Background: In the management of hypertension lifestyle changes are recommended along with pharmacological treatment. Methods: This randomized controlled intervention study aimed to compare the effects of a dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet and a salt-free diet on blood pressure in hypertension patients. This study was conducted with 60 patients with primary hypertension. One group (n = 30) was given an individualized DASH diet, the other group was given a salt-free diet (n = 30), and the participants were followed for 2-months. The patients’ blood pressures were monitored daily throughout the study, and their biochemical parameters were monitored at the beginning of the study, in the first and second months. Results: At the end of the second month, there was no difference between the 2 groups in terms of diastolic blood pressure, while the systolic blood pressure (SBP) of the salt-free diet group (121.03 ± 9.73 mm Hg) was statistically significantly lower than the DASH diet group (126.81 ± 8.91 mm Hg) (P = .021). Conclusion: The salt-free diet was more efficient than for lowering SBP. However, the fact that sodium and soluble fiber intakes in the DASH diet group were higher than those in the salt-free diet group at the end of the first month, unlike at the beginning (P < .05), suggests that restricting the salt content of the DASH diet in hypertension could lead to more favorable outcomes on blood pressure, considering its suitability for a healthy diet.

Psoriasis is a multifaceted, chronic, inflammatory skin disease that impacts patients’ quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the disease severity and quality of life of psoriasis patients and their nutritional status. The study included 40 patients in the psoriasis group, compared with 40 healthy individuals in the control group. A questionnaire for determination of socio-demographic characteristics and nutritional intake, anthropometric measurements, psoriasis area and severity index (PASI), and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) were used for the assessments. Daily food consumption details were recorded for three consecutive days to determine daily energy and nutrient intakes. Compared to the control group, the frequencies of single participants, primary school graduates, and housewives were higher in the psoriasis group (p < 0.05). The psoriasis patients weighed more and had an increased waist/hip ratio in comparison with the healthy individuals. The energy intake was lower in the psoriasis group (p < 0.01). There was not a significant statistical difference in the intake of proteins, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, Zn, Fe, and Mg supplements between the groups. However, there was an inverse correlation between the daily vitamin E intake and PASI scores (p < 0.05). There was a positive moderate correlation between the DLQI and PASI scores (p < 0.01). Our study indicated that lower daily vitamin E intake levels were associated with the severity of psoriasis. In addition to this, abdominal obesity seems to be another risk factor in psoriasis patients, even if they have a normal body mass index (BMI). An integrated healthcare approach with dermatologists, family physicians, and dietitians is essential to the management of psoriasis.

Adequate nutritional literacy, combined with appropriate food choices, can help protect individuals from chronic diseases and enhance both individual and public health. This study aimed to examine the relationship between the nutritional literacy levels of patients receiving dietary counseling at a diet outpatient clinic and their likelihood of being obese or having chronic diseases. The study included 130 patients with chronic diseases (chronic disease group) and 99 healthy individuals (control group), aged 19 to 64. Participants’ nutritional status was assessed using food consumption records. Waist circumference was measured, and body mass index (BMI, kg/m ² ) was calculated. Nutritional literacy levels were evaluated using the Evaluation Instrument of Nutrition Literacy on Adults (EINLA) in all participants. The mean age was 44.0 (32–53) years in the chronic disease group and 42.5 (37–50) years in the control group. Female participants constituted 55.4% (n = 72) of the chronic disease group and 63.6% (n = 63) of the control group. The mean BMI was 27.5 (24.4–30.5) in the chronic disease group and 27.0 (24.3–29.6) in the control group. Chronic diseases among participants included hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, goiter, and obesity. The chronic disease group had significantly higher EINLA scores (26.41 ± 4.94) compared to the control group (24.15 ± 5.62); however, their scores for general nutritional knowledge, reading comprehension, food label reading, and numerical literacy were significantly lower ( P < .05). EINLA score (1.09 [1.03–1.14], P = .002), general nutrition knowledge (odds ratio [OR] = 0.81 [0.68–0.96], P = .018), reading comprehension-interpretation (OR = 0.45 [0.32–0.64], P < .001), and reading food labels-numerical literacy (OR = 0.77 [0.67–0.90], P = .001) were significantly associated with the likelihood of having a nutrition-related chronic disease. These associations remained significant after adjustment. Individuals with adequate nutritional literacy, as measured by the EINLA, exhibited lower BMI. Among those with chronic diseases, higher EINLA scores were inversely associated with obesity risk but positively associated with the presence of nutrition-related chronic diseases, even after adjusting for confounding factors. Furthermore, higher scores in specific EINLA subdimensions were significantly and inversely related to nutrition-related chronic disease presence. These findings underscore the complex relationship between nutritional literacy and health outcomes and suggest the possibility of reverse causality in cross-sectional studies. These findings suggest that higher nutritional literacy, particularly through targeted education on specific subdomains may act as a protective factor against obesity and chronic diseases. Promoting nutritional literacy could be a simple and cost-effective strategy to reduce the public health burden of these conditions.

The study aimed to translate the Eating-Related Eco-Concern (EREC) questionnaire into Turkish, adapt it cross-culturally, and evaluate its psychometric properties. EREC is a ten-item scale measuring how adults consider ecological impact in food choices due to climate change concerns. The study was conducted in Mersin between November 2023 and February 2024 with 442 adults (18–65 years) through face-to-face interviews. The Turkish version was adapted using the Translation–Back Translation method, and language validity was ensured. Face validity was evaluated through a pilot study with forty participants. Construct validity was initially assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with data from 200 participants, followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) conducted on an independent sample of 242 participants to verify the factor structure. The reliability of the scale was assessed by test-retest analysis with 106 participants from the main sample (n 442), and consistency was measured by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The factor structure and model fit were evaluated using indices such as Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Goodness-of-Fit Index (GFI) and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). 68·3 % of the participants were female, whereas 31·7 % were male. The group’s median BMI value was 24·3 (21·6–27·1), with 52·9 % classified as ‘normal’ according to the BMI classification. Factor 2 had a low score, but it was found to be adequate for other factors and the total scale score. The Turkish adaptation of the EREC questionnaire has been found to be a valid and reliable scale, as confirmed by comprehensive evaluations.