Do Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviors and Food Insecurity Influence Estimated Type 2 Diabetes Risk?

Abstract

Objective: The Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization describe sustainable nutrition as dietary patterns that are safe, affordable, equitable, culturally appropriate, ecologically sound, and supportive of good health. This cross-sectional study explored how sustainable eating behaviors and food insecurity relate to the estimated risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in adults between 19 and 64 years of age living in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 272 male and female adults aged 19-64 years in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) between July 10 and December 27, 2024, using convenience sampling. Information was gathered with previously validated tools, namely the Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behavior Scale, the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, and the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score supplemented by 24-hour recalls of food intake and physical activity. The resulting dataset was subsequently analyzed in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Results: Overall, 272 participants were recruited for the study. Participants were distributed across age groups as fol- lows: 18-21 years (n = 97), 22-25 years (n = 88), and ≥26 years (n = 87). The body mass index was 25.86 ± 4.54 kg/m2 for males (n = 106) and 22.48 ± 3.75 kg/m2 for females (n = 166). A significant negative correlation was observed between the healthy and balanced nutrition subscale and food insecurity (P < .05). Neither sustainable eating behaviors nor food insecurity demonstrated a statistically significant association with the estimated risk of diabetes. Lower income levels were meaningfully associated with higher food insecurity (P < .05). Conclusion: Healthier and more balanced dietary patterns appear to be associated with a lower risk of T2DM, while socioeconomic position remains an important determinant. Integrating healthy and sustainable dietary approaches with strategies addressing socioeconomic inequalities may help reduce the risk of T2DM at the population level. Cite this article as: Aler B, Okburan G. Do sustainable and healthy eating behaviors and food insecurity influence estimated type 2 diabetes risk?. Arch Health Sci Res. 2026, 13, 0025, doi: 10.5152/ArcHealthSciRes.2026.26025.