HOW DOES DIETARY PATTERN INFLUENCE OUR HEALTH?

Abstract

The paper aims to explain how dietary pattern support individuals’ health status in Turkey. In order to show the effect of selected variables on health condition, Body Mass Index (BMI) is conducted as explained and health status variable. The analysis is also conducted by standing to benefit the 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 of Turkey Health Survey 2** (THS) which is prepared by Turkish Statistical Institute. To show the influence of dietary habits on BMI, frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption is used as main explanatory variable. Moreover, some demographic variables such as age, gender, marital status etc. are employed. The Quantile Regression results show that increase in frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption leads to decrease in BMI, which means healthy dietary pattern has positive effect on our health status. It also indicates that there is a negative relationship between additional years of schooling and BMI. Our results reveal that single respondents are less prone to be overweight and obese.

Keywords

• Obesity
• Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
• OLS Regression
• Quantile Regression

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