Dietary Behaviors, Sugar Intake, and Public Awareness of Nutritional Labeling Among Young Adults: Implications for Oral and Systemic Health

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Ben

Food labeling supports healthier dietary behaviors in preventive nutrition and public health. This cross-sectional survey evaluated behaviors, perceptions, and nutritional literacy of young adults from Ias, i, Romania, regarding simple carbohydrates consumption and label-reading habits. Data were collected May–June 2023 from 150 participants aged 18–30 via a 20-item Likert questionnaire. Results showed low label-reading, limited review of nutritional content, and limited confidence in label accuracy, with notable gaps in oral-health risk knowledge.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Article Dietary Behaviors, Sugar Intake, and Public Awareness of Nutritional Labeling Among Young Adults: Implications for Oral and Systemic Health Catalina Iulia Saveanu 1, Paula Ilie 1, Daniela Anistoroaei 1, *, Livia Ionela Bobu 1, Alexandra Ecaterina Saveanu 2, Octavian Boronia 2 and Loredana Golovcencu 1 Academic Editors: Kotsedi Daniel Monyeki and Machoene Derrick Sekgala Received: 5 December 2025 Revised: 22 December 2025 Accepted: 24 December 2025 Published: 27 December 2025 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. 1 Department of Surgical, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; catalina.saveanu@umfiasi.ro (C.I.S.); iliepaula21@gmail.com (P.I.); livia.bobu@umfiasi.ro (L.I.B.); loredana.golovcencu@umfiasi.ro (L.G.) 2 Faculty of Dental Medicine, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; saveanu.alexandra-ecaterina@d.umfiasi.ro (A.E.S.); oboronia@gmail.com (O.B.) * Correspondence: daniela.anistoroaei@umfiasi.ro Abstract Background/Objectives: Within public health and preventive nutrition, food labeling plays a critical role in supporting healthier dietary behaviors. This study aimed to evaluate the behaviors, perceptions, and nutritional literacy of young adults from Ias, i, Romania, regarding simple carbohydrates (SCHO) consumption and food label-reading habits. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between May–June 2023 using 20-item Likert-scale questionnaire completed by 150 participants aged 18–30 years. Statistical analysis included descriptive metrics, Chi-square tests, and Pearson’s correlation, with significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: The cohort consisted of 72% females (N = 108) and 28% males (N = 42), with 42.7%(N = 64) holding university degrees. Although 22%(N = 33) considered SCHO consumption highly important, only 13.3%(N = 20) frequently read nutrition labels (p ≤ 0.05) . Dietary patterns showed that 27.3% primarily consumed sweets, while others combined sweets with carbonated beverages, dairy products, or whole grains; overall, 44%(N = 66) reported frequent sweet consumption. Label reading was highest for sweets (40.7%), lower for dairy products (19.3%) and soft drinks (9.3%) . Additionally, 30.7%(N = 46) checked only expiration dates, whereas just 11.3%(N = 17) reviewed nutritional content. Trust in label accuracy was low: 48%(N = 72) expressed neutrality and 14%(N = 21) disagreed. Although 77.3%(N = 116) recognized the link between sugar intake and dental caries, only 23.3%(N = 35) felt well informed about oral health risks. Taste dominated food selection (68.7%), while nutritional value was cited by 16.7%(N = 25) . Conclusions: Young adults from Ias, i demonstrated notable gaps in nutritional literacy and suboptimal dietary behaviors, emphasizing the need for structured educational strategies to improve preventive practices relevant to systemic and oral health. Keywords: nutritional literacy; simple carbohydrates; food labeling; preventive nutrition; oral health; young adults; health behaviors 1. Introduction In recent years, growing attention has been directed towards the health consequences of excessive sugar intake, particularly its contribution to chronic metabolic disorders and oral diseases. Simple carbohydrates (SCHO), including monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, galactose) and disaccharides (sucrose, lactose, maltose), are widely present in modern diets. These sugars occur intrinsically in natural foods and extrinsically as added sugars in sweetened beverages, ultra-processed snacks, and baked goods [1,2] . Although carbohydrates play an essential role in sustaining physiological functions by providing energy to the brain, muscles, and nervous system, excessive consumpti

FAQs

What was the study’s main aim regarding young adults?

To evaluate dietary behaviors, perceptions, and nutritional literacy of young adults in Ias, Romania, focusing on simple carbohydrate consumption and food label-reading habits.

How was the survey conducted and analyzed?

A cross-sectional survey was conducted May–June 2023 using a 20-item Likert-scale questionnaire completed by 150 participants aged 18–30. Analysis included descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and Pearson’s correlation with significance at p ≤ 0.05.

What did the results show about nutrition label reading?

Most participants did not frequently read nutritional labels. Checking only expiration dates was more common than reviewing nutritional content, and trust in label accuracy was generally low.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Ben