Evaluation of food insecurity and associated factors in women of childbearing age: A community-based study from Turkey.

Food security is an important factor in ensuring a healthy diet. However, it has been reported that women are more vulnerable to food insecurity than men in many countries. In addition, there is little evidence that Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence is associated with a lower risk of food insecurity. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate food insecurity and associated factors in women of childbearing age. In addition, women's adherence to MD and its relationship with food insecurity were evaluated. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 2675 adult women aged 18-49. The demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, nutritional habits, compliance with the MD, and the level of food insecurity were evaluated using the structured, self-administered, web-based questionnaire form. The mean age of the individuals was 29.5 ± 10.35 years. 21.6% of individuals had food insecurity, and 5.2% had severe food insecurity. 36.4% of the individuals adhere to the MD. There was a statistically significant difference between the individuals with and without food security regarding age, marital status, and income status (p < .05). However, there was no statistically significant difference in terms of the Mediterranean diet adherence score (MEDAS) and MEDAS classification between individuals with and without food security (p > .05). It was determined that age, marital status, and income status affected food insecurity (R 2 = 0.374; p < .001). Also, it was determined that age, number of main meals and snacks, and income status affected adherence to MD (R 2 = 0.286; p < .001). In conclusion, considering the fragility of women in food insecurity, more comprehensive studies should be conducted in this area to better define the factors associated with food insecurity in women and inform policymakers. In addition, the results of this study can shed light on comprehensive intervention studies in this area.

Do cooking and food preparation skills affect healthy eating in college students?

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between food and cooking skills and healthy eating attitudes in college students. The demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, nutritional habits, attitudes toward healthy eating, and cooking and food preparation skills were questioned. 16.2% of the students have moderate, 63.5% high, and 20.3% ideally high attitudes toward healthy eating. While a positive and significant correlation was found between the total score and sub-factor scores of the "Cooking Skills and Food Skills" scale and the total score of the "Attitude Scale for Healthy Nutrition"; a negative statistically significant correlation was found between the total score and sub-factor scores of the "Cooking Skills and Food Skills" scale and the frequency of consumption of fast-food, processed meat products, packaged foods, and bread types (p < .05). Cooking and food preparation skills seem to be positively associated with healthy attitudes and habits. Considering this positive association, interventions to improve food and cooking skills may help promote healthy eating attitudes in college students. Developing these skills can shed light on increasing the frequency of cooking at home, consuming healthier foods, and as a result, providing a healthy eating attitude. Therefore, more comprehensive intervention studies are needed in this area.

Turkish version of the 'food and nutrition literacy questionnaire for Chinese school-age children' for school-age adolescents: a validity and reliability study.

BACKGROUND: In this study, it was aimed to examine the psychometric characteristics of the scale named 'Food and Nutrition Literacy Questionnaire for Chinese School-age Children (FNLQ-SC)' in Turkish school age adolescents. METHODS: The research was carried out with 341 school-age adolescents aged 10 to 17 years. The Cronbach's α coefficient was used to evaluate internal consistency reliability and the test-retest method was applied. The construct validity was assessed by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and the content validity was assessed by the Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: EFA indicated that the Turkish version of FNLQ-SC had three factorial structures that accounted for 42.0% of the total variance. The overall Turkish version of FNLQ-SC questionnaire had acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.679). The dimensional structure obtained in the EFA was controlled by CFA and the three-factor model showed acceptable goodness-of-fit indices (χ2/df = 1.924, RMSEA = 0.052, CFI = 0.864, GFI = 0.949). The Pearson correlation coefficients between each dimension and the overall questionnaire ranged from 0.300 to 0.842. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that age, gender, grade of class, being an only child and discussing nutrition information with families had an effect on food and nutrition literacy (R2 = 0.312; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The Turkish version of FNLQ-SC has good reliability and construct validity to assess the food and nutrition literacy of Turkish school age adolescents.

Time-restricted eating (16/8) and energy-restricted diet: effects on diet quality, body composition and biochemical parameters in healthy overweight females.

BACKGROUND: Time-restricted eating (TRE) is a current popular dietary strategy for noncommunicable diseases. However, studies demonstrated contradictory results for it and in all dietary strategies, diet quality is an the important part of the well-being. Our study aimed to investigate the effect of TRE and energy-restricted diet (ERD) on the nutritional status and diet quality of individuals. METHODS: This pilot study was completed 23 healthy overweight female. Anthropometric and body composition measurements of individuals were taken. The energy expenditure was measured using indirect calorimetry. Blood pressure and heart rate measurements were made. Biochemical parameters were evaluated and food consumption were taken. The quality of dietary intake was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) -2015. The physical activity levels of the individuals were estimated using the physical activity record. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 22.0) software was used for all analyses. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: After 8 weeks of intervention, while no change was observed in the diet quality of the individuals in the TRE group (p > 0.05), a significant increase was found in the diet quality score of the individuals in the ERD group (p < 0.05). There was a 3.2% and 5.5% decrease in body weight of individuals in the TRE and ERD groups, respectively (p < 0.05). While no significant change was observed in the body fat percentage of individuals in the TRE group (p > 0.05), a 7.1% decrease was observed in the ERD group (p < 0.05). A statistically significant decrease was found in the total cholesterol (3.7%) in the ERD group, and in the total cholesterol (6.7%) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (6.5%) in the TRE group. In addition, a statistically significant increase was found in adiponectin (77.3%) and total antioxidant status (TAS) (13.2%) in the ERD group. CONCLUSION: Energy-restricted diet yielded better results in weight loss and improvement of body composition and diet quality compared to TRE. Also, a decrease in total cholesterol level was found in the ERD group. However, more studies should be done with longer follow-ups and high sample sizes are very important in terms of creating public health-based recommendations.

Association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet with anthropometric measurements and nutritional status in adolescents / Asociación entre la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea y las medidas antropométricas y el estado nutricional en adolescentes

Background: adolescence is a critical period for developing healthy eating habits. It is crucial to evaluate and encourage adherence to the Mediterranean diet, a sustainable and healthy diet model in this age group. Objective: this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and anthropometric measurements and nutritional status in Turkish adolescents. Material and methods: the demographic characteristics, health information, nutritional habits, physical activity status, and 24-hour dietary recall of the adolescents were obtained with a questionnaire. Adherence to Mediterranean diet was evaluated with the Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern Score (MSDPS). Results: a total of 1,137 adolescents (mean age 14.0 ± 1.37 years) were included; 30.2 % of the boys and 39.5 % of the girls were overweight/obese. The median (interquartile range) value of the MSDPS was 10.7 (7.7), and this value was 11.0 (7.6) for the boys and 10.6 (7.4) for the girls (p > 0.05). The levels of protein, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B12, iron, magnesium, zinc, and potassium intake increased with adherence to Mediterranean diet (p < 0.001). Age, parental education level, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and skipping meals affected MSDPS. Conclusion: adolescents’ adherence to the Mediterranean diet was low and correlated with some anthropometric measures. Increasing adherence to the Mediterranean diet may contribute to preventing obesity and adequate and balanced nutrition in adolescents. (AU)

Introducción: la adolescencia es un periodo crítico para el desarrollo de hábitos alimentarios saludables. Es fundamental evaluar y fomentar la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea, un modelo de alimentación sostenible y saludable en este grupo de edad. Objetivo: este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar la relación entre la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea y las medidas antropométricas y el estado nutricional en adolescentes turcos. Material y métodos: las características demográficas, la información de salud, los hábitos nutricionales, el estado de actividad física y el recuerdo dietético de 24 horas de los adolescentes se obtuvieron mediante un cuestionario. La adherencia a la dieta mediterránea se evaluó con el Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern Score (MSDPS). Resultados: se incluyó un total de 1.137 adolescentes (edad media 14,0 ± 1,37 años). El 30,2 % de los niños y el 39,5 % de las niñas tenían sobrepeso/obesidad. El valor de la mediana (rango intercuartílico) del MSDPS fue de 10,7 (7,7), siendo este valor de 11,0 (7,6) para los niños y de 10,6 (7,4) para las niñas (p > 0,05). Los niveles de ingesta de proteína, fibra, vitamina A, vitamina C, folato, vitamina B12, hierro, magnesio, zinc y potasio aumentaron con la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea (p < 0,001). La edad, el nivel de educación de los padres, el índice de masa corporal (IMC), la circunferencia de la cintura y la omisión de comidas afectaron al MSDPS. Conclusión: la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea de los adolescentes fue baja y se correlacionó con algunas medidas antropométricas. El aumento de la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea puede contribuir a la prevención de la obesidad y a una nutrición adecuada y equilibrada en los adolescentes. (AU)

Association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet with anthropometric measurements and nutritional status in adolescents.

Introduction: Background: adolescence is a critical period for developing healthy eating habits. It is crucial to evaluate and encourage adherence to the Mediterranean diet, a sustainable and healthy diet model in this age group. Objective: this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and anthropometric measurements and nutritional status in Turkish adolescents. Material and methods: the demographic characteristics, health information, nutritional habits, physical activity status, and 24-hour dietary recall of the adolescents were obtained with a questionnaire. Adherence to Mediterranean diet was evaluated with the Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern Score (MSDPS). Results: a total of 1,137 adolescents (mean age 14.0 ± 1.37 years) were included; 30.2 % of the boys and 39.5 % of the girls were overweight/obese. The median (interquartile range) value of the MSDPS was 10.7 (7.7), and this value was 11.0 (7.6) for the boys and 10.6 (7.4) for the girls (p > 0.05). The levels of protein, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B12, iron, magnesium, zinc, and potassium intake increased with adherence to Mediterranean diet (p < 0.001). Age, parental education level, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and skipping meals affected MSDPS. Conclusion: adolescents' adherence to the Mediterranean diet was low and correlated with some anthropometric measures. Increasing adherence to the Mediterranean diet may contribute to preventing obesity and adequate and balanced nutrition in adolescents.

Introducción: Introducción: la adolescencia es un periodo crítico para el desarrollo de hábitos alimentarios saludables. Es fundamental evaluar y fomentar la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea, un modelo de alimentación sostenible y saludable en este grupo de edad. Objetivo: este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar la relación entre la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea y las medidas antropométricas y el estado nutricional en adolescentes turcos. Material y métodos: las características demográficas, la información de salud, los hábitos nutricionales, el estado de actividad física y el recuerdo dietético de 24 horas de los adolescentes se obtuvieron mediante un cuestionario. La adherencia a la dieta mediterránea se evaluó con el Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern Score (MSDPS). Resultados: se incluyó un total de 1.137 adolescentes (edad media 14,0 ± 1,37 años). El 30,2 % de los niños y el 39,5 % de las niñas tenían sobrepeso/obesidad. El valor de la mediana (rango intercuartílico) del MSDPS fue de 10,7 (7,7), siendo este valor de 11,0 (7,6) para los niños y de 10,6 (7,4) para las niñas (p > 0,05). Los niveles de ingesta de proteína, fibra, vitamina A, vitamina C, folato, vitamina B12, hierro, magnesio, zinc y potasio aumentaron con la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea (p < 0,001). La edad, el nivel de educación de los padres, el índice de masa corporal (IMC), la circunferencia de la cintura y la omisión de comidas afectaron al MSDPS. Conclusión: la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea de los adolescentes fue baja y se correlacionó con algunas medidas antropométricas. El aumento de la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea puede contribuir a la prevención de la obesidad y a una nutrición adecuada y equilibrada en los adolescentes.

Evaluation of nutrition literacy and nutrition knowledge level in nursing students: a study from Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: The determination of nutritional knowledge and nutrition literacy among nursing students will enable nursing departments to establish the needs and solutions to enhance nutrition education in their education programs. Therefore, this study is aimed to evaluate the nutrition literacy and nutrition knowledge level of nursing students. METHOD: The study data were collected with 'Information Form', 'Anthropometric Measurements', 'Nutrition Knowledge Level Scale for Adults', and 'Evaluation Instrument of Nutrition Literacy on Adults'. Analyzes were performed using descriptive and nonparametric tests. RESULTS: The score of nutrition knowledge is 56.6 ± 6.8 and 50.5% of them have a good nutrition knowledge level. The total nutrition literacy score is 28.6 ± 4.4 and 91.6% of them have a sufficient nutrition literacy level. It was no significant difference between students' characteristic features and nutrition knowledge score and nutrition literacy total score (p > 0.05). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the nutrition knowledge score and the nutrition literacy total score and the nutrition literacy sub-sections scores (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It has been determined that the nutrition knowledge and nutrition literacy levels of nursing students correlated with each other. To improve students' nutrition knowledge levels, as well as to improve their nutrition literacy and prevent non-communicable diseases nutrition lessons should be included in the curriculum.

Association between ecological footprint awareness and health literacy in adults: a population-based study from Turkey.

This study aimed to determine the relationship between health literacy and ecological footprint which is an indicator of sustainability and environmental impact and to examine the factors that may affect them. It was found that 20.3% of individuals have inadequate, 43.7% problematic, 26.1% sufficient and 10.0% excellent health literacy levels. There were differences in age, education level and BMI classification according to Ecological Footprint Awareness Scale score quartiles and health literacy levels (p < 0.05). It was determined that age and Turkey Health Literacy Scale score had effect on ecological footprint awareness. Individuals with a high level of health literacy have a high awareness of their ecological footprint. The increase in people's health literacy levels and ecological footprint awareness with age can be interpreted as the increase in people's education and knowledge levels and their awareness levels against the protection of nature and the environment.

Effects of Diurnal Ramadan Intermittent Fasting on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Sleep Quality in Healthy Turkish Adults.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of diurnal Ramadan fasting on cardiometabolic risk factors (blood glucose, lipid profile, inflammatory cytokines) and sleep quality in healthy Turkish adults. This prospective observational study was conducted with a total of 32 individuals (12 males, 20 females) who were aged between 19-32 years and fasted for 25 or more continuous days in Ankara, Turkey between 1 Ramadan 1442 and 30 Ramadan 1442. Individuals applied fasting for 16 hours in the spring season. Blood samples were taken after at least 8 hours of fasting, anthropometric measurements were taken and sleep quality was assessed using The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) at the beginning and the end of Ramadan. There was a significant decrease in body mass index (BMI), C-reactive protein (CRP), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels during Ramadan fasting (p < .005). There were no changes in lipid profiles and sleep quality. There was a significant increase in fasting blood glucose levels (p < .05); however, this change is within normal limits. There was also a significant relationship between BMI and CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α levels (p < .05). The diurnal Ramadan fasting did not affect lipid profiles and sleep quality in healthy Turkish subjects. However, decreased BMI and inflammatory cytokine levels were observed at the end of Ramadan fasting. More studies are needed to clarify the role of Ramadan fasting in healthy populations.

An Evaluation of Awareness, Knowledge, and Use of Folic Acid and Dietary Folate Intake among Non-Pregnant Women of Childbearing Age and Pregnant Women: A Cross-Sectional Study from Turkey.

This study was carried out to evaluate awareness, knowledge, and use of folic acid and dietary folate intake among non-pregnant women of childbearing age and pregnant women. A cross-sectional study was completed with 1442 women (1106 non-pregnant and 336 pregnant) in Ankara, Turkey. The individuals' awareness, knowledge, and use of folic acid were questioned and food consumption were taken. More than two-thirds of the non-pregnant and pregnant women had heard of folic acid (77.2% and 89.0%, respectively). The pregnant women (53.9%) knew more that folic acid should be used before conception in order to prevent congenital anomalies than non-pregnant women (41.4%). It was found that 70.2% of the pregnant women and only 15.1% of the non-pregnant women used folic acid supplementation. The pregnant women (1368.4 mcg; 330.4 mcg) significantly had higher folic acid and dietary folate intake than non-pregnant women (29.6 mcg; 289.3 mcg) (p < .01). Despite many public health campaigns, awareness, knowledge, and appropriate use of folic acid are still inadequate and not at the desired level in women of childbearing age.