Evaluation of mediterranean diet compliance and eatingbehavior disorder in children and adolescents with Type 1diabetes after Kahramanmaraş earthquake

This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between compliance with the Mediterranean diet and eating disorder attitudes in children and adolescents diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) after the devastating earthquakes that occurred in Kahramanmaraş and its surroundings on February 6, 2023. This cross-sectional study was conducted online with 219 individuals between the ages of 10-18 living in Gaziantep and Kahramanmaraş provinces between May 2023 and July 2024. The Diabetes Eating Problems Questionnaire (DEPS-R) and the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) scale were applied to the individuals; sociodemographic characteristics and eating habits were questioned. It was determined that 43.8% of the individuals lived in Kahramanmaraş and 56.2% in Gaziantep. It was found that 37.4% of the individuals were male and 62.6% were female. The total mean scores of boys and girls from the DEPS-R scale were determined as 16.9±10.83 and 14.7±10.52, respectively (p>0.05). It was determined that the mean DEPS-R scale score of individuals living in Kahramanmaraş (17.7±10.78) was significantly higher than the mean scores of those living in Gaziantep (13.9±10.30) (p<0.05). It was found that increasing the frequency of seeing a dietician reduced eating behavior disorders (p<0.05). No significant difference was found between boys and girls in terms of the mean KIDMED scores of individuals. (M: 7.4±2.24 F: 7.8±1.75; p p>0.05). However, it was determined that as individuals' compliance with the Mediterranean diet increased, there were decreases in body weight, BMI value and HbA1c value (p<0.05). In addition, a moderate negative significant correlation was found between the individuals' KIDMED and DEPS-R scores (r=-0.374; p<0.001). These results indicate that life-threatening disasters such as earthquakes may cause eating problems in children with T1DM and may negatively affect children's adaptation to the Mediterranean diet. Keywords: Type 1 diabetes, eating disorder, Mediterranean diet, earthquake