Investigation of nutrition literacy level, nutritional behaviors and related factors of adult population in Yildirim district of Bursa province

Background and Aim: Inadequate nutritional knowledge is one of the main reasons for inadequate and unbalanced nutrition. In addition, the increasing prevalence of nutrition-related health problems in society is an indication that individuals' nutritional literacy levels are not sufficient. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional behaviors, nutritional literacy levels and the relationship between related factors in adults living in Yıldırım district of Bursa province. Material and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted with 400 volunteer participants aged 18 and over who applied to two Healthy Life Centers (I and II) in Yıldırım district of Bursa province for any reason within the study dates. Employing a face-to-face method, data were gathered through the utilization of the nutritional habits scoring survey form and evaluation tool of nutrition literacy in adults. Subsequently, the collected data were analyzed through the SPSS 26.0 software package in a computerized environment. Results: The average age of the participants was 40.70 ± 14.19 years. A total of 69,8% of the participants were women, 66% reported having a high school education or less, and 57% were married. The mean nutritional habits scoring was found to be 42.49±9.45 and the mean survey form and evaluation tool of nutrition literacy in adults score was 21.58±4.87. A statistically significant difference was observed between the nutritional habits scoring score of the participants and various demographic factors, including their age, marital status, education level, working status and body mass index. The good nutritional habits of those who did not skip meals were 8.898 (7.305-10.490) times higher than those who did not skip meals and 2.918 (1.325-4.510) times higher than those who do not consume fast food. A statistically significant difference was observed between the survey form and evaluation tool of nutrition literacy in adults including their gender, education level, working status, regular physical activity status, and receiving training on healthy nutrition. Conclusion: In the study, it was determined that almost half of the participants had moderate eating habits, and one in every four people had poor eating habits. It was also determined that more than half of the participants had a "borderline or inadequate" BOY level. The findings are important in terms of showing the need for studies to raise awareness on the subject. Keywords: Adult, nutrition, nutritional literacy, nutritional habits, healthy nutrition