Associations Between Nutrition Knowledge and Overall Diet Quality: The Moderating Role of Sociodemographic Characteristics—Results From the PREDISE Study

Abstract

Purpose: To assess how nutrition knowledge is associated with global diet quality and to investigate whether sociodemographic characteristics (ie, sex, age, education, income, marital status, and living with children or not) moderate this association. Design: Cross-sectional web-based study. Participants: The PREDISE study aims at identifying correlates of adherence to healthy eating guidelines in French-speaking adults from the Province of Quebec, Canada. Subjects: A probability sample of 1092 participants (50% female). Measures: The Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire and 24-hour food recalls from which the Canadian Healthy Eating Index (C-HEI) was calculated. Analysis: Multiple linear regressions performed to assess how nutrition knowledge is associated with the C-HEI. Interaction terms tested to evaluate whether sociodemographic characteristics moderate the association between nutrition knowledge and the C-HEI. Results: Nutrition knowledge (B = 0.141 [95% CI: 0.075-0.208], P < .0001) was identified as a significant correlate of the C-HEI. Education significantly moderated the association between nutrition knowledge and the C-HEI ( P interaction = .0038), with a significative association among participants with a lower education level (B = 0.295 [95% CI: 0.170-0.421], P < .0001) but not among participants with a higher education level (B = 0.077 [95% CI: −0.004 to 0.157], P = .06). Whether participants lived with or without children also significantly moderated the association ( P interaction = 0.0043); nutrition knowledge was associated with the C-HEI only in participants who were not living with children (B = 0.261 [95% CI: 0.167 to 0.355], P < .0001). Conclusion: This study suggests that the association between nutrition knowledge and adherence to healthy eating guidelines is not the same in different subgroups of the population. Interventions aiming at increasing nutrition knowledge may be a promising approach to improve diet quality, especially among individuals with a lower education.

Socioeconomic differences in animal food consumption: Education rather than income makes a difference

“…Therefore, higher education suggests greater knowledge about diet and health, resulting in food decisions that align with current dietary recommendations. Indeed, higher educational level has been associated with better diet quality ( 44 – 46 ) and higher nutritional knowledge, as demonstrated in several studies ( 47 – 49 ). Some authors have found nutrition knowledge to mediate the relationship between education or socioeconomic status and diet quality ( 46 , 48 , 50 ).…”

“…For instance, women consume less meat ( 35 , 36 ), are more likely to be vegetarian ( 36 , 38 ) and have a higher fruit and vegetable intake than men ( 70 ). Women also have higher nutrition knowledge ( 46 ), higher beliefs in the importance of healthy eating ( 71 ) and placed more value into sustainable diet practices compared to men ( 72 ).…”

Nutrition Literacy Proportion Differences among Regular Undergraduate Students in Universitas Indonesia Year 2021

“…People with high economic levels are also more concerned with fulfilling nutrition for their families compared to people with lower-middle economic levels [9,13]. Although in Taylor's research [13] and Carbonneau's research [9] was found that family economic conditions also played a role in shaping the level of nutritional literacy, this relationship was not found in the pocket money received by students. This result can be caused by the COVID-19 pandemic which affects the family's economic conditions and causes the amount of pocket money given to children is not as much as in normal conditions.…”

“…Families with high incomes can have purchasing sources and access to nutritious and healthy food, thus having a good impact on family consumption patterns [45]. People with high economic levels are also more concerned with fulfilling nutrition for their families compared to people with lower-middle economic levels [9,13]. Although in Taylor's research [13] and Carbonneau's research [9] was found that family economic conditions also played a role in shaping the level of nutritional literacy, this relationship was not found in the pocket money received by students.…”

“…In addition, nutrition literacy also affects the quality of a person's diet. Low nutrition literacy can have an impact on poor dietary quality [9][10][11][12]. The study of Taylor et al showed that the group with a good level of nutrition literacy generally consumed more red vegetables and legumes, fresh fruits, as well as sources of unsaturated oil, while the group with the low level of nutritional literacy significantly more eating fried and high cholesterol foods, processed meats, beverages containing additives, and other sources of saturated fat.…”