Keywords: Vitamin B12 Deficiency, Iron Deficiency, Cognitive Function, Physical Activity,Young Adults

Background:

Vitamin B12 and iron deficiencies are known to negatively impact cognitive function and remain widespread in developing countries. Early adulthood is a critical stage of cognitive development, making it essential to investigate the effects of modifiable lifestyle factors such as diet and physical activity on mental performance.

Research questions:

This study aimed to explore:

Whether dietary and physical activity habits are associated with serum vitamin B12 and ferritin levels;

Whether these biomarkers and habits affect cognitive performance;

Which specific eating behaviors predict cognitive outcomes.

Method:

A cross-sectional and prospective descriptive study was conducted at a primary care center in Ankara. Forty-one university students aged 18–24 with recent lab data were included. Participants completed the Healthy Eating Attitude Scale, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Retrospective lab values (B12, ferritin, hemogram) were analyzed using R software.

Results:

A weak positive correlation was observed between vitamin B12 and MoCA scores (r = 0.19), and a moderate positive correlation between ferritin and physical activity (r = 0.31). Obsessive eating behavior negatively correlated with cognitive performance (r = –0.31), whereas mindful eating significantly predicted cognitive behavior scores (p = 0.001). Due to the small sample size and low statistical power (5.5%), these results are considered preliminary and non-conclusive.

Conclusions:

Eating behavior, particularly mindfulness in eating, may influence cognitive functioning in young adults. However, trends in vitamin levels require cautious interpretation in the absence of statistical significance.

Points for discussion:

The study’s limitations include a small sample, gender imbalance, and cross-sectional design. Future longitudinal studies with broader confounder control (e.g., sleep, stress) are needed. The findings raise possibilities for lifestyle-based cognitive screening in primary care.