Psychometric validation of the Turkish version of the short nutrition literacy scale and its association with intuitive eating and body appreciation in young adults

Abstract

Introduction Nutrition literacy is a key determinant of dietary behaviors and long-term health outcomes, particularly during young adulthood, when lifelong eating patterns are established. Although the Short Nutrition Literacy Scale (S-NutLit) has been validated in several cultural contexts, evidence supporting a culturally appropriate and methodologically robust Turkish version remains limited. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Turkish version of the S-NutLit (S-NutLit-TR) and to examine its relationship with intuitive eating and body appreciation among Turkish young adults.Methods This cross-sectional methodological study included 367 Turkish young adults aged 18-24 years. The S-NutLit was translated and culturally adapted following standardized guidelines. Dimensionality was examined using Exploratory Graph Analysis (EGA) and confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis and bifactor modeling. Measurement invariance across sex and body mass index (BMI) categories was also tested. Reliability was assessed using classical and bifactor indices. Construct validity was evaluated through correlations with intuitive eating and body appreciation. Additionally, mediation analyses examined whether intuitive eating mediated the relationship between nutrition literacy and body appreciation.Results EGA revealed that SNUTLIT7 (knowledge of national dietary guidelines) exhibited critically low bootstrap stability (33.3%) and ambiguous dimensional assignment. Following its removal, structural consistency improved substantially (Expert Skills: 58.8% to 100%). The bifactor model demonstrated excellent fit (CFI = 0.997, RMSEA = 0.062), and the general factor explaining substantial common variance. Scalar invariance was achieved across sex and BMI categories. Nutrition literacy significantly predicted body appreciation through intuitive eating (beta = 0.102), with expert skills showing full mediation via eating for physical rather than emotional reasons.Discussion The 10-item S-NutLit-TR demonstrates robust psychometric properties and measurement equivalence across demographic subgroups. The integration of network psychometrics with bifactor modeling offers a rigorous framework for cross-cultural scale validation. The scale may serve as a valuable tool for nutritional epidemiology and public health interventions targeting young adults in T & uuml;rkiye.