Abstract
Background: Assessing nutrition knowledge provides useful information especially if coupled with the self-perception of nutrition knowledge that could lead to bias and personal conviction. The objective of this study was to assess nutrition knowledge (NK) and its relationship with eating habits in a group of adults.Methods: A cross-sectional study with the administration of self-reported questionnaires was conducted on a sample of 591 parents (43 ± 5.82 years old) of primary school pupils recruited from the municipality of Rome (urban) and province (rural). The fieldwork was carried out in May 2017. An indicator to evaluate adherence to Italian dietary guidelines was developed. ANOVA (Welch's ANOVA in case of unequal variances) test and chi-squared test were used fixing the significance level at 5% (p < 0.05).Results: The percentage of correct answers to nutrition knowledge was 46%, with the expert recommendation section having the highest percentage (59%). The majority of the respondents (66%) were confident that they had a high level of nutrition knowledge. In 37% of the sample, nutrition knowledge and self-perception nutrition knowledge levels were found to be associated. A total of 40% of the sample showed eating habits congruent with nutrition knowledge level. In the investigated sample, living in rural areas, being young, and having low school education level were factors associated with low nutrition literacy or/and unhealthy eating habits.Conclusions: This study provided a demonstration that an assessment based on a multidimensional and multilevel approach is helpful to identify knowledge gaps and to profile critical segments to put in place targeted policy interventions.
Highlights
Nutrition policy relied on consumer knowledge since the information of the public through education and dietary guidelines influences the behavior of people to make better choices [1]
As the importance of assessing nutrition knowledge (NK) in nutrition education programs is recognized, it appears essential to use questionnaires that accurately evaluate the constructs intended to be measured, in particular, when the objective of the measurements is the relation between NK and diet quality [8]
The individual cognitive process of nutrition information is influenced by the differences between objective knowledge and subjective knowledge that occurs when people do not accurately perceive their level of competency [9]
Summary
Nutrition policy relied on consumer knowledge since the information of the public through education and dietary guidelines influences the behavior of people to make better choices [1]. As the importance of assessing NK in nutrition education programs is recognized, it appears essential to use questionnaires that accurately evaluate the constructs intended to be measured, in particular, when the objective of the measurements is the relation between NK and diet quality [8]. The individual cognitive process of nutrition information is influenced by the differences between objective knowledge (i.e., consolidated information acquired from qualified sources without personal interpretation) and subjective knowledge that occurs when people do not accurately perceive their level of competency [9]. The objective of this study was to assess nutrition knowledge (NK) and its relationship with eating habits in a group of adults
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
