Does the mother’s cooking skills influence the school-aged child’s adherence to the Mediterranean diet in Turkiye? a cross-sectional study

This cross-sectional descriptive study was designed and conducted to assess the effect of mothers’ cooking skills on school-aged children’s adherence to the Mediterranean diet. The demographic characteristics and anthropometric measurements of 388 mothers and children were collected, and the mothers’ and children’s cooking skills and adherence to the Mediterranean diet were assessed. The mean Cooking Skills Scale score of the mothers was 197.65 ± 22.52, and it was shown that 14.5% of the children had poor, 56.9% moderate and 28.6% good compliance with the Mediterranean diet. A negative correlation was found between the Cooking Skills Scale score and the children’s body mass index and energy intake, and a positive correlation was found between the Mediterranean Diet Compliance Index and calcium and phosphorus intake ( p < 0.05). In addition, adequate intakes of vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and iron were observed more frequently among children with good adherence to the Mediterranean diet (82.4%, 65.7%, 74.5%, and 49.0%, respectively) than among those with poor adherence (54.5%, 34.5%, 45.5%, and 27.3%, respectively). Furthermore, adequate vitamin K intake was more common in children with good adherence to the Mediterranean diet (71.6%) than in those with moderate adherence (48.3%) ( p < 0.05). Higher maternal cooking skills were associated with greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet, lower BMI values, and improved nutrient adequacy among children.