An Investigation of the Relationship between Food Literacy and Adherence to a Healthy Diet: Consumption of Food Groups in People with Type 2 Diabetes

Diet adjustment is an important factor in the management of all types of diabetes. One of the factors that influences diet adherence is food literacy. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationships among food literacy, following a healthy diet, and consumption of a variety of food groups in people with type 2 diabetes. The present research was a descriptive-analytical study that was conducted on 288 people with type 2 diabetes referred to comprehensive health service centers in Khorramabad from May 2021 to April 2022. The simple random sampling method was used to select the participants. The data collection instruments included the food literacy questionnaire, diet adherence behavior survey, and a three-day food record. The data were analyzed using the independent t-test, the Pearson correlation coefficient, one-way anova, and univariate and multivariate linear regression models. The mean healthy diet and food literacy scores were 28.55 ± 6.03 and 16.21 ± 5.73, respectively. The mean consumption of food groups during the three recorded days was less than the recommended levels in the food pyramid. Education (β:0.30) and food literacy (β:0.23) had the highest predictive power for adherence to a healthy diet. The relationships among food literacy, with the consumption of the meat group (r=0.346, p<0.001), fruits (r = 0.178, p = 0.002), vegetables (r = 0.225, p < 0.001), and fats and oils (r = -0.157, p = 0.008) were significant. The mean healthy diet adherence and food literacy scores were low in the participants. Significant relationships among food literacy, the consumption of a variety of food groups, and following a healthy diet demonstrate the key role of promoting food literacy in the adherence to a healthy diet. Therefore, it is crucial to implement educational interventions to improve food literacy in diabetic patients.