The Relationship Between e-Health Literacy and Food and Nutrition Literacy Among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Türkiye

In the modern world, health information is everywhere, but it is rarely found in a doctor's waiting room. Instead, it lives in the glowing screens of smartphones and computers, waiting to be clicked, read, and understood. This shift has given rise to a specific skill set known as e-health literacy: the ability to find health information online, judge whether it is trustworthy, and use it to make decisions about one's own well-being. Closely tied to this is the concept of food and nutrition literacy, which goes beyond simply knowing what a carrot is. It involves understanding how food affects the body, holding positive attitudes toward healthy eating, and actually putting that knowledge into practice at the dinner table. For young adults, who are navigating the transition to independent living, these two skills are critical. They are the tools that determine whether a person can cut through the noise of the internet to find reliable advice on what to eat, and whether they can turn that advice into a healthy habit.

Researchers in Türkiye recently set out to see how these two worlds intersect among university students. They wondered if a student's ability to navigate digital health information was linked to their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding food. To find the answer, a team from Muğla University conducted a study involving 345 students. These participants, mostly in their late teens, filled out surveys that measured their comfort with online health research and their actual food literacy. The researchers looked at three specific areas of food literacy: what the students knew about nutrition, how they felt about it, and what they actually did when it came time to eat. They also broke down digital literacy into three parts: the ability to find information, the ability to interact with it, and the ability to critically evaluate its quality.

The results painted a clear picture of the current landscape. The students generally possessed a moderate level of skill when it came to finding and using online health information. Their scores were decent, but not perfect, suggesting they could navigate the digital world but might still struggle with the most complex aspects of evaluating reliability. When it came to food, the students showed a similar pattern. They had a good grasp of nutrition facts and held positive attitudes toward healthy eating. However, their actual behavior lagged behind. While they knew what they should be eating and believed it was important, translating that knowledge into daily habits was more difficult. About half of the students fell into a "limited" category for their eating behaviors, meaning their daily choices did not fully match their understanding of what is healthy.

The study uncovered a meaningful connection between the digital and the dietary. The researchers found that students who were better at finding and using online health information tended to have better knowledge about nutrition and were more likely to engage in healthy eating behaviors. This suggests that the ability to sift through digital content is a key factor in knowing what to eat and actually doing it. However, the link was not absolute. A student's digital skills did not fully explain their eating habits; other factors like personal environment, culture, and individual circumstances also played a significant role. Interestingly, the study found that while digital skills helped with knowledge and action, they did not strongly predict a student's attitude toward food. A student could be excellent at finding health information online but still hold neutral or mixed feelings about the importance of nutrition.

The data also revealed how different sources of information influenced these skills. Students who sought health advice from healthcare professionals tended to have higher overall digital literacy scores. In contrast, those who relied heavily on social media for health information scored lower, particularly in their ability to interact with and evaluate that information. This points to a potential gap: while social media is a popular source of information, it may not be fostering the critical thinking skills necessary to distinguish fact from fiction. The study also noted that students who had recently searched for health information online were more likely to have better eating behaviors, reinforcing the idea that active information seeking is a step toward healthier choices.

Ultimately, the research suggests that improving how university students use the internet for health could be a powerful way to improve their diets. By teaching students not just how to find information, but how to critically judge it, educators and health professionals might help bridge the gap between knowing what is healthy and actually eating that way. The study concludes that while digital literacy is a significant predictor of healthy eating knowledge and behavior, it is only one piece of a larger puzzle. To truly support young adults in making better food choices, interventions must address both their digital skills and the broader social and environmental factors that shape their daily lives.