Association between self-reported health and food frequency of high-fiber food among health personnel in Hospital Nacional Daniel Alcides Carrión del Callao, Peru

Objective: This study aimed to determine correlations between self-reported health and fiber intake among health professionals in surgery and traumatology wards from Hospital Nacional Daniel Alcides Carrion during COVID-19 pandemic, 2022. Material and methods: Observational and transversal study was conducted on 163 health professionals between 18 and 59 years. An online questionnaire was sent to each participant and included a health survey (SF-12), food frequency questionnaire (EFCC), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS). Food frequency was assessed through a rich-fiber food list. Possible associations were evaluated between self-reported health and food frequency through Chi-square. Furthermore, prevalence ratio (PR) was used to determine the probability to have a good health. Results: Most ingested rich-fiber foods were lentils (94.47%), carrots (90.18%), and oats (88.34%). The majority of women (59.62%) registered good mental health, whereas men reported poor physical health (33.90%). Physical activity was found to be associated with physical self-reported health (p<0.05). Out of the total health personnel, 88.34% reported eating oats, being the rich-fiber cereal most eaten daily, chiefly by healthcare technicians (43.75%). Conclusions: Association was found between physical self-reported health and bean intake as well as association between oats and mental self-reported health among health professionals.