Associations between nutrition knowledge and anthropometric indicators in a pre-professional health population: a...

Anthropometric indicators are widely used to assess nutritional status and obesity-related health risks; however, body mass index (BMI) alone may inadequately reflect central adiposity. Nutrition knowledge has been associated with healthier dietary behaviors, yet evidence linking detailed anthropometric and body composition measures with nutrition knowledge remains limited, particularly among pre-professional health students. This study aimed to examine the associations between general nutrition knowledge and anthropometric and body composition indicators among midwifery students.

This cross-sectional study included 126 first-year female midwifery students (mean age: 19.83 ± 1.08 years). Anthropometric measurements (BMI, waist circumference [WC], waist-to-hip ratio [WHR], waist-to-height ratio [WHtR], and neck circumference [NC]) and body composition parameters were assessed using standardized procedures and bioelectrical impedance analysis. Nutrition knowledge was evaluated using the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire-Revised (GNKQ-R). Pearson correlation, group comparisons (t-test/ANOVA), and multivariable linear regression analyses were performed. Subscale analyses were adjusted for multiple testing using the Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate method.

Higher GNKQ-R total scores were significantly associated with lower BMI (r = - 0.27), WC (r = - 0.36), WHR (r = - 0.23), WHtR (r = - 0.36), and body fat percentage (BF%) (r = - 0.25), and with higher fat-free mass percentage (all p < 0.05). Among GNKQ-R subscales, Healthy food choices and Diet-disease relationships demonstrated the most consistent inverse associations with adiposity-related measures. Group-based analyses showed progressively lower nutrition knowledge scores across increasing WC, WHtR, and body fat risk categories. In multivariable models adjusted for age and income-expense status, WHtR demonstrated the largest independent inverse association with GNKQ-R total score (β = -0.339, p < 0.001). BMI and BF% were also independently associated, although with lower explanatory power.

Among midwifery students, higher nutrition knowledge was associated with more favorable anthropometric and body composition profiles, particularly indicators of central adiposity. Within this relatively homogeneous cohort of young, predominantly normal-weight female students, WHtR showed the strongest association with nutrition knowledge among the anthropometric indicators assessed. These findings should be interpreted in light of the cross-sectional design and the limited range of behavioral and sociodemographic variables assessed. Further research is needed to clarify the underlying mechanisms and to determine whether similar associations are observed in more diverse student populations.