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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Health and Nutrition
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1453484

Nutrition Literacy Profile among adolescent in Kuwait: A Cross-sectional Study

Provisionally accepted
Anwar H. AlBaloul Anwar H. AlBaloul *Maraheb M. AlKhalidi Maraheb M. AlKhalidi Haya AlAjmi Haya AlAjmi
  • Department of Community Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Adolescent Nutrition literacy and knowledge were associated with nutrient intake and obesity. With the continued increase in the prevalence of obesity in Kuwait, limited studies assessed nutrition literacy among adolescents in Kuwait. Therefore, this study assesses nutrition literacy among Kuwaiti adolescents and explores factors associated with nutrition literacy, such as body mass index and dietary intake.Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted across Kuwait public schools, enrolling a convenience sample of 375 adolescents (mean age = 15.6 years, female 53.1%). A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to collect relevant data. The Nutrition Literacy Assessment Instrument (NLit) score was used to assess nutrition knowledge and skills in making food choices.Results: Adolescents' NLit score median (IQR) was 29 (6). A large percentage (72.5%) of Kuwaiti adolescents demonstrated adequate overall nutrition literacy, and adequate literacy in most NLit subscales. Whereas most adolescents (73.3%) demonstrated inadequate nutrition literacy in understanding food labels. Body mass index, residency and smoking status were predictors of NLit Also, the NLit score was negatively associated with the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages.This study's findings may help guide future research toward designing effective nutrition literacy interventions to enhance food choices among adolescents in Kuwait. The results of this study may also help guide policymakers and public health professionals in tailoring food and nutrition programs to compensate for the decline in food literacy skills and tackle obesity.

    Keywords: Adolescent, Nutrition literacy, nutrition knowledge, Body Mass Index, sugar-sweetened beverages

    Received: 23 Jun 2024; Accepted: 31 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 AlBaloul, AlKhalidi and AlAjmi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Anwar H. AlBaloul, Department of Community Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.