Differences in Dietary Habits, Physical Exercise, and Quality of Life between Male and Female Patients with Overweight

Overweight can be an additional problem in patients admitted to hospital. Objective: To analyze gender differences in pre-admission dietary habits and physical exercise and in HRQoL at hospital discharge among hospitalized adults with overweight. Methods: Cross-sectional study in non-diabetic patients enrolled in a clinical trial with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 Kg/m 2 at admission. Bivariate analyses used Pearson’s chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test for qualitative variables and the Mann–Whitney test for numerical variables. Results: The study included 148 males and 127 females. At admission, women had higher BMI ( p = 0.016) than men and a larger percentage consumed drugs for depression ( p = 0.030) and anxiety ( p = 0.049), and followed a religion-based diet ( p = 0.022). Pre-admission, women had healthier habits related to dietary caloric intake ( p = 0.009) and greater adherence to recommendations for a healthy diet ( p = 0.001). At discharge, women described worse self-perceived health ( p = 0.044) and greater pain/discomfort ( p = 0.004) in comparison to men. Conclusions: Pre-admission, women had better habits related to a healthy diet and did not differ from men in habits related to physical exercise but had a higher BMI. At discharge, women reported worse self-perceived health and greater pain/discomfort. These differences should be considered for the adequate clinical management of patients with overweight.