Ultra-processed food consumption, hedonic hunger, and sleep quality among university students: a food and nutrition literacy perspective

Background Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) pose a significant health risk for university students during a critical transitional stage of life. This study aimed to investigate the effects of food and nutrition literacy on UPFs consumption, hedonic hunger, and sleep quality among university students. Methods This study was conducted with 1,400 university students. Sociodemographic characteristics, health status, dietary habits, and anthropometric measurements were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire administered by the researchers. Participants also completed the Food and Nutrition Literacy Instrument (FNL), the Screening Questionnaire for Highly Processed Food Consumption (sQ-HPF), the Power of Food Scale (PFS), Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The data obtained from the study were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. Results Females had significantly higher scores than males in the knowledge and attitude sub-dimensions of FNL ( p < 0.001), whereas no gender-related difference was observed in the behavior sub-dimension. Females also exhibited significantly higher PFS and EEQ scores compared with males ( p < 0.05), and poorer sleep quality as indicated by higher PSQI scores ( p < 0.01). No significant gender differences were found in UPF consumption. When FNL levels were examined, individuals with lower literacy levels demonstrated higher hedonic hunger, poorer sleep quality, greater UPF consumption, and more pronounced emotional eating behaviors ( p < 0.05). In linear regression analyses, the knowledge and attitude sub-dimensions of FNL were negatively associated with age, gender, emotional eating, and UPFs consumption, and positively associated with hedonic hunger ( p < 0.001). Conclusions This study demonstrates that food and nutrition literacy among university students is significantly associated with hedonic hunger, emotional eating, sleep quality, and UPFs consumption. These findings suggest that nutrition interventions targeting young adults should extend beyond knowledge transfer and incorporate behavioral and psychosocial components to promote healthier eating patterns and overall well-being.