DOI: 10.33808/clinexphealthsci.1967024 ISSN: 2459-1459

Association of Nutrition Literacy with Quality of Life and Depression Among Adults

Zehra Nur Genç, Tuğçe Aytulu
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Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between nutrition literacy level, quality of life, and depression among young and middle-aged adults.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between January and April 2024 in Erzincan, Türkiye, with 400 adults aged 20–50 years. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, the Nutrition Literacy Assessment Tool for Adults (NLATA), the European Health Interview Survey (EUROHIS), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Statistical analyses included the Mann–Whitney U test, Spearman’s correlation, and multiple linear regression.Results: The mean age of the participants was 29.76 ± 8.99 years, and 74.3% demonstrated adequate nutrition literacy. The “Portion Sizes” subdimension showed the lowest performance. Women had significantly higher NLATA scores than men. The mean EUROHIS score was 3.45 ± 0.82, and the mean BDI score was 13.00 ± 10.26, with 58.7% of participants reporting at least mild depressive symptoms. Nutrition literacy was positively correlated with quality of life (rₛ = 0.207, p < .001) and negatively correlated with depression (rₛ = −0.221, p < .001). In regression analyses, higher scores in “General Nutrition Knowledge” and “Numerical Literacy and Food Label Reading” were associated with lower depression scores.Conclusion: Higher nutrition literacy was associated with better quality of life and lower depressive symptoms, although the strength of these associations was modest. Interventions focusing on practical nutrition skills may contribute to improved mental and physical well-being.

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