Abstract
BACKGROUND: Healthy eating is a crucial concept encompassing biochemical, physical, and psychosocial domains, and various nutritional indices and scales have been developed to assess the healthfulness of individuals' diets. This study aimed to evaluate the validity of the My Nutrition Index and examine its relationship with the Healthy Eating Index-2015 in the Turkish population. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 498 participants aged 19-64 years. Demographic and anthropometric data were collected, and three-day food consumption records were obtained to calculate both the My Nutrition Index and the Healthy Eating Index-2015. Validity of the MNI was assessed by examining its correlation with the HEI-2015 using Pearson's correlation test. Additionally, subgroup analyses were conducted to explore associations between MNI scores and demographic variables. Data analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 26 software package. RESULTS: Of the 498 participants, 65.4% were female and 34.6% were male. The mean age of the participants was 32.59 ± 14.34 years, and the mean body mass index was 24.58 ± 5.03 kg/m². The mean score for the My Nutrition Index was 47.91 ± 15.88, while the mean score for the Healthy Eating Index was 56.87 ± 10.49. A significant positive correlation was observed between the total score of the My Nutrition Index, the electrolyte, vitamin, and mineral subscales, and the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (p < 0.05). The mineral index scores of women were lower than those of men, and the My Nutrition Index score of individuals classified as underweight was lower than those of individuals with normal weight and obesity. Smokers had lower scores on both the My Nutrition Index and the Healthy Eating Index-2015 compared to non-smokers (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The My Nutrition Index demonstrated a significant correlation with the Healthy Eating Index-2015 in Türkiye. By providing a more culturally and contextually appropriate assessment tool, the My Nutrition Index may facilitate more targeted and effective interventions aimed at improving dietary habits. Future research should focus on validating the MNI in diverse populations and exploring its relationship with long-term health outcomes through longitudinal studies to further establish its clinical and public health relevance.