Table 3.
Correlation of nutrition knowledge, diet quality and nutritional status
| Variable | % (N) | Variable | Correlation*coefficient | P value† |
| Nutrition knowledge * | BMI levels | 0.261 | 0.352 | |
| Good | 28.3 (34) | |||
| Satisfactory | 65.8 (79) | |||
| Poor | 5.8 (7) | |||
| Dietary intakes † |
Nutrition knowledge |
0.415 | 0.792 | |
| Adequate | 6.7 (8) | |||
| Fair | 40.0 (48) | |||
| Poor | 53.3 (64) | |||
| BMI levels ‡ | Dietary intakes | 0.699 | 0.027 | |
| Underweight | 10.0 (12) | |||
| Normal | 51.7 (62) | |||
| Overweight | 21.7 (26) | |||
| Obese | 16.6 (20) |
*
Derived from responses given to nutrition knowledge-related statements and aggregate scores categorized as: good (36–50); fair (20–35); and poor (<20).
†
Determined based on adequacy of intake of foods from seven food groups daily. Diets that included foods from 6–7 food groups were rated as adequate; diets that included foods from 5 groups were rated as fair whilst diets that included foods from ≤4 groups were rated as poor.
‡
Body mass index classified as underweight (BMI<18.49), overweight (BMI 25.00–29.9) and obesity (BMI >29.99)