Evaluation of mediterranean diet adherence and nutritional knowledge levels in individuals with metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor that affects the prognosis of many diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. The Mediterranean diet, which is well-established in international guidelines, contains olive oil, vegetables, fresh fruits, nuts, fish, omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, and phytosterols, thereby possessing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. High adherence to the Mediterranean diet in adults has been associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome, and it has been shown to have a positive effect on all its components. This study evaluates the adherence to the Mediterranean diet and the nutritional knowledge levels of individuals with metabolic syndrome. The study included 105 voluntary patients aged 18- 65, who were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome according to the NCEP ATP-III criteria and visited the outpatient clinics of Avrupa Şafak Hospital 01.12.2022-31.01.2023. A questionnaire was administered through face-to-face interviews to determine the general characteristics, dietary habits, and physical activity levels of the patients. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed using the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Scale (MEDAS), and nutritional knowledge levels were evaluated with the Nutritional Knowledge Level Scale for Adults. To determine physical activity levels, the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF) was used. Anthropometric measurements of the individuals were conducted using the Inbody 120 device. According to the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Scale scores, 93.3% of the patients demonstrated low adherence, 2.9% moderate adherence, and 3.8% high adherence to the Mediterranean diet. The average MEDAS score of individuals with metabolic syndrome was 4.20±2.00, indicating low adherence to the Mediterranean diet. No significant differences were found in adherence scores based on gender, age, marital status, or educational level (p>0.05 for each). The total scores of patients Mediterranean diet show a significant difference according to their BMI values (p=0.04<0.05)." A positive but weak relationship was found between individuals' food preferences and basic nutritional knowledge (r=0.364, p=0.000<0.05). In this study, a significant relationship was identified between food preferences and educational status (p=0.013). Additionally, a positive but weak relationship was found between physical activity levels and both food preferences and nutritional knowledge levels. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that individuals with metabolic syndrome have low adherence to the Mediterranean diet.