INTRODUCTION:

Adequate knowledge about food and nutrition can be an important factor in supporting healthier food choices. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the level of knowledge about food and nutrition of students in the 1st cycle of studies in Health Sciences and its associated factors.

METHODOLOGY:

An observational cross-sectional study was conducted, which included students of the 1st year of Higher Education in Health Sciences in the 2019/2020 school year (n=150). Data were collected through a structured self-completed questionnaire. Knowledge about food/nutrition was assessed using a scale previously tested in the Portuguese population. Categorical variables were compared using the Chi-square test and quantitative continuous variables with the ANOVA test.

RESULTS:

The mean percentage of correct answers on the food/nutrition knowledge scale was 77.9% (standard deviation=12.57) (range: 36-100%). When analyzing the factors associated with higher food/nutrition knowledge (>90% correct answers), it was found that this was significantly higher in individuals who reported higher average consumption of fruit and vegetables (4.6 vs. 3.2 portion/ day, p=0.019), particularly soup, among students with more educated mothers (12.7 vs. 11.3 average years of schooling, p=0.039), and among students of the Faculty of Health Sciences compared to those in the Higher School of Health (55.0% vs. 45.0%, p=0.018).

CONCLUSIONS:

The level of food and nutrition knowledge was relatively high in Health Sciences students. Extreme knowledge was associated with higher consumption of fruit and vegetables, higher maternal education, and the College/School they attended.

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