The Relationship Between

Diet and Exercise

Meghan Milanak
SSS 250 03
The Basis of Research
Research Question Reason for Research

Are exercise and healthy ● About to begin the

eating habits complements Physician Assistant
or supplements of each Program
other? ● Immense interest in
preventative medicine
● Personal passion for
exercise and healthy (7 Reasons Why…)
eating
“Is Nutrition More Important Than Exercise?”
● “Nutritional habits will have a far greater
impact on your body composition and
physique goals than any other fitness
component”
● Lack of a nutritional strategy has been proven
to lead of lack of progress
● No direct answer on proportions of diet versus
exercise (Leal)

● Written by Very Well Fit, a partner of The

Cleveland Clinic
“Nutrition and Athletic Performance”
● “People tend to overestimate the amount of
calories they burn per workout…”
● The diet of one who works out casually does not
differ much than an average person
● A healthy diet can lead to optimal performance
(Nutrition and Athletic Performance)

● Medlineplus- part of the US National Library of

Medicine

(Estimating Calories While Eating Out)

Hypotheses
The variance in exercise per week is not related to
Null
the amount of fruits and vegetables eaten per day.

Alternate The variance in exercise per week is related to the

amount of fruits and vegetables eaten per day.

Personal Hypothesis The variance in exercise per week is positively

correlated with fruit and vegetable consumption.
Data Collection Questions
● Age
● Google Polls ● Gender
○ Open to all people ● PCP in last 18 months (Y/N)
● Posted on Facebook and Snapchat ● Eye care in last 2 years (Y/N)
● 74 Responses ● Dentist in last 18 months (Y/N)
● 57 complete, usable responses ● Support Services in last 5 years
(Y/N)
● Exercise amount per week
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1012j1nuY ● Servings of fruit per day
k5aN4BbNgJhzHKVXEswn07dWFZNH76 ● Servings of vegetables per day
hAOfI/edit ● Any outstanding health issues
(Y/N/prefer not to answer)
 Used for 2 continuous variables

Were not looking for significant

differences only (t-test and ANOVA)

Correlation and but looking at positive or negative

trend

Regression A pairwise comparison and looking at

an individual level
Analysis p=.05

Df (regression variation)= 2

Df (residual variation)= 54
Regression with Multiple Independent Variables
● Dependent: Exercise Amount per Week (0-7+)
Variables ○ Ratio Variable
● Independent: Fruit Servings per day and
Vegetable Servings per day
○ Ratio Variables

Model Summary ● R= .486 (moderate, positive correlation)

○ Fruit: R=.347
Statistics
○ Vegetables: R=.452
● R2= .236
● F (2, 54)= 8.335
● p=.001
Conclusion:
The null can be rejected as
variability in exercise is
significantly related to fruit
and vegetable consumption
and F(2, 54)=8.335 and
p=.001.
Conclusion:
The proportion of variance
is .236 which means that
23.6% of variability in
exercise amounts is
explained by the model
variables.
Regression with Multiple Independent Variables

Line of Best Fit

● Y= .802+ (.742a)
○ a= number of vegetable eaten per day
○ No account for fruit because not significant

Significant Variables ● Vegetables- Significant (p=.006)

● Fruits- Not Significant (p=.143)

Deliverable 4
Conclusion:
Vegetable intake per day is
significantly related to the
variability in exercise,
while fruit intake is not.
Looking Ahead for Public Health
Possible Causes

● Care about more than one aspect of health

● Money
● Time
● Knowledge
● Diet helps exercise
How to Help
(The 3 Levels of Prevention)
● Education in schools, community centers, and public places
● Increase access to food and recreation opportunities
● Encourage PCP visits
A Second Chance at Research
What to Change
● Ask less yes/no questions
● Multiple choice for each
question
● Further research on
preventative healthcare visits
What to Keep
● Methods of distribution- large
variety of ages and convenient
● “Black and White” questions to
avoid opinion-based answers
Additional SPSS Output
Information Sources
Leal, Darla. “Why Nutrition Is the Key to Losing Body Fat.” Verywell Fit, Verywell, 13 Oct. 2020,
www.verywellfit.com/nutrition-vs-exercise-80-nutrition-wins-3121406.

“Nutrition and Athletic Performance.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 3 Nov. 2020,
medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002458.htm.
Image Sources
“Estimating Calories While Eating Out.” Cheat Day Design, Mediavine Food, 10 Jan. 2019,
cheatdaydesign.com/estimating-calories-while-eating-out/.

“The 3 Levels of Prevention: Primary, Secondary , and Tertiary. The 3 Levels of Prevention Works to...: Community
Health Nursing, Community Nursing, Nursing Education.” Pinterest, 2020,
www.pinterest.com/pin/57420963983877659/.

7 Reasons Why You Don't Need to Exercise to Lose Weight. EvolutionEat, 2020, evolutioneat.com/lose-weight-without-
exercise/.