12–17.9 years, respectively. SB were assessed by a self-reported questionnaire and SP were determined by accelerometry. The MetS score was computed from the waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and glucose levels. Different linear regression models were implemented to examine cross-sectional, longitudinal, and change associations of SB and SP with MetS. Results: Total daily SB, educative daily SB, and mean SB were longitudinal and inversely associated with MetS (β = −0.001, all p < 0.05) in male adolescents, while other daily SB was longitudinal and inversely associated with MetS (β = −0.002, all p < 0.05) in female adolescents. Changes in screen and other daily SB were directly associated with MetS in female adolescents (β = 0.001 to 0.002, all p < 0.05). In contrast, changes in educative daily SB were inversely associated with MetS in female adolescents (β = −0.001, all p < 0.05). Conclusions: Few associations between SB modalities and the MetS score were found, mainly in adolescents and often in unexpected directions. In male adolescents, total and educative daily SB were negatively associated with MetS. In female adolescents, other daily SB and changes in educative daily SB showed negative associations, while changes in screen-based and other daily SB were positively associated with MetS. No associations were found between SP and MetS. Given the low evidence available to date, more longitudinal studies analyzing SB and SP simultaneously are needed to reach solid conclusions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Relationship Between Physical Activity, Dietary Habits and Health Status)
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18 pages, 2972 KB  
Article
Physical Activity and Psychonutritional Correlates of Eating Disorder Risk in Female Health Science Students
by Patricia Ruiz-Bravo, Germán Díaz Ureña, Bárbara Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Nuria Mendoza Laiz and Sonia García-Merino
Healthcare 2025, 13(14), 1679; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13141679 - 11 Jul 2025
Viewed by 708
Abstract
Objective: This study sought to examine the correlation between physical activity levels and various psychological and nutritional factors associated with the risk of developing eating disorders among female university students in the Health Sciences discipline. Method: The study assessed body image, self-esteem, nutritional [...] Read more.
Objective: This study sought to examine the correlation between physical activity levels and various psychological and nutritional factors associated with the risk of developing eating disorders among female university students in the Health Sciences discipline. Method: The study assessed body image, self-esteem, nutritional status, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and attitudes toward food in a sample of 96 women, categorized into two groups based on their level of physical activity. Results: Significant differences in skeletal muscle mass were identified between the groups, alongside associations between body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, and elevated EAT-26 scores. Furthermore, students with higher levels of physical activity exhibited a significantly increased prevalence of eating disorder risk. Logistic regression analysis identified body dissatisfaction as a significant predictor of eating disorder risk, while membership in the group with the highest physical activity levels enhanced model fit and increased eating disorder risk. Conclusions: These findings indicate that, while physical activity is associated with certain benefits related to body composition and eating habits, it may also be linked to a heightened risk of disordered eating behaviors, contingent upon the underlying motivations and body perceptions involved. This study highlights the necessity for comprehensive preventive strategies that address both the physical and psychological dimensions of physical activity in female university students. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Relationship Between Physical Activity, Dietary Habits and Health Status)
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17 pages, 644 KB  
Article
Assessing the Alignment of Chilean Food-Based Dietary Guidelines on Cancer Prevention: A Content Analysis
by Alejandra Ortega-Guzmán, Solange Parra-Soto, María Jesús Vega-Salas, Lorena Rodríguez-Osiac and Sandra López-Arana
Healthcare 2025, 13(10), 1133; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13101133 - 13 May 2025
Viewed by 823
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Cancer is a multifactorial disease. Evidence suggests that 30% to 50% of cancer incidence is linked to unhealthy behaviors. It is therefore important that dietary recommendations, including population-based dietary guidelines, and public policies be designed to support and facilitate healthier choices. [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Cancer is a multifactorial disease. Evidence suggests that 30% to 50% of cancer incidence is linked to unhealthy behaviors. It is therefore important that dietary recommendations, including population-based dietary guidelines, and public policies be designed to support and facilitate healthier choices. We evaluated the alignment between the updated Chilean Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) and cancer prevention recommendations from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF/AICR) and the Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer (LAC-Code). Methods: A qualitative content analysis was performed based on the dissemination and technical documents from the updated Chilean FBDGs (2023), the WCRF/AICR and the LAC Code. A first set of codes was developed to evaluate the relevance of the messages with cancer prevention recommendations, and a second one aimed to characterize the food and diet recommendations included in cancer prevention recommendations and the Chilean FBDGs. Furthermore, we compared the 10 Chilean FBDG messages with the WCRF/AICR and the LAC Code recommendations. Results: The updated Chilean FBDG messages met most of the categories included. Four out of ten of the Chilean FBDG messages were directly aligned with LAC Code and the WCRF/AICR recommendations, five had an indirect relationship, and one was not related to any cancer recommendation. Conclusions: Our study suggests that the updated Chilean FBDG messages are most often indirectly aligned with the worldwide and the Latin American region cancer prevention recommendations over the role of diet, nutrition and physical activity in cancer risk among the general population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Relationship Between Physical Activity, Dietary Habits and Health Status)
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14 pages, 2224 KB  
Article
Anti-Doping Knowledge Among Medical Bachelor’s Degree Students in Mexico
by Millán Aguilar-Navarro, Alejandro Muñoz, Daniela Rebolledo-Solleiro, Bibiana Moreno-Carranza, Tania Guzman, Javier Díaz-Lara, Arturo Franco-Andrés, Patricia Inda-Icaza and Juan Del Coso
Healthcare 2025, 13(7), 742; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13070742 - 27 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1109
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Universities serve as crucibles for molding future healthcare providers, instilling medical expertise and ethical frameworks crucial for their role as custodians of health. Yet, integrating anti-doping education into university curricula remains largely underexplored, particularly among future physicians. The aim of this [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Universities serve as crucibles for molding future healthcare providers, instilling medical expertise and ethical frameworks crucial for their role as custodians of health. Yet, integrating anti-doping education into university curricula remains largely underexplored, particularly among future physicians. The aim of this research was to evaluate the students’ understanding of anti-doping within the bachelor’s degree in medicine in Mexico. Methods: Five hundred and forty-nine bachelor students in medicine (151 males, 351 females, and 7 participants identifying as non-binary) from six universities in Mexico filled out a validated questionnaire regarding general anti-doping knowledge. This questionnaire was an adapted form of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Play True Quiz and included 36 multiple-choice questions. The results were converted into a scale from 0 to 100 points to evaluate anti-doping knowledge. Results: Students scored 55.30 ± 9.08 points (range = 28–83 points). Fourteen questions indicated an error rate higher than 50% within the sample. The course had no impact on the scores achieved in the anti-doping knowledge questionnaire (p > 0.05). Students who engaged in sports demonstrated higher scores in anti-doping knowledge compared to those who did not participate in any type of exercise (56.10 ± 9.04 vs. 54.19 ± 9.10 points; p = 0.008). Conclusions: It was determined that the knowledge of essential anti-doping regulations and doping prevention strategies among bachelor’s degree medical students in Mexico was found to be suboptimal. Doping prevention should be included in the syllabus of the bachelor’s degree in medicine to help future doctors avoid professional errors, whether negligent or intentional. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Relationship Between Physical Activity, Dietary Habits and Health Status)
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