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The mediating role of intuitive eating in the relationship between food insecurity and the Mediterranean diet: a regional cross-sectional study in Türkiye

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 November 2025

Cansu Memic Inan Open the ORCID record for Cansu Memic Inan [Opens in a new window] ,
Eren Canbolat Open the ORCID record for Eren Canbolat [Opens in a new window]  and
Fatih Imrol Open the ORCID record for Fatih Imrol [Opens in a new window]
Cansu Memic Inan*
Affiliation:
Hitit University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Çorum, Türkiye
Eren Canbolat
Affiliation:
Ankara University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Ankara, Türkiye
Fatih Imrol
Affiliation:
Istanbul Medeniyet University, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Department of Measurement and Evaluation in Education, İstanbul, Türkiye
*
Corresponding author: Cansu Memic Inan; Email: dyt.cansumemic@gmail.com
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Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the potential mediating role of intuitive eating in the relationship between food insecurity and adherence to the Mediterranean diet. A total of 1039 adults aged between 20 and 64 years living in Niğde, Türkiye, were evaluated using a questionnaire. The questionnaire included items on participants’ general characteristics, dietary habits, the Household Food Security Survey Module – Short Form, the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener and the Intuitive Eating Scale-2. Intuitive eating was found to play a partial mediating role in the relationship between food insecurity and adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Food insecurity was directly and negatively associated with adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and this association remained significant even after the inclusion of intuitive eating as a variable in the model. In conclusion, food insecurity was found to negatively affect adherence to the Mediterranean diet not only directly but also indirectly by weakening intuitive eating skills. Interventions aimed at promoting intuitive eating may help mitigate unhealthy dietary behaviours associated with food insecurity; however, improving food access and living conditions remains essential for a long-term solution.

Keywords

Food insecurityIntuitive eatingMediterranean dietFood accessDietary behaviours

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , First View , pp. 1 - 7
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society

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