The oral presentation was delivered by Research Assistant Güldane Yıldırım, with the paper co-authored by Assoc. Prof. Dr. H. Merve Bayram, Prof. Dr. S. Arda Öztürkcan, and our department's undergraduate student Duygu Aydın.
The study, titled “The Relationship of Food Label Literacy and Diet Self-Efficacy with Orthorexic Tendencies and Diet Quality,” presented notable findings regarding healthy eating behaviors.
The presentation addressed the impact of individuals’ food label literacy and diet self-efficacy levels on their dietary habits. According to the results, food label literacy was found to be significantly associated with positive tendencies toward healthy eating (healthy orthorexia). Individuals with stronger label-reading habits were more likely to manage their diets consciously, which in turn enhanced their overall diet quality.
Diet self-efficacy was also associated with individuals’ ability to maintain both healthy and sometimes restrictive eating patterns. In particular, those with greater emotional regulation and better coping skills against tempting foods tended to make healthier dietary choices. These findings emphasize once again the importance of individual competencies in promoting healthy eating at the community level.
The study suggests that individuals who are able to interpret food labels correctly and feel confident in managing their diets may play a significant role in improving public health outcomes. From a public health perspective, fostering skills such as label literacy and diet self-efficacy from an early age may help prevent many nutrition-related diseases, especially obesity.
In this context, it is recommended that nutrition education programs focus not only on knowledge acquisition but also on the development of practical behavioral skills.
We congratulate our faculty members and student for their valuable contributions and successful presentation.
