Examination of adolescents' attention, appetite and nutritional status

Adolescents in the physiological and psychological transition are at risk for emotional eating disorders. Distraction and impulsive tendencies that affect academic success and social life can also affect the eating behavior of individuals. The aim of this study was to examine adolescent's attention levels, in which mood they tend to eat, eating habits and the relationship among them. This study was conducted at February 2020 on 142 students in total, 69 (48.6%) of them girls and 73 (51.6%) of them boys who are studying at Süleymaniye Educational Institutions Middle School. Data was collected by a questionnaire with 38 questions and a 24-h dietary recall to determine the personal characteristics and the eating habits of adolescents; the D2 Attention Test is used to determine attention levels and the Emotional Appetite Questionnaire is used to identify appetite. 38.7% of the participants in the study have overweight and 23.2% of them have obesity. The mean of the positive total scores on the Emotional Appetite Questionnaire was founded 43.5 ± 13.4 in female students and 43.3 ± 16.9 in male students whereas the mean of the negative total scores was 44.2 ± 18.5 in female students and 42.6 ± 18.3 in male students (p> 0.05). A statistically significant and negative correlation was found between the BMI for age percentile and the positive total scores. According to the D2 Attention test results, mean TN (total number) and CP (concentration) scores were significantly higher in male students than in females whereas there was a positive correlation with age and a negative correlation with Body Mass Index (BMI) for age for the same scores. A significant and negative correlation was found between glucose intake and the TN (total number) scores. There was a positive correlation between zinc intake and both TN (total number) and CP (concentration) scores (p <0.05). According to the results of this study, an increased risk of obesity and a parallel impairment in cognitive functions were founded in secondary school students. For this reason, it is important to detect and improve dietary habits of adolescence, which is a critical process for future generations. Key Words: Attention, emotional appetite, adolescence, nutritional status