ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutritional Epidemiology
This article is part of the Research TopicDietary Patterns, Biomarkers, and Health Outcomes: An Epidemiological Perspective on the Mediterranean Diet, Sleep, and Chronic DiseaseView all articles
From Knowledge to Action: How Nutrition Knowledge Shapes Sustainable Eating and Mediterranean Diet Adherence
Provisionally accepted
- 1Bandirma Onyedi Eylül University, Bandirma, Türkiye
- 2Istanbul Gelisim Universitesi, Istanbul, Türkiye
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Background: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of nutrition knowledge on sustainable and healthy eating behaviours and adherence to the Mediterranean diet in adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study analysed data from 1712 participants aged 18-64 years living in Türkiye who participated in an online survey. Data were collected using the Descriptive Information Form, the Nutrition Knowledge Scale (NKS), the Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviours Scale (SHE), and the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Scale (MEDAS). Results: The mean score of the adults with a mean age of 30.69±10.89 years was 82.70±15.81 and 28.2% had a high level of nutrition knowledge. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that after controlling for socio-demographic factors, the increase in nutritional knowledge level was associated with an increase in the components of sustainable and healthy dietary eating behaviours Quality labels (β:0.100, p<0.05)], Seasonal food and avoiding food waste (β:0.134, p<0.05)], Animal welfare (β:0.031, p<0.05)], Healthy and Balanced Diet (β:0.193, p<0.05)] and Low fat (β:0.130, p<0.05)] and Mediterranean diet compliance (β:0.185, p<0.001) as predictors of adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Conclusions: The results of the study revealed that increasing the level of nutritional knowledge plays a key role not only for individual health but also for the sustainability of our planet. In this context, programs that enhance nutritional knowledge are key to promoting sustainable, healthy eating and adherence to the Mediterranean diet.
Keywords: mediterranean diet, nutrition knowledge, healthy eating, sustainable nutrition, eating behaviours
Received: 12 Aug 2025; Accepted: 31 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 ÖNGÜN YILMAZ, Arslan, Tarı Selçuk, Bayram and Ozturkcan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Hande ÖNGÜN YILMAZ, hyilmaz@bandirma.edu.tr
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