Knowledge, attitudes and practices of ultra-processed foods among social media users in a Small Island Developing State: a cross-sectional study

Purpose This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) related to ultra-processed foods (UPF) among social media users in Trinidad and Tobago, a small island developing state, using social media as a data collection platform. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional design was employed using an online self-administered questionnaire distributed via social media. A total of 497 adults in Trinidad and Tobago were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests. Findings Awareness of the UPF concept was low (48.9%), although 52.1% demonstrated high objective knowledge scores. Most participants reported neutral attitudes (63.6%) and moderate practices (68.0%), while only 7.6% demonstrated good practices. Females had significantly higher knowledge scores than males (p < 0.001), while no significant gender differences were observed for attitudes or practices. Education and employment status were significantly associated with KAP outcomes. Weak but significant positive correlations were found between knowledge and attitudes (rs = 0.381), knowledge and practices (rs = 0.270) and attitudes and practices (rs = 0.343) (p < 0.001). Research limitations/implications Nonprobability sampling and self-reported data limit generalizability; nationally representative studies using objective UPF intake measures are warranted. Originality/value This study provides novel insights into UPF-related behaviors in a small island developing state and highlights the gap between knowledge and practice.