Sources and Level of Nutrition Knowledge Among Adults in Lahore: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Objective: This study was aimed at identifying the sources and basic nutrition knowledge among the citizens of Lahore. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the metropolis city of Lahore, Pakistan. Four hundred and seventy-six adult citizens of Lahore participated. A random sampling method was used to collect data through a food frequency questionnaire consisting of 23 questions. The questionnaire designed for this study contained questions about demographics, sources of nutrition information, the reliability of these sources of nutrition information, and basic nutrition knowledge. The highest possible score of the questionnaire was marked as 15, and a mean value of 7.5 was used to categorize the low and high values for variables like nutrition knowledge. Results: The majority of participants (34.2%) took nutrition information from their families, health-care professionals (23.9%), and online resources (23.5%). The most reliable source for nutrition information was healthcare professionals (78.6%). Many participants (65.30%) had high nutrition-related basic knowledge, and 34.70% had low knowledge. Although more than 50% of participants reported having high nutrition knowledge, but they were not aware of how to read food labels. Those citizens who referred to online resources for information about nutrition knowledge usually got better results regarding nutrition knowledge. Conclusion: There is a need for more extensive research to identify the quality of sources for nutrition information to form better policies and plans that can be integrated and adopted at the community and national levels to increase the overall nutrition knowledge of people.