The relationship between food cravings and body image with healthy eating index in adolescent girls

•This work found an association between body image and healthy eating index.•Having increased food cravings does not always imply eating an unhealthy diet.•Increasing the healthy eating index score increased fiber, vitamin C, and magnesium consumption. Adolescence is one of the most critical phases in any individual's life; adolescent nutrition is closely tied to physical health and development. Research has found that adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to body image concerns and disordered eating behaviors, making it crucial to understand the factors that contribute to these issues. The relationship between food cravings, body image, and healthy eating behaviors is complex and multifaceted and requires careful investigation to identify effective interventions that can promote healthy eating habits in adolescent girls. By exploring the connections between these variables, researchers and health care professionals can develop targeted strategies to reduce food cravings, improve body image, and encourage healthy eating behaviors. Ultimately, this can have important implications for promoting adolescent health and reducing the risk of chronic diseases in later life. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 161 students, ages 15 to 18 y. Data on dietary intake, physical activity, food cravings, and body image were collected using valid standard questionnaires. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman, and linear regression tests in SPSS software. The mean age of the participants was 15.94 ± 0.93 y. The participants’ mean height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) were 160.78 ± 5.28 cm, 56.45 ± 11.03 kg, and 21.79 kg/m2, respectively. The z score of height for age in the studied samples was –0.22 ± 0.77, and BMI for age was 0.17 ± 1.15 kg/m2. Most participants followed diets that needed to be modified. The healthy eating index (HEI) among them was 53.0.6 ± 9.51. Also, a significant and direct correlation was observed between body image and HEI (P = 0.01) after adjusting for confounding variables. The HEI did not reveal a significant relationship with food cravings even with the modification of confounders (P = 0.18). Moreover, no significant connection was identified between HEI and BMI (P = 0.51). Adolescents with higher body image score had better nutritional quality. Moreover, food cravings and BMI did not have any relationship with HEI score.