To examine if employees with higher nutrition knowledge have better diet quality and lower prevalence
of hypertension.
Method. Cross-sectional baseline data were obtained from the complex workplace dietary intervention trial, the
Food Choice at Work Study. Participants included 828 randomly selected employees (18–64 years) recruited from
four multinational manufacturing workplaces in Ireland, 2013. A validated questionnaire assessed nutrition
knowledge. Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ) measured diet quality from which a DASH (Dietary Approaches
to Stop Hypertension) score was constructed. Standardised digital blood pressure monitors measured hypertension.
Results. Nutrition knowledge was positively associatedwith diet quality after adjustment for age, gender, health status,
lifestyle and socio-demographic characteristics. The odds of having a high DASH score (better diet quality)were
6 times higher in the highest nutrition knowledge group compared to the lowestgroup (OR=5.8,95%CI3.5to9.6).
Employees in the highest nutrition knowledge group were 60% less likely to be hypertensive compared to the lowest
group (OR=0.4, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.87). However,multivariate analyseswere not consistent with amediation effect of
the DASH score on the association between nutrition knowledge and blood pressure.
Conclusion. Higher nutrition knowledge is associated with better diet quality and lower blood pressure but the interrelationships
between these variables are complex.