The Effect of Food Literacy on Dietary Intake and Diet Quality in Adults: A Cross- Sectional Study

Background Food literacy is important for understanding the factors that determine food choices, eating behaviors and diet quality. However, there are limited studies examining the relationship between food literacy, diet quality and food consumption. The aim of this study was to show relationship between food literacy, food consumption and diet quality in adults. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted with 639 adults (50.2% female; age range: 19–65 years) at Ondokuz Mayıs University in Samsun, Türkiye. Participants completed the Short Form of Food Literacy (SFLQ). Anthropometric measurements and 24-h food recall were recorded. Diet quality, fat quality and carbohydrate quality were assessed by Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015; Fat Quality Index (FQI) and Carbohydrate Quality Index (CQI), respectively. Results Total vegetable, refined grain, seafood, and plant protein scores from HEI-2015 components were higher in the adequate-excellent food literacy group (p < 0.05). In both regression models, SFLQ score had a positive effect on HEI-2015 (raw model: β = 0.364, p = 0.026; adjusted model: β = 0.357, p = 0.042) and total vegetable consumption scores (crude model: β = 0.029, p = 0.015; adjusted model: β = 0.027, p = 0.034). Furthermore, SFLQ scores was negatively associated with refined grain (crude model: β=-0.107, p = 0.001; adjusted model: β=-0.081, p = 0.018) and added sugar (crude model: β=-0.021, p = 0.042; adjusted model: β=-0.149, p = 0.020) scores. The SFLQ score had no statistically significant effect on CQI and FQI scores (p > 0.05). Conclusion Food literacy is an important factor in improving diet quality. Improving nutrition knowledge, skills and attitudes in adults may be effective in promoting healthy eating behaviors.