Assessment of self-perceived food literacy and diet quality for early prevention of non-communicable diseases among young urban adults in Delhi NCR

Food literacy is increasingly recognized as a multidimensional determinant of diet quality and non-communicable disease (NCD) risk, particularly among young adults exposed to rapidly changing food environments. Evidence from India remains limited, especially using validated multidimensional tools linked to population-level diet quality indicators. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 119 Indian adults aged ≥ 18 years. Food literacy was assessed using an adapted 42-item Self-Perceived Food Literacy Scale encompassing planning, management, and selection, preparation, and consumption domains. Diet quality was evaluated using the Diet Quality Questionnaire India (DQQ-India), generating indicators of dietary diversity score, NCD-protective score, NCD-risk score, and global dietary recommendation adherence score. Exploratory factor analysis examined construct validity, and internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Multivariable linear and exploratory logistic regression analyses were performed to examine associations between food literacy domains, diet quality indicators, BMI, and gender. Participants had a mean age of 26.1 ± 9.6 years, with 46.2% classified as overweight or obese. Although subdomain-specific food literacy skills were moderately high, only 19.3% achieved the operational threshold for comprehensive food literacy. Exploratory factor analysis supported a six-factor structure explaining 71.6% of variance (KMO = 0.893). Higher food literacy in selection, planning, and preparation domains was associated with better diet quality and lower NCD-risk food consumption, while no significant association was observed with BMI. Gender differences were limited, with nutrition knowledge modestly associated with female gender. Indian young adults demonstrate fragmented food literacy alongside mixed dietary patterns characterized by coexistence of protective foods and high ultra-processed food consumption. The findings from this study highlight the need for multi-level strategies integrating food literacy development with supportive food environments.