Nutrition Literacy Mediates the Relationships between Multi-Level Factors and College Students’ Healthy Eating Behavior: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

College students experience new pressures and choices as they transition to independent living and can easily develop unhealthy eating habits, resulting in obesity and obesity-related chronic diseases in later life. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that nutrition literacy (NL) mediated the relationship between multi-level factors influencing healthy eating behavior identified from the social-ecological model and healthy eating behavior of college students. A four-part questionnaire was completed by 412 participants recruited from six different four-year universities in Taiwan (effective response rate = 85.8%). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, an independent samples t-test, hierarchical multiple regression, and mediation analysis. The results indicated that the students’ mean nutrition literacy score was 4.32 (SD = 0.78, range = 1–6). In the social-ecological framework, nutrition literacy significantly predicted healthy eating behavior (β = 0.28, p < 0.001; ΔF = 32.54, p < 0.001; ΔR2 = 0.05) with control variables of background, intrapersonal, interpersonal, environmental, and macrosystem factors. Nutrition literacy mediated the effects of seven factors on healthy eating behavior across four levels. These findings suggested that strengthening influential multi-level factors associated with healthy eating behavior not only enhanced NL, but also improved individuals’ healthy eating behavior.

Association between Nutrition Literacy and Bangladeshi Adults’ Healthy Eating Behaviors: Evidence from the Nutrition Literacy Study 2021

“…Healthy eating behavior was associated with nutrition literacy in Bangladeshi adults. The finding is in-line with previous studies in various population groups including adults, students, and adolescents [ 2 , 18 , 24 , 25 ]. The findings favor the need for nutrition education for people in both rural and urban areas of Bangladesh.…”

Association Between Nutrition Literacy and Overweight/Obesity of Adolescents: A Cross–Sectional Study in Chongqing, China

“…Several explanations were considered for these findings. Previous researchers have demonstrated that NL significantly affects healthy eating behavior ( 25 , 26 ) and positively changes the food habits ( 9 ) and choices ( 27 ) of the adolescents. Overall diet quality was shown to decrease with age as adolescents ( 28 ), but it can be mitigated with the attainment of NL ( 29 , 30 ).…”

Nutrition literacy differs based on demographics among University students in Bengbu, China

“…They exhibit dietary restraint, low intake of fruit and vegetables, and high intake of energy-dense nutrient-poor foods such as takeaway foods and sugar-sweetened drinks (5, 9). Factors influencing healthy eating among university students include individual factors (e.g., nutrition knowledge and education), social factors (e.g., social support from parents), and environmental factors (e.g., product prices and limited budgets) (10,11).…”

“…NL emphasizes nutrition-related skills in which an individual should have to make wise decisions regarding dietary situations in daily life, it can be regarded as an imperative component of food education programs and important to promoting healthy eating behaviors (21). A university campus with an adequate eating environment and adequate healthy eating campaigns could effectively improve healthy eating behaviors in university students (11). Higher levels of NL were reported to be associated with healthier and higher-quality diets, which could in turn reduce the risk of diet-related chronic diseases (22).…”