Examination of Optimal Nutrition Habits in Adults

Abstract

The aim of the study was to conduct a survey on optimal eating habits in adults. The study is a quantitative study and is based on the descriptive survey model. The population of the study consisted of a total of 624 adults. Of these, 314 were male and 310 were female. Demographic da-ta were collected from the participants to understand the effects of variables such as age, gender, education level, marital status, family type, employment status, BMI, and physical activity on eating habits. In addi-tion, the "Attitude Scale on Healthy Eating," (SBITQ) developed by Demir and Cicioğlu (2019), was used in the study. The scale is a 5-point Likert-type scale consisting of 4 sub-dimensions and 21 questions, in-cluding "about nutrition," " feeling towards nutrition," "positive nutrition," and "malnutrition." While analyz-ing the data of the study, the t-test was used for pairwise comparisons, and the Anova Tukey test was used for multiple comparisons within groups. When the data obtained from the study were analyzed, it was seen that there was a significant dif-ference in the sub-dimensions of optimal eating habits in adults in the variables of age, gender, educational status, marital status, family type, employment status, BMI (CDC), and educational status.In conclusion, analyses by age groups revealed significant differences in nutritional attitudes and knowledge levels among different age groups. This shows that the effect of age on nutritional habits is important and that nutritional preferences may change depending on age. It is also seen that gender plays a determining role in nutritional habits. Women were generally found to have higher nutrition scores. Similar-ly, educational level also has an effect on dietary attitudes. Individuals with higher levels of education were generally found to have more conscious eating habits. Improving dietary habits is a critical step to improving the overall health and quality of life of individuals and communities. Therefore, it is important to use the findings in the development of health policies and nutrition education programs.