Study of teachers' nutritional literacy and according to three-factor questionnaire nutritional habits

Nutritional literacy is the combination of desires, knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors and abilities required to ensure safe and healthy nutrition. Nutrition is a vital activity that started to be learned from childhood. Thus, teachers who educate and direct the society should have sufficient and correct nutrition knowledge. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between teachers' nutritional literacy and nutritional habits according to the three-factor nutrition questionnaire (TFEQ). The study was conducted with 306 teachers working at schools in Erzincan city center. The data were collected using a personal information form, Evaluation Instrument of Nutrition Literacy On Adults and Three-factor Nutrition Questionnaire. The nutrition literacy score average of the participant is 26.8 and the literacy scores of 82.4% of the participants are sufficient. Portion information and label reading skills were found to be insufficient. Nutrition literacy and its sub-dimensions associated with gender; total literacy score and score of all sub-dimensions were significantly higher in females than males (p <0.05). No significant relationship was found between nutritional literacy and its sub-dimensions and nutritional habits and BMI (p>0.05). BMI and uncontrolled eating, emotional eating ,susceptibility to hunger factors. (p<0.05). Teachers who have an important role in raising the awareness society should take training to apply healthy eating habits effectively. It seem to be an appropriate strategy that investing in teachers and increasing their nutritional knowledge and attitudes in order to integrate nutritional concepts into the society and to improve the nutritional knowledge and attitudes of students.