Understanding the drivers of intermittent fasting adoption in middle adulthood

Over the past decade, intermittent fasting has gained into the mainstream limelight as a prevalent method for weight management and to maintain metabolic health.However, the number of studies exploring the determinants affecting its approval, especially among individuals in middle adulthood, is still comparatively under-examined.Hence, the present study has been conducted to gain better insights about the factors influencing the adoption of intermittent fasting among middle-aged adults.By employing snowball sampling, a sample of 260 respondents was surveyed to comprehend the drivers of intermittent fasting, challenges faced in adhering to it and its impact on physiological and psychological health.Factor analysis was employed to group the factors influencing the respondents' adherence to intermittent fasting into three categories: "longevity-enhancing incentives for intermittent fasting", "wellness incentives for intermittent fasting" and "cognitive enhancement incentives for intermittent fasting".In order to examine the significant differences among the ages of the respondents among the three factors, ANOVA and posthoc test were conducted.The post-hoc test results provide insight into how motivational factors for intermittent fasting vary across different age groups.For respondents in the age group between 35 to 45 years, the post-hoc results show statistically significant differences in the first factor with the group aged 18-25 and 25-35 years, respectively at 5 % level of significance.The insights garnered from this research are contributory in understanding the factors influencing how and why individuals in middle adulthood embrace intermittent fasting practices.