A descriptive study of the eating habits of secondary school students

The purpose of this study is to descriptively examine the eating habits of middle school students. The study was conducted on 7th and 8th grade students attending a public middle school in Turhal/Tokat province during the 2024–2025 academic year. The research was designed using the survey model, one of the quantitative research methods. Data were collected using the "Nutritional Habits Information Form" developed by the researcher and analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques in the SPSS 26.0 program. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, and standard deviation were used in the analyses; students' eating behaviors were evaluated in terms of the number of meals, foods consumed during meals, susceptibility to advertising, foods consumed in school cafeterias, and vegetable and fruit consumption. According to the research findings, it was determined that a significant proportion of students did not have regular eating habits, especially skipping breakfast and snacks frequently. The study dernonstrated that the vast majority of participants consumed three mels per day, but there were imbalances in the content of the meals. It was observed that packaged and processed food consumption was widespread; cakes, chocolate, wafers, carbonated drinks, and ready-made foods were frequently preferred. In addition, the vast majority of students considered nutritional value and taste important factors in their food choices. The products most frequently purchased by students from grocery stores were ice cream cones/baguettes, gımmy beans, and chips. Although the majority of students consume their meals at home, they also frequently shop at school canteens and grocery stores. In conclusion, the research findings show that the eating habits of middle school-aged individuals are influenced by many environmental factors. Since our sample size does not fully represent of the current sample, the generalizability of the study is limited. The nutritional status of our sample was examined, and it is imperative that families, educational institutions, and health authorities work together to raise awareness of healthy eating and correct negative eating habits. Keywords: Nutritional Habits, Descriptive Eating Habits, Middle School Students, Healthy Eating