Examination of food literacy, health literacy, and food label reading attitudes among adult individuals living in Istanbul

Purpose Given the importance of health and food literacy in interpreting food labels and making informed dietary choices, this study aimed to evaluate health and self-perceived food literacy, as well as attitudes toward food-label reading, among adults in Türkiye. Design/methodology/approach This cross-sectional study included adults aged 18–65 years in Istanbul, Türkiye, recruited through online snowball sampling between November 20, 2023 and March 13, 2024. Food-label reading attitudes, self-perceived food literacy and health literacy were assessed using the Food Label Reading Attitude Scale (FLRAS), Self-Perceived Food Literacy Scale (SPFLS) and Turkish Health Literacy Scale-32 (THLS-32), respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive, correlation, group comparison and multiple linear regression analyses. Findings A total of 595 participants were included. Mean FLRAS, SPFLS and THLS-32 scores were 69.3 ± 17, 91.1 ± 22.8 and 30.5 ± 9.6, respectively. Significant positive correlations were observed between THLS-32 and SPFLS (r = 0.34), THLS-32 and FLRAS (r = 0.24), and SPFLS and FLRAS (r = 0.52) (all p-values < 0.001). Higher education, sufficient nutritional knowledge and SPFLS were independently associated with higher FLRAS. Female gender, THLS-32 and FLRAS scores were associated with SPFLS scores. Better self-rated health, sufficient nutritional knowledge and SPFLS scores were independently associated with THLS-32, whereas age was inversely associated. Findings support targeted strategies to improve food-label interpretation and public nutrition and health literacy. Research limitations/implications The findings cannot be generalized to the entire adult population of Istanbul or Türkiye. Future studies should incorporate representative sampling and direct assessment of label comprehension. Healthy dietary choices and attitudes enable individuals to manage their health more effectively. According to the findings of this study, food label reading attitudes, perceived food literacy and health literacy positively and significantly influenced each other. For individuals to lead a healthier life, they need to understand their own health status, acquire detailed information about the foods they consume, and correctly interpret the concepts presented on food labels. Approaches aimed at enhancing these factors will contribute to the protection and improvement of public health. Practical implications The findings highlight the importance of integrating food-label education with broader food and health literacy initiatives. Practical interventions should focus not only on providing nutrition information but also on developing consumers’ skills to interpret nutrient declarations, ingredient lists, serving sizes, and nutrition and health claims. Such interventions may be particularly beneficial for individuals with lower educational attainment, limited nutritional knowledge, lower self-perceived food literacy, and older adults. Social implications This study establishes a strong relationship between Label Reading Tendency and Healthy Food Perception, underscoring the fundamental role of label literacy in promoting public health. Demographic variances observed in label reading status indicate significant inequity in consumers’ ability to access and use health information. The findings necessitate that public policies mandate targeted label literacy training aimed at mitigating these disparities, thereby strengthening healthy food perception and fostering informed consumption across all social segments. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to simultaneously examine these three constructs using validated instruments in the Turkish adult population.