ABSTRACT

 This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and consumption patterns of nonnutritive sweeteners (NNS) among adults working at Abia State University (ABSU) and National Root Crop Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Nigeria. With a cross-sectional design, data was collected from 384 randomly selected adults using a structured questionnaire. Knowledge was classified as <50% (poor), 50-70% (fair) and >70% (good), attitude was classified as <50% (negative), 50-70 (neutral) and >70% (positive), and perception was classified as <50% (low), 50- 70% (moderate) and >70% (high). Analysis was conducted using SPSS. Frequencies and percentages were used in analyzing the socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude, perception of health risk and consumption pattern of NNS. Chi square test was used to test factors associated with knowledge of non-nutritive sweetener, attitude and perception towards consumption of NNS at 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed that 43.5% of respondents were aged 36-45, predominantly from rural areas (71.4%), with a high level of tertiary education (88.3%). Findings indicate that while most respondents (58.8%) were aware that NNS contains fewer calories than sugar, (70.8%) had overall poor knowledge of its health impacts. Attitudes towards NNS consumption were generally positive (53.1%), with 71.6% believing that substituting sugar with NNS could aid weight management, while 91.4% checked food labels for NNS content. Notably, perceptions around health risks was moderate (36.7%), with 77.9% believing the general public lacked adequate information on NNS risks, despite 91.4% of participants indicating they read food labels for NNS content. The food product containing non-nutritive sweetners which had the highest daily consumption by the participants were coco products (22.1%), dairy products (21.9%), biscuit (13.5%), candies (9.9%), carbonated drinks (7.6%).The consumption pattern showed that beverages and dairy products containing NNS were commonly consumed once daily by about 22% of respondents, while flavored drinks and carbonated sodas were rarely consumed by 27.3% and 25%, respectively. Chy-square analysis revealed that location and marital status significantly influenced knowledge P<0.05). Location and educational level were associated with attitude, while age, education and work type were significantly associated with perception P<0.05). This study highlights a need for more public education on NNS to address misconceptions and enhance awareness of its potential health impact. It is recommended that health authorities promote transparent labeling and guidelines on NNS consumption, emphasizing the importance of informed dietary choices.