Hubungan Pengetahuan Gizi dengan Kebiasaan Membaca Label Pangan dan Konsumsi Makanan Kemasan pada Mahasiswa Angkatan 2022 FKM USU

Abstract

The consumption of packaged foods has increased in line with modern lifestyles, especially among university students. Although practical and easily accessible, packaged foods contain unbalanced nutrients, which can have adverse effects on health if consumed in excess. Therefore, it is important to develop the habit of reading food labels. The habit of reading food labels and the consumption of packaged foods are related to an individual's level of nutritional knowledge. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between nutritional knowledge, the habit of reading food labels, and the consumption of packaged foods among the 2022 cohort of students at the Faculty of Public Health, University of North Sumatra (USU). The method used in this study is quantitative analytical research with a cross-sectional design approach. This study involved 77 respondents selected through purposive sampling based on specific criteria. Data were collected through a nutrition knowledge questionnaire, food label reading habits questionnaire, and Food-Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to measure the frequency of packaged food consumption. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test. The results of the study indicate a significant relationship between nutrition knowledge and food label reading habits (p=0.014), as well as between nutrition knowledge and packaged food consumption (p=0.008). The higher an individual's level of knowledge, the more likely they are to have good food label reading habits and more controlled consumption of packaged foods. Additionally, students are encouraged to further improve their nutrition literacy and read food labels before consuming packaged foods.