Evaluation of the relationship between packaged food label reading habits, nutrition literacy and nutrition knowledge in university students

It is important for the consumer to read the packaged food label in terms of gaining healthy eating habits. This study was carried out to examine the relationship between packaged food label reading habits, nutrition knowledge level and nutrition literacy in adult with continuing undergraduate education. The study was conducted with 240 (103 male, 137 female) university students who received undergraduate education in Turkey and agreed to participate in the study voluntarily. The questionnaire was sent to the participants as a Google Forms link. Participants' general information, dietary habits, anthropometric measurements, label reading habits, nutrition literacy were evaluated using the Evaluation Instrument of Nutrition Literacy On Adults (EINLA), and nutrition knowledge levels were evaluated using the Nutrition Knowledge Level Scale For Adults (NKLSA). 42,9% of the participants were male and 57,1% were female, with a mean age of 22,3±4,12 years. 66,0% of men and 77,4% of women read food labels. While there was 1 participant with insufficient literacy, it was seen that 78,8% of the individuals had sufficient nutrition literacy. It was observed that most of the participants had moderate and good nutrition knowledge in NKLSA basic nutrition and food choice sections. No significant correlation was found between the status of reading labels and finding the labels sufficient with EINLA and NKLSA scale scores (p>0,05). A significant relationship was found between EINLA total and most sub-scores with the NKLSA basic nutrition and food preference score (p<0,05), and it was observed that the nutrition literacy score generally increased with the level of nutrition knowledge. Although there was no significant relationship in the study, reading the food label, which is one of the sub-sections of the EINLA, affects the total nutrition literacy levels of individuals and their nutrition knowledge levels indirectly. Therefore, while developing healthy eating behaviors, it is beneficial to gain the nutrition label reading habits in addition to nutrition literacy and knowledge.