Assessment of nutritional awareness, dietary habits, and dietary supplement use among sports sciences faculty students: The case of Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University

Aim: This study aimed to determine the nutrition awareness, dietary habits, and dietary supplement use among students of the Faculty of Sport Sciences and to evaluate these variables according to their demographic, anthropometric, and exercise-related characteristics. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted with 194 students enrolled at the Faculty of Sport Sciences of Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University between November 2025 and January 2026. In this descriptive and correlational study, data were collected using a personal information form, the Nutrition Knowledge Level Scale for Adults (YETBİD), and the Sports Dietary Supplements Belief Scale. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software, and the level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results:The mean age of the students was 20.61±2.17 years, of whom 37.1% were female and 62.9% were male. It was determined that 93.3% of the students had poor or moderate levels of basic nutrition knowledge, whereas 6.7% had good or very good levels. Regarding food-choice knowledge, 53.1% of the students had good or very good levels, while 46.9% had moderate or poor levels. Dietary supplements were used by 49.0% of the students, 68.6% reported skipping at least one meal, and 76.8% engaged in regular exercise. A significant association was found between dietary supplement use and the level of basic nutrition knowledge (p=0.004). A positive, moderate, and statistically significant correlation was also found between basic nutrition knowledge and scores on the Sports Dietary Supplements Belief Scale (r=0.336; p<0.001). The Sports Dietary Supplements Belief Scale scores differed significantly according to BMI categories, with the highest scores observed among students with obesity (p<0.001). Conclusion: The students' basic nutrition knowledge was predominantly at a moderate level, whereas their food-choice knowledge was relatively higher. Basic nutrition knowledge differed significantly according to class level and dietary supplement use. A substantial proportion of the students believed that dietary supplements enhanced physical performance. Accordingly, evidence-based nutrition education and counseling interventions aimed at improving students' basic nutrition knowledge and promoting the informed use of dietary supplements should be strengthened.