High nutritional knowledge during adolescence is associated with healthier dietary habits in adulthood: a longitudinal cohort study
Abstract
PURPOSE: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide and is driven by atherosclerosis, which develops from a young age. Several lifestyle factors, including diet, physical activity, physical fitness, and sleep quality, influence cardiovascular health. However, limited research has investigated the association of nutritional knowledge with long-term health outcomes. This study assessed the association between adolescents' nutritional knowledge and adulthood dietary habits, physical fitness, and cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: This longitudinal cohort study included 143 adolescents aged 12.5-17.5 years who were reevaluated as young adults (22-31 years) after a follow-up period of 10-14 years. The study was conducted in four European centers: Ghent (Belgium), Lille (France), Rome (Italy), and Zaragoza (Spain). Nutritional knowledge was assessed during adolescence and adulthood using the Nutritional Knowledge Test. Cardiovascular health was evaluated based on HDL and non-HDL cholesterol levels, blood pressure, body mass index, glycemia, and calculation of modified Pathobiological Determinants for Atherosclerosis in Youth (mPDAY) cardiovascular risk scores. Diet Quality Index (DQI), Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI), ultra-processed food consumption, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and upper-body muscular strength were also assessed. Spearman correlational analysis was used to identify associations between adolescents' nutritional knowledge and cardiovascular, dietary, and physical fitness parameters in adulthood. RESULTS: Correlation analysis showed that greater nutritional knowledge during adolescence was associated with a better dietary quality in adulthood, as reflected by a higher DQI (p = 0.004; r = 0.25; 95% CI [0.08-0.40]). Nutritional knowledge during adolescence correlated inversely with the mPDAY cardiovascular risk score in adulthood. Cross-sectional analysis in adolescence and adulthood showed that nutritional knowledge in adolescence was not associated with cardiovascular parameters, physical fitness, or dietary quality indices during adolescence. Nutritional knowledge in adulthood was associated only with a better CRF (p = 0.003; r = 0.37 [0.13-0.58]) in adulthood. CONCLUSION: Nutritional knowledge during adolescence is associated with a dietary quality in adulthood, as measured by the DQI. These findings suggest that assessment of nutritional knowledge during adolescence might serve as a simple and effective tool for early identification of individuals at risk of poor dietary habits and increased cardiovascular risk. These findings also highlight the potential value of school-based interventions involving nutritional knowledge in promoting long-term cardiovascular health. NCT number: NCT02899416.
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BibTeX
@article{beghin2026high,
title = {{High nutritional knowledge during adolescence is associated with healthier dietary habits in adulthood: a longitudinal cohort study}},
author = {Laurent Béghin and Jules Morcel and Nathalie Michels and Mélanie Leroy and Camille Ternynck and Julien Labreuche and Stefaan de Henauwn and Maria Miguel-Berges and Angela Polito and Luis Moreno and Frédéric Gottrand},
journal = {European Journal of Nutrition},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1007/s00394-026-03968-y},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05736699v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - High nutritional knowledge during adolescence is associated with healthier dietary habits in adulthood: a longitudinal cohort study
AU - Laurent Béghin
AU - Jules Morcel
AU - Nathalie Michels
AU - Mélanie Leroy
AU - Camille Ternynck
AU - Julien Labreuche
AU - Stefaan de Henauwn
AU - Maria Miguel-Berges
AU - Angela Polito
AU - Luis Moreno
AU - Frédéric Gottrand
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/02
JO - European Journal of Nutrition
DO - 10.1007/s00394-026-03968-y
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05736699v1
AB - PURPOSE: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide and is driven by atherosclerosis, which develops from a young age. Several lifestyle factors, including diet, physical activity, physical fitness, and sleep quality, influence cardiovascular health. However, limited research has investigated the association of nutritional knowledge with long-term health outcomes. This study assessed the association between adolescents' nutritional knowledge and adulthood dietary habits, physical fitness, and cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: This longitudinal cohort study included 143 adolescents aged 12.5-17.5 years who were reevaluated as young adults (22-31 years) after a follow-up period of 10-14 years. The study was conducted in four European centers: Ghent (Belgium), Lille (France), Rome (Italy), and Zaragoza (Spain). Nutritional knowledge was assessed during adolescence and adulthood using the Nutritional Knowledge Test. Cardiovascular health was evaluated based on HDL and non-HDL cholesterol levels, blood pressure, body mass index, glycemia, and calculation of modified Pathobiological Determinants for Atherosclerosis in Youth (mPDAY) cardiovascular risk scores. Diet Quality Index (DQI), Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI), ultra-processed food consumption, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and upper-body muscular strength were also assessed. Spearman correlational analysis was used to identify associations between adolescents' nutritional knowledge and cardiovascular, dietary, and physical fitness parameters in adulthood. RESULTS: Correlation analysis showed that greater nutritional knowledge during adolescence was associated with a better dietary quality in adulthood, as reflected by a higher DQI (p = 0.004; r = 0.25; 95% CI [0.08-0.40]). Nutritional knowledge during adolescence correlated inversely with the mPDAY cardiovascular risk score in adulthood. Cross-sectional analysis in adolescence and adulthood showed that nutritional knowledge in adolescence was not associated with cardiovascular parameters, physical fitness, or dietary quality indices during adolescence. Nutritional knowledge in adulthood was associated only with a better CRF (p = 0.003; r = 0.37 [0.13-0.58]) in adulthood. CONCLUSION: Nutritional knowledge during adolescence is associated with a dietary quality in adulthood, as measured by the DQI. These findings suggest that assessment of nutritional knowledge during adolescence might serve as a simple and effective tool for early identification of individuals at risk of poor dietary habits and increased cardiovascular risk. These findings also highlight the potential value of school-based interventions involving nutritional knowledge in promoting long-term cardiovascular health. NCT number: NCT02899416.
SN - 1436-6207
SN - 1436-6215
ER -