Assessing the Level of Nutrition Knowledge and Its Association with Dietary Intake in University Students

Abstract

Objective: This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the level of nutrition knowledge and examine the relationship between nutrition knowledge and dietary intake in university students. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 300 students, aged 18-35 years old from different academic departments (males: 138, 46.2%; females: 162, 54%). The student’s general characteristics were asked by using a questionnaire, and anthropometric measurements were taken. Nutrition knowledge was assessed by a translated form of general nutrition knowledge questionnaire by Parmenter and Wardle (1999) which has been tested for reliability and validity in Turkey. Energy, macronutrient, and food consumption were estimated through 24 h dietary recall. Results: The means body mass index of the participants was 22.4 ± 3.1 kg/m2. The total score of nutrition knowledge for all sections was 56.5±13.2 points out of 110. In comparison with males, score for nutrition knowledge was higher in females (54.1 ± 13.3, and 58.6 ± 12.8, respectively) (p<0.01). It was shown that students with higher scores had lower energy, carbohydrate, and sugar intakes (p<0.05). There were no significant differences between nutrition knowledge and protein and fat intake. Also, a significant relationship between nutrition knowledge level and food group consumption was not found. Conclusions: We suggest that training programs and policies should be planned and implemented for university students to improve their nutrition knowledge. Because enhancing nutrition knowledge of students can help to promote healthy eating in a community.