The Effect of Sociodemographic and Anthropometric Variables on Nutritional Knowledge and Nutrition Literacy

Abstract

Nutrition literacy, which is one of the important components of health literacy, includes basic nutritional information and understanding, interpreting and having the ability to make healthy decisions on nutrition-related issues. This study aims to dwell upon the relationship between sociodemographic and anthropometric variables and nutritional knowledge and nutrition literacy. A total of 1600 people aged 19–64 years, 934 women and 666 men, voluntarily participated in the research in the capital city of Turkey. The mean age is 28.2 ± 10.9 years. More than half of the participants (57.4%) have a university graduate/postgraduate education level, and 66.2% are unemployed. This cross-sectional study evaluated demographic information, anthropometric measurements, nutritional information and nutrition literacy. Nearly all the respondents (94.6%) were determined to have sufficient nutrition literacy. Body mass index (BMI) and age were negatively associated with nutrition literacy, whilst nutrition knowledge was positively associated. Respondents with nutrition education at school had the highest nutrition knowledge and nutrition literacy scores, and primary school graduates had the lowest. Participants who received nutrition education scored higher in all the subgroups of the GNKQ. Age, gender, marital status, education status, employment status, BMI and nutrition education were significantly associated with nutrition literacy. The results will be useful in developing food and nutrition policies that will pave the way for making decisions on the most useful themes of health and nutrition campaigns.