Nutrition literacy and food consumption behaviors among undergraduate students in northern Thailand using a mixed method approach

This study aimed to examine nutrition literacy and food consumption behaviors among undergraduate students in northern Thailand, as well as to determine the factors affecting food consumption behaviors. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was used in this study, involving 276 undergraduate students from a university in Lampang Province, northern Thailand. This study was conducted from April to June 2025. Quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed with descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression. Qualitative data were obtained through in-depth interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The majority of students had a moderate level of nutrition literacy (53.6%) with a high level of knowledge and decision-making in food choices. However, access to reliable nutrition information and media literacy were at a moderate level. Healthy food intake frequency was also mostly moderate (50.7%), with inadequate intake of vegetables and fruits and regular intake of high-sodium and sugary foods. Factors significantly associated with healthy food consumption behaviors were age < 20 years (AOR = 2.0; 95% CI 1.1–3.7; p = 0.024), residing off-campus (AOR = 2.5; 95% CI 1.2–4.9; p = 0.010), and having high nutrition literacy (AOR = 5.3; 95% CI 3.0–9.5; p < 0.001). Enhancing nutrition literacy is a key strategy to promote healthy food consumption among university students. Interventions should include media literacy and reliable information access while considering age and living arrangements to sustain healthy eating behaviors.