Satisfaction with life and with food-related life in central Chile.

BACKGROUND Eating is one of the most frequent human behaviors, but there are few studies that relate eating and subjective well-being. Typologies of people were distinguished and characterized according to their level of satisfaction with life and food in central Chile. METHOD A survey was applied to a sample of 1,277 people in the main municipalities of this area, distributed proportionally by municipality. The questionnaire included the SWLS scales (Satisfaction with Life Scale), SWFL (Satisfaction with Food-related Life), Health-Related Quality of Life Index (HRQOL), Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), and respondents' demographic characteristics and eating habits were also ascertained. RESULTS Using hierarchical cluster analysis, three typologies were distinguished with significant differences in the scores on the SWLS, SWFL, SHS, self-perception of health, days with physical or mental problems in the last month, sociodemographic characteristics and frequency with which the family eats together. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that a higher level of general subjective well-being, and eating is associated with better health, greater family interaction around meals, higher levels of happiness, and with some sociodemographic characteristics.