ABSTRACT
Background
Nutrition literacy is a key determinant of healthy dietary behaviors; however, brief and psychometrically robust instruments for assessing nutrition literacy in Turkish populations remain limited. This study aimed to adapt the Nutrition Literacy Scale-Short Form (NL-SF12) into Turkish and to evaluate its validity and reliability across different population groups.
Methods
This methodological, cross-sectional study included three independent samples from Türkiye: health-related university students (n = 470), non-health-related university students (n = 464), and adults from the general population (n = 546), totaling 1480 participants. Nutrition literacy was assessed using the NL-SF12. Criterion-related validity was examined using the e-Healthy Diet Literacy Scale (e-HDL). Construct validity was evaluated through confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was assessed using internal consistency coefficients and test–retest correlations.
Results
Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original six-factor structure of the NL-SF12 across all population groups (factor loadings: 0.55–0.97), demonstrating acceptable model fit. Internal consistency was high across samples (Cronbach’s α = 0.94; McDonald’s ω = 0.94–0.95). Test–retest reliability indicated strong temporal stability (r = 0.82–0.92; p < 0.001). NL-SF12 scores showed moderate correlations with e-HDL scores across groups (r = 0.65; p < 0.001), supporting criterion-related validity.
Conclusions
The Turkish version of the NL-SF12 is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing nutrition literacy across diverse population groups and represents a feasible tool for use in public health nutrition research and practice.
Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Volume 39, Issue 2, April 2026. Read More