Background/Objectives: Dietary adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) pattern is associated with lower blood pressure; however, most prior studies have relied on office-based measurements and non-specific dietary assessment tools. This study examined the association between DASH diet quality, assessed by the validated DASH-Q questionnaire, and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure in treatment-naive adults referred for diagnostic ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 227 consecutive treatment-naive adults referred for diagnostic 24-h ABPM at a cardiology outpatient clinic. DASH diet quality was assessed using the validated Turkish version of the DASH-Q questionnaire and categorized as low (<36), moderate (36–49), or high (≥50). Hypertension was defined by ABPM-based thresholds. Multivariable linear regression was performed to identify independent predictors of 24-h mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and binary logistic regression was used to evaluate independent predictors of ABPM-defined hypertension, with both models adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking, physical activity, and self-reported discretionary salt-adding behavior. Results: DASH-Q total score was the sole statistically significant independent predictor of both 24-h mean systolic blood pressure (B = −1.068, 95% CI: −1.270 to −0.866; β = −0.589; p < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (B = −0.560, 95% CI: −0.706 to −0.414; β = −0.470; p < 0.001) in the adjusted models. Each one-unit higher DASH-Q score was also associated with 14.6% lower odds of ABPM-defined hypertension (OR = 0.854, 95% CI: 0.820–0.890; p < 0.001). Higher DASH-Q scores were further associated with a more favorable metabolic profile, including lower LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, and C-reactive protein levels. Conclusions: DASH diet quality was independently and inversely associated with 24-h ambulatory blood pressure and the odds of ABPM-defined hypertension in this treatment-naive population. Given the cross-sectional design and the possibility of reverse causality, these results should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating and require confirmation in prospective studies.

Background: This cross-sectional study aimed to determine attitudes toward the use of artificial intelligence tools, body appreciation, and e-healthy diet literacy (e-HDL) levels among university students, and to analytically evaluate the relationships among these variables. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 440 undergraduate university students aged 18–30 years enrolled at Gaziantep University. Data were collected with web-based questionnaire that included a Descriptive Information Form, the Artificial Intelligence Attitude Scale-Short Form (AIAS-4), the Body Appreciation Scale (BAS), and the e-HDL Scale. Results: The mean AIAS-4, BAS, and e-HDL total scores were 5.47 ± 2.62, 38.91 ± 9.00, and 37.89 ± 7.04, respectively. AIAS-4 scores were positively correlated with both BAS and e-HDL total scores. Male students had significantly higher AIAS-4 scores than female students, whereas female students had significantly higher BAS scores. Male students had significantly higher AIAS-4 scores than female students, whereas female students had significantly higher BAS scores; no significant sex difference was observed in e-HDL total scores. AIAS-4 and BAS scores differed significantly across BMI categories, while e-HDL total scores did not. In multiple linear regression analysis, higher BAS scores (β = 0.325, p < 0.001), higher e-HDL total scores (β = 0.247, p < 0.001), and higher BMI (β = 0.107, p = 0.021) were independently associated with higher AIAS-4 scores, whereas female sex was independently associated with lower AIAS-4 scores (β = -0.138, p = 0.003). Notably, BMI was not significantly correlated with AIAS-4 scores in the bivariate analysis ( r = 0.083, p > 0.05), yet emerged as a significant independent predictor in the multivariable model (β = 0.107, p = 0.021). This discrepancy is consistent with a suppression effect, whereby sex — which is associated with both BMI and AI attitudes — masks the independent contribution of BMI in unadjusted analyses. After adjustment for sex and other covariates in the multivariable model, the association between BMI and AI attitudes became statistically detectable. This finding underscores the importance of multivariable adjustment when examining predictors that are inter-correlated. Age was not significantly associated with AIAS-4 scores. The regression model explained 22.0% of the variance in AIAS-4 scores. Conclusion: Among university students, more positive attitudes toward artificial intelligence tools were associated with higher body appreciation and e-HDL. In addition, sex and BMI were independently related to AI attitudes, whereas age and year of study were not. Although nearly all participants reported using AI, the regression model explained 22% of the variance in AI attitudes, indicating that the drivers of more positive attitudes remain multifaceted and warrant further investigation.

Background: Dyspeptic symptoms are common in older adults and may impair nutritional status and quality of life. Dietary patterns are increasingly recognized as modifiable determinants of gastrointestinal symptom burden, yet evidence regarding Mediterranean diet adherence and dyspepsia severity in geriatric populations remains limited. We aimed to examine the association between Mediterranean diet adherence and dyspeptic symptom severity—including pain, non-pain symptoms, and symptom-related satisfaction—among adults aged ≥ 65 years presenting with dyspeptic complaints. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2023 and December 2024 in a geriatric outpatient clinic at Gaziantep University Training and Research Hospital. Consecutive adults aged ≥ 65 years with dyspeptic symptoms lasting ≥ 4 weeks and adequate cognitive capacity (clinical judgment and/or MMSE ≥ 24) were enrolled. Mediterranean diet adherence was assessed using the 14-item Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS; score 0–14) and categorized as low (≤ 5), moderate (6–9), or high (≥ 10). Dyspeptic symptoms were evaluated using the interviewer-administered Severity of Dyspepsia Assessment (SODA) scale (pain, non-pain symptoms, satisfaction; 7-day recall). Pearson correlations, one-way ANOVA with appropriate post-hoc tests, and multivariable linear regression analyses were performed; models were adjusted for age, sex, and BMI as clinically relevant covariates. Results: A total of 165 participants were included (70.9% women; mean age 71.47 ± 6.43 years; mean BMI 28.51 ± 4.99 kg/m ² ). Most exhibited moderate MEDAS adherence (73.9%), while 18.2% had low and 7.9% high adherence. Higher MEDAS scores were associated with lower SODA pain ( r = − 0.177, p = 0.02) and non-pain symptom scores ( r = − 0.429, p < 0.001), and higher satisfaction scores (indicating better perceived gastrointestinal well-being; r = 0.431, p < 0.001). SODA subscale scores differed significantly across adherence categories (all p < 0.05), whereas BMI did not ( p = 0.521). In adjusted regression models, each one-point increase in MEDAS was associated with lower pain (B = − 1.50, p = 0.001), non-pain symptoms (B = − 1.66, p < 0.001), and higher satisfaction (B = 0.77, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Greater Mediterranean diet adherence was independently associated with lower dyspeptic symptom severity and higher symptom-related satisfaction in older adults with dyspepsia. Prospective and interventional studies are warranted to determine whether improving Mediterranean diet adherence can causally reduce dyspeptic symptoms in geriatric care.

Background/Objectives: Dysphagia may adversely affect nutritional status in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This study aimed to investigate the associations between dysphagia severity and (i) nutritional status, assessed by the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria, and (ii) secondary sarcopenia indicators according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People-2 (EWGSOP2) framework. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 32 consecutive adult outpatients with confirmed MS and self-reported dysphagia (DYMUS ≥ 1). Dysphagia severity was evaluated using the Dysphagia in Multiple Sclerosis (DYMUS) questionnaire, the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10), and the Yale Swallow Protocol. Nutritional assessment included MUST screening and GLIM-based malnutrition diagnosis. Muscle function was evaluated via handgrip strength, calf circumference, and 4-metre gait speed. Results: GLIM-defined malnutrition was identified in 12 (37.5%) patients. Dysphagia severity was significantly associated with MUST score (ρ = 0.596, p < 0.001) and the presence of GLIM-defined malnutrition (median DYMUS 6.5 vs. 4.0; p = 0.012). In exploratory logistic regression, higher DYMUS scores were associated with GLIM-defined malnutrition. Conversely, no significant associations were found between dysphagia severity and handgrip strength, calf circumference, or sarcopenia classification (p > 0.30 for all). The categorical severe-sarcopenia rate was not considered reliably interpretable because of a pronounced gait speed floor effect. Conclusions: In ambulatory MS patients with dysphagia, dysphagia severity was associated with nutritional risk indicators and GLIM-defined malnutrition, but not with the primary muscle strength and mass indicators evaluated. Because MUST and GLIM reflect composite nutritional risk rather than confirmed protein–energy deficiency, these findings should be regarded as exploratory and hypothesis-generating. The present data did not permit a reliable estimate of sarcopenia prevalence because of a pronounced gait speed floor effect and the absence of body composition measurement. As a preliminary practical consideration, these findings may support combined dysphagia and nutritional screening in multidisciplinary MS outpatient care, pending confirmation in larger prospective cohorts.

Background: Anthropometric indicators are widely used to assess nutritional status and obesity-related health risks; however, body mass index (BMI) alone may inadequately reflect central adiposity. Nutrition knowledge has been associated with healthier dietary behaviors, yet evidence linking detailed anthropometric and body composition measures with nutrition knowledge remains limited, particularly among pre-professional health students. This study aimed to examine the associations between general nutrition knowledge and anthropometric and body composition indicators among midwifery students. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 126 first-year female midwifery students (mean age: 19.83 ± 1.08 years). Anthropometric measurements (BMI, waist circumference [WC], waist-to-hip ratio [WHR], waist-to-height ratio [WHtR], and neck circumference [NC]) and body composition parameters were assessed using standardized procedures and bioelectrical impedance analysis. Nutrition knowledge was evaluated using the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire–Revised (GNKQ-R). Pearson correlation, group comparisons (t-test/ANOVA), and multivariable linear regression analyses were performed. Subscale analyses were adjusted for multiple testing using the Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate method. Results: Higher GNKQ-R total scores were significantly associated with lower BMI ( r = − 0.27), WC ( r = − 0.36), WHR ( r = − 0.23), WHtR ( r = − 0.36), and body fat percentage (BF%) ( r = − 0.25), and with higher fat-free mass percentage (all p < 0.05). Among GNKQ-R subscales, Healthy food choices and Diet–disease relationships demonstrated the most consistent inverse associations with adiposity-related measures. Group-based analyses showed progressively lower nutrition knowledge scores across increasing WC, WHtR, and body fat risk categories. In multivariable models adjusted for age and income–expense status, WHtR demonstrated the largest independent inverse association with GNKQ-R total score (β = −0.339, p < 0.001). BMI and BF% were also independently associated, although with lower explanatory power. Conclusion: Among midwifery students, higher nutrition knowledge was associated with more favorable anthropometric and body composition profiles, particularly indicators of central adiposity. Within this relatively homogeneous cohort of young, predominantly normal-weight female students, WHtR showed the strongest association with nutrition knowledge among the anthropometric indicators assessed. These findings should be interpreted in light of the cross-sectional design and the limited range of behavioral and sociodemographic variables assessed. Further research is needed to clarify the underlying mechanisms and to determine whether similar associations are observed in more diverse student populations.

Background/Objectives: Dyslipidemia is a major cardiometabolic disorder frequently accompanied by adverse fat distribution and unhealthy eating behaviors. This study aimed to compare meal pattern characteristics and anthropometric indicators between adults with newly diagnosed dyslipidemia and normolipidemic controls and to identify factors independently associated with dyslipidemia. We hypothesized that breakfast skipping would be more prevalent among individuals with dyslipidemia and that distribution-based anthropometric markers—particularly neck circumference (NC) and waist circumference (WC)—would be more strongly associated with dyslipidemia than body mass index (BMI). Methods: This cross-sectional comparative study included 257 adults without diabetes aged 18–65 years. Anthropometric assessment included BMI, WC, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and NC. Meal patterns were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Hierarchical binary logistic regression was used to identify independent associations. The linearity assumption was verified, and a sensitivity analysis was performed with HbA1c dichotomized at ≥5.7%. Results: Elevated NC was more frequent in participants with dyslipidemia (95.6% vs. 78.3%, p < 0.001). Breakfast skipping was more common among participants with dyslipidemia (30.7% vs. 15.0%, p = 0.003), whereas lunch skipping was less common (52.6% vs. 65.8%, p = 0.031). In the fully adjusted model, elevated NC (OR: 4.72), breakfast skipping (OR: 3.39), and HbA1c (OR: 3.61) were independently associated with dyslipidemia. These findings were confirmed in sensitivity analysis. Conclusions: Breakfast skipping and elevated NC were independently associated with newly diagnosed dyslipidemia, partially supporting the study hypothesis. Breakfast skipping and NC may aid in early risk identification in outpatient settings. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these associations.