The mediating effect of food and nutrition literacy attitudes and behaviors in the effect of nutrition knowledge on food preparation skills.

With the increasing interest in gastronomy in Turkey during the recent years, the number of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Departments in universities has increased rapidly. In the study, it was aimed to investigate whether the effect of nutrition knowledge on food preparation skills and food and nutrition literacy behavior and attitude play a mediating role in the effect of nutrition knowledge on food preparation skills in gastronomy undergraduate students. The universe of the research is Gastronomy and Culinary Arts undergraduate students in Turkey. The sample of the research is 392 questionnaires, which ere applied face-to-face and online questionnaires using the convenience sampling and evaluated. The questionnaire consists of questions, of which the validity and reliability was determined by reviewing the literature, on Healthy Eating Attitude Scale Knowledge about Nutrition Sub-Dimension, GBOY (Food and Nutrition Literacy) Scale Attitude and Behavior Sub-Dimension, Perceived Food Literacy Scale Food Preparation Skills Sub-Dimension and demographic. In the study, it was determined that knowledge about nutrition positively affected both the food literacy attitude sub-dimension and the food literacy behavior sub-dimension. It was determined that Knowledge About Nutrition and Attitude and Behavior Sub-Dimensions of GBOY Scale had a positive effect on food preparation skills. It was seen that while the GBOY attitude sub-dimension had a partial mediation role in the effect of knowledge about nutrition on food preparation skills; the GBOY behavior sub-dimension did not have a mediating role. There are courses in the curriculum of undergraduate gastronomy students that will increase their nutritional knowledge and food preparation skills. According to the results of this research, nutritional knowledge and food literacy attitudes and behaviors affect food preparation skills. Students being informed about nutrition, acquiring the right behavior and attitude about food literacy are expected to contribute positively to both being healthy individuals in their lives and food preparation skills in their professional life. Keywords: Nutrition Knowledge, Food and Nutrition Literacy Attitude and Behavior, Food Preparation Skill, Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Undergraduate Education.