[Geographical distribution differences of nutrition and health knowledge among Chinese adults in 2021].

Objective: To explore the geographical distribution of nutrition and health knowledge among 18-64 years old adults in China.

Methods: A total of 102 398 residents aged 18-64 from 302 survey sites were selected by multi-stage cluster random sampling method, a total of 98 567 respondents were included in the study. Both mean and rate were calculated by complex sampling weighting.

Results: The nutrition and health knowledge score in eastern region(65.5±12.0) was higher than that in central(62.4±11.9) and western(61.4±12.9), and the score in northern region(63.9±11.8) was higher than that in southern(63.1±12.8). In the seven geographical regions, the highest score was in north(65.8±11.4), and the lowest score was in northwest(61.6±12.2). The awareness rate of nutrition and health in eastern region(22.4%) was higher than that in central(14.7%) and western(14.9%), the highest awareness rate among the seven geographic regions was in east(23.2%), followed by north(22.5%) and the lowest was in northwest(13.2%). There were also differences in nutritional health knowledge levels of residents in different regions in the five dimensions(P<0.001). Northwest China had the lowest awareness of food characteristics and nutrition and disease dimensions, South China had the lowest awareness of dietary recommendations and food choices dimensions, and Southwest China had the lowest awareness of food safety dimensions.

Conclusion: The level of nutrition and health knowledge of Chinese adults have large geographical differences.