Is Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Associated with Eating Behaviour and Emotional Appetite in Young Women?

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) on eating attitudes and emotional appetite in young females aged 18-24. Methodology: A cross-sectional study (n=306) was conducted on young females. A questionnaire including demographic characteristics, Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), Emotional Eating Questionnaire (EMAQ), and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was applied. Daily food consumption was obtained from the 24-hour- food records and used to calculate the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (MAI). The researchers measured the body weight (kg) and height (cm). Results: Half of the participants (50.7%) have low adherence to the MD, moderate in 25.2%, and high in 24.2%. There is no statistical difference in MAI scores between EAT-26 groups (p>0.05). The dieting status was higher (28.2%) in the disordered eating tendencies group compared to the group without disordered eating tendencies (11.1%) (χ2 =12.490, p<0.001). The scores of the negative total scores were higher in the group with disordered eating risk (p=0.004). Conclusions: Young females’ low adherence to Mediterranean Diet might be associated with future health problems. No effect of MAI on disordered eating behavior was determined but EMAQ-negative sub and total scores were determined as a component of EAT-26. Early detection of diet quality and conditions associated with emotional eating disorders is thought to be important in preventing future health problems.