Determination of Perceived Food Literacy Levels in Adult Individuals

Abstract

Aim: This study was conducted as cross-sectional research to assess adults’ perceived food literacy levels. Materials and methods: This research was conducted as a cross-sectional study. The study population consisted of adults aged 18 and older. The unknown population sampling method was used in the research. In calculating the sample size, a 95% confidence level, a probability of p=0.50, and a margin of error of d=0.05 were used as the basis, and, according to this formula, the minimum sample size was determined to be 385 individuals. The study was completed with the participation of 814 volunteers via an online platform. Results: The mean age of the participants was 30.78±10.74 years, ranging from 18 to 68 years. Among the participants, 72.4% were women, and 87.2% were university graduates. The mean total score on the Perceived Food Literacy Scale (PFLS) was 89.66±7.49. When the mean PFLS scores were compared across participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, it was determined that women had higher scores than men, single participants had higher scores than married participants, and those without any substance dependence, such as smoking or alcohol, had higher scores than those with substance dependence. The differences between these groups were statistically significant (p <0.05). Conclusion: This study revealed that adults possess moderateto- good food literacy, yet gaps remain in label reading and meal planning. Considering that efforts to improve conscious food literacy, which significantly impacts healthy eating, were limited to a single region and relied on self-reported data, future studies should include diverse populations and investigate how contextual factors such as age, occupation, and regional culture influence food literacy.

Keywords

• Food
• Healthy nutrition
• Adult food literacy

References

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