Evaluation of cardiovascular disease awareness, mediterranean diet adherence, and heart-healthy nutritional status among adult individuals

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between adults' awareness of cardiovascular disease risk, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and their nutritional status related to heart health. The study was conducted between October and December 2024 with 400 adult individuals (both women and men) aged 18–65, working at the Mersin Provincial Health Directorate and Central District Health Directorates. A 15-question survey form was administered face-to-face by the researcher. The questionnaire included sociodemographic information (age, gender, employment status, education level, etc.), health information (smoking and alcohol consumption status), dietary habits (number of meals, skipping meals, water consumption, etc.), physical activity levels, and anthropometric measurements (body weight, height, waist circumference, hip circumference). Additionally, participants completed the MEDFICTS Diet Assessment Questionnaire, the Cardiovascular Disease Risk Awareness Scale, and the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener. The average age of the female participants was 45,5±9,86 years, and the average age of the male participants was 42±8.46 years (p<0,05). The average total MEDFICTS score was found to be 59,87±21,37 for women and 67,64±21,25 for men (p<0,05). In terms of gender, male participants scored significantly higher than females in the sub-dimensions of "knowledge about heart attack/stroke" and "healthy eating intentions" of the Cardiovascular Disease Risk Awareness Scale (p<0,05). The average total score of the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Scale was 7,41±1,65 for women and 6,95±1,96 for men (p<0,05). The proportion of individuals who reached a high level of adherence was found to be quite low in both genders %10,11 in women and %8,27 in men. A significant negative correlation was found between age and MEDFICTS score (r=-0.119, p<0,05), while a significant positive correlation was observed between age and adherence to the Mediterranean diet (r=0.111, p<0,05). This suggests that as individuals age, they tend to make healthier dietary choices. A significant and positive relationship was found between the total score of the Cardiovascular Disease Risk Awareness Assessment Scale and adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and these differences were found to be statistically significant (r=0.119, p<0.05). Strong and significant correlations were found among the subscales of the Cardiovascular Disease Risk Awareness Assessment Scale. Significant relationships were found between the "Knowledge about heart attack/stroke" subscale (r=0.149, p<0,05) and the "Perceived risk of heart attack/stroke" and "Intention to change behavior" subscales (r=0.166, p<0,05). Similarly, significant and strong positive correlations were found between the "Perceived heart attack/stroke risk" subscale and both "Intentions for healthy eating" (r = 0.390, p<0,05) and the total Cardiovascular Disease Risk Awareness Scale (r = 0.746, p < 0,05). These differences were statistically significant (p<0,05). The findings revealed that unhealthy dietary habits (high MEDFICTS scores) were significantly associated with waist circumference and BMI. On the other hand, adherence to the Mediterranean diet was found to be significantly associated with psychosocial factors such as age, heart health awareness, intention for healthy eating, and perceived benefits. Additionally, strong correlations were found among the subscales of the Cardiovascular Disease Risk Awareness Assessment Scale, and as the level of knowledge increased, scores on the "Perceived risk of heart attack/stroke" and "Intention for healthy eating" subscales also increased.