Abstract
Introduction: Peripheral arterial disease is a chronic condition and a major public health concern. Risk factors of PAD include poor dietary habits, low physical activity levels, smoking tobacco and coexisting diseases like hypertension, diabetes or hyperlipidemia. The goal of the study was to evaluate the influence of dietary habits, physical activity and selected quality-of-life factors on PAD among patients hospitalized at the Department of Vascular Surgery and Transplantation, Medical University of Białystok. Methods: The study was conducted on 127 patients diagnosed with PAD. Standardized questionnaires were used: IPAQ (short version) to assess physical activity, FFQ-6 to evaluate of the quality of diet and SF-36 to evaluate health-related quality of life. Results: A positive correlation between the educational level and diet quality was found-higher education associated with a greater proportion of high-quality products in diet (p = 0.001). A negative correlation was found between age and physical activity level (p < 0.001). Physical activity level was associated with differences in the SF-36 physical component summary, with statistically significant differences observed between the categories of activity (p = 0.047). The positive influence of vitamin supplements on the SF-36 mental component summary was not found; patients taking vitamin supplements had worse MCS results. On top of that, higher physical activity was associated with lower MCS, and longer time spent sitting with higher MCS. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the lifestyle interventions for PAD patients should consider their educational level and the age-related decrease in physical activity. Physical activity remains significantly associated with the physical component of quality of life. Concurrently, the PCS observations suggest that only intensifying physical activity or supplementation is not necessarily associated with the improvement of mental wellbeing. Further analysis that accounts for clinical status and possible confounding factors are warranted.