This thesis examined relations between the existing knowledge level in health matters, health behaviour and the preference for information sources on health related to nutrition.

The material for the study consisted of interviews with 50 Finns; 38 women and 12 men, all born between 1959 and 1981. The study was limited to three groups of people: pregnant women (n=18), people with diabetes (n=17) and a control group consisting of people who had neither diabetes, nor were pregnant (n=15).

The respondents took part in a structured interview in 2001. Questions were about demographics; interest in and need for health information; information source use; opinions on health information and healthy living; health behaviour; and knowledge.

Information source profiles were mapped out by giving points according to frequency of use, perception of usefulness, attentiveness towards and trust in a source. A cluster analysis conducted on the information sources showed three information source profiles named ‘the professional's cluster’, preferring health professionals, ‘the popularized science cluster’, relying largely on magazines specializing on health and well-being, and ‘the everyday information cluster’, using daily news media and informal contacts.

Differences were found between the clusters concerning health status (diabetes/pregnancy/control), interest, measured knowledge level and health behaviour. It seems that certain health situations lead to preference for certain information sources, since most diabetics were found to prefer health professionals, the pregnant women mainly used health magazines, and the control group relied on everyday information. Source type and information seeking activity were related to knowledge level - the best knowledge was found in the ‘popularized science cluster’ - but knowledge was only weakly related to health behaviour.

A model of how information is related to health knowledge and behaviour