Nutrition knowledge and food intake

Abstract

The rates of many diet related diseases are increasing; obesity most notably. Adverse shifts in dietary behaviours have contributed to the rise in non-communicable diseases. In the UK fat and sugar intakes are above recommended levels and fruit, vegetable and oily fish intakes are below recommended levels. Increasing nutrition knowledge may be a means of bringing intake in-line with the recommendations. It was the aim of this review to assess the evidence for and against a relationship between nutrition knowledge and food intake. Intervention studies suggest that improving nutrition knowledge correlates with improvements in food intake. However, cross-sectional evidence of a correlation is much less clear although a low correlation does appear to exist. A mediatory effect of nutrition knowledge on the influence of demographic variables may also exist. Further research into the correlation with regard to specific nutrients and demographic variables is required as is exploration of the long-term benefits of nutrition education interventions.