Nutrition Knowledge Is Associated With Diet Quality Among US Army Soldiers

Area of Science:

• Military Nutrition
• Public Health
• Dietary Science

Background:

• Diet quality and eating behaviors are critical for military readiness and health.
• Understanding factors influencing these aspects among active-duty personnel is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between nutrition knowledge, diet quality, and eating behaviors in active-duty US Army Soldiers.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted using paper surveys.
• Data were collected in February 2018 during the validation of the Military Eating Behavior Survey.
• The study included 440 active-duty US Army Soldiers.

Main Results:

• Nutrition knowledge showed a significant positive association with diet quality (b=0.29, P < 0.001).
• Each 1-point increase in nutrition knowledge correlated with a 0.29-point increase in the Healthy Eating Index-2015 score.
• No significant association was found between nutrition knowledge and skipping breakfast or dining out.

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest that improving nutrition knowledge may enhance diet quality among soldiers.
• Further investigation is warranted to identify effective interventions for improving nutrition knowledge and diet quality.
• Creating supportive environments for healthy eating behaviors is crucial for active-duty soldiers.