Awareness, Knowledge and Consumption of Postbiotics Among Students at Two Different Universities in Türkiye: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Ayşe Nur Kahve; Yağmur Yıldız

doi:10.18621/eurj.1829545

Awareness, Knowledge and Consumption of Postbiotics Among Students at Two Different Universities in Türkiye: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Objectives: Postbiotics, defined as non-viable microbial cells or their components that provide health benefits, are emerging as an important topic in functional food research. However, awareness and consumption among young adults remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the awareness and knowledge levels of postbiotics among university students.

Methods: The study population included 346 students who completed a questionnaire consisting of 17 demographic and lifestyle questions and a 20-item postbiotic knowledge scale adapted from a validated tool. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

Results: It was revealed that 86.1% (n=298) of the students included in this study had never heard of postbiotics and 96.2% (n=333) had never used postbiotic supplements. Overall, 48.8% (n=169) of participants had a poor, 39.0% (n=135) a moderate, and 11.8% (n=41) a good knowledge level. Female students demonstrated significantly higher knowledge scores than males (P<0.05).

Conclusions: The findings indicate that university students have limited awareness and consumption of postbiotics. Contributing factors may include insufficient promotion, inadequate understanding of health benefits, and limited market availability of postbiotic products. To improve awareness, it is recommended that educational activities be organized in universities to enhance students’ understanding of postbiotics and encourage their inclusion in health-promoting dietary habits.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

This study was approved by the Aksaray University Human Research Ethics Committee (Decision No: 2024/01-41; date: 28.02.20254. All procedures were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Public Health (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Ayşe Nur Kahve ^*
0000-0001-6960-7204
Türkiye

Yağmur Yıldız
0000-0001-6852-2364
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

January 31, 2026

Publication Date

January 31, 2026

Submission Date

November 24, 2025

Acceptance Date

January 28, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: Advanced Online Publication

DOI

https://doi.org/10.18621/eurj.1829545

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA79TK98BM

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

AMA

1.Kahve AN, Yıldız Y. Awareness, Knowledge and Consumption of Postbiotics Among Students at Two Different Universities in Türkiye: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Eur Res J. 2026;(Advanced Online Publication):1-10. doi:10.18621/eurj.1829545