The Application of Nutritional Patterns for Developing a Model for Mental Health Through Resorting To Spiritual Well-Being: A Structural Equation Modeling

Background: the aim of this study was the application of nutritional patterns for developing a model for mental health through resorting to spiritual well-being. methods: this was a correlational study and the statistical population of this study included all students of south khorasan (studying at all branches of islamic azad university birjand, nehbandan, ferdows, and qa’en) during the second semester of 2012-2013 and the appropriate sample size was considered 800 by using stratified sampling method. spiritual well-being questionnaire paloutzian and ellison, mental health questionnaire, and food frequency questionnaire were completed by the students and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. results: the fitted model showed that high-risk food patterns indirectly and with the mediation of spiritual well-being, increase mental health (anxiety, depression, social function, and psychosomatic symptoms), and low-risk food patterns by increasing spiritual well-being, decreased indicators mental health such as anxiety, depression, social function, and psychosomatic symptoms. conclusion: therefore, according to the results, the correction of high-risk food patterns is associated with an increase in spiritual well-being and, as a result, affects mental health.