Surgical nurses' attitudes toward healthy nutrition and their e-health diet literacy: evidence from a descriptive and correlational cross-sectional study in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey, 2025

Abstract

Background Nurses working in surgical units-where acute clinical situations are frequently encountered-are particularly at greater risk as a result of irregular schedules and increased workload. These professional conditions can negatively impact dietary habits, which are among the fundamental components of a healthy lifestyle. In mitigating the adverse effects of working conditions on nutritional behavior, nurses' attitudes toward healthy nutrition emerge as a significant determinant. Objective The aim of this study is to examine the attitudes of surgical nurses toward healthy nutrition, their levels of e-health diet literacy, and the relationship between these two variables. Method This descriptive and correlational cross-sectional study was conducted between February 15 and May 15, 2024, among 376 nurses working in the surgical clinics of one secondary- and one tertiary-level hospital using a convenience sampling method. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Healthy Nutrition Attitude Scale, and the E-Health Diet Literacy Scale. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Version 25.0. Results The mean age of the surgical nurses was 32.32 +/- 6.20 years. The mean score for e-health diet literacy among the nurses was 39.00 +/- 8.33, while the mean score for healthy nutrition attitude was 71.34 +/- 12.01. It was found that 61.9% of the nurses enjoyed consuming fast food products, and 69.7% reported searching for healthy nutrition information on unofficial sources such as blogs and advertisements, although the frequency varied. A positive correlation was identified between e-health diet literacy and healthy nutrition attitude among the nurses (r = 0.469, p < 0.001). In addition, e-health diet literacy was found to be a positive predictor of healthy nutrition attitude (B = 0.676, p = 0.000). Conclusion In conclusion surgical nurses demonstrate a positive attitude toward healthy nutrition; however, their level of e-health diet literacy is less than moderate. Furthermore, it can be concluded that as levels of e-health diet literacy increase, attitudes toward healthy nutrition become more positive. It is therefore recommended that institutional strategies be developed to improve nurses' access to healthy food during shifts and that training programs be implemented to strengthen their e-health nutrition literacy.