Evaluation of functional food knowledge level and diet quality of university students

Knowledge about functional foods can influence individuals' health perspectives and alter their dietary habits. The study aimed to evaluate university students' understanding of the health benefits and nutritional value of functional foods and to examine how this understanding relates to the quality of their overall diet. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 185 university students aged 19 to 26. The Knowledge Level Scale of Functional Foods was used to assess participants' knowledge of functional foods. The participants' dietary intakes were assessed using a single 24-hour dietary recall. The participants' diet quality was assessed using their Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) scores. There were statistically significant differences in HEI-2015 scores for seafood, plant proteins, and added sugars by functional food knowledge level (p < 0.05 for each). Additionally, a statistically significant correlation was found between the Knowledge Level Scale of Functional Foods score and the HEI-2015 total fruit score (r = 0.167; p < 0.05). To conclude, this study demonstrated that among individuals with sufficient functional food knowledge, total fruit consumption, a component of diet quality, was higher. Additionally, further studies are needed on the level of functional food knowledge, its sub-dimensions, consumption, and diet quality.