Generational differences in mediterranean diet adherence: associations with hedonic hunger and the obesogenic environment

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet may show intergenerational differences in its association with hedonic hunger and perceived obesogenic environment. This study aimed to examine the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, hedonic hunger, and perceived obesogenic environment among adults in Türkiye from an intergenerational perspective. This cross-sectional intergenerational study was conducted among 1176 adults (845 women, 331 men) aged 18–58 years living in Ankara, Türkiye. Data were collected via a web-based survey using the snowball sampling method. Sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported anthropometric measurements were recorded. Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MEDAS), hedonic hunger (Power of Food Scale), and perceived obesogenic environment (Obesogenic Environment Scale) were assessed. Participants were classified into Generations X, Y, and Z based on age groups. Correlation analyses, group comparisons, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet differed significantly across generations, with the highest adherence observed in Generation X and the lowest in Generation Z ( p < 0.001). Levels of hedonic hunger and perceived obesogenic environment were significantly higher in Generation Z ( p < 0.05). MEDAS scores showed significant negative correlations with the total and subdimension scores of both the Power of Food Scale and the Obesogenic Environment Scale across all generations ( p < 0.001). Generation-stratified multiple linear regression analyses showed that age and income level were positively associated with MEDAS scores within each generation, whereas men sex, higher hedonic hunger, and greater perceived obesogenic environment were negatively associated with MEDAS scores ( p < 0.05). This study shows that hedonic hunger and perceived obesogenic environmental factors are inversely associated with adherence to the Mediterranean Diet across all three generations. These findings highlight the potential relevance of considering behavioral and environmental factors in the development of generation-specific public health interventions aimed at promoting diet quality and sustainable healthy eating patterns.