title: Nutritional status, Healthy Eating Index and eating attitudes of the adolescents in Istanbul: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to evaluate dietary quality of adolescents by using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and to assess their eating attitudes by the EAT-26 Eating Attitude Test.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight schools; four primary schools and four secondary schools were randomly selected from the school list of official website of Istanbul Education National Directorate. Five hundred and ninety-eight students who met the inclusion criteria included in the study, 24 h dietary recalls were collected to calculate their HEI scores and eating attitudes were evaluated by EAT-26 Eating Attitude Test. Their weight, height and waist circumference were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to HEI scores, only two (0.3%) of adolescents had high quality diet, 379 (63.4%) had diet quality that needed improvement and 217 (36.3%) had poor diet. Regarding Eating Attitude Test scores, 513 (85.8%) had normal attitudes regarding eating behaviors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Almost all of the participants need either development or major changes in their eating behaviors. Interventions aiming high quality diet among adolescents are strongly recommended.
authors.forename: Binnur Okan
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Bakir
authors.forename: Hulya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akan
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akman
authors.forename: Oguzhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zahmacioglu
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hayran
keywords: Healthy Eating Index; adolescents; dietary patterns; eating disorders; nutritional status