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Promoting children’s health: Toward a consensus statement on food literacy
Abstract
p>This consensus statement reflects the views of a diverse group of stakeholders convened to explore the concept of “food literacy” as it relates to children’s health. Evidence-based conceptions of food literacy are needed in light of the term’s popularity in health promotion and educational interventions designed to increase food skills and knowledge that contribute to overall health. Informed by a comprehensive scoping review that identified seven main themes of food literacy, meeting participants ranked those themes in terms of importance. Discussions highlighted two key points in conceptualizing food literacy: the need to recognize varying food skill and knowledge levels, and the need to recognize critical food contexts. From these discussions, meeting participants created two working definitions of food literacy, as well as the alternative conception of “radical food literacy”. We conclude that multiple literacies in relation to food skills and knowledge are needed, and underline the importance of ongoing dialogue in this emergent area of research.</p
... Understanding the benefits gained from healthier food choices, such as enjoying healthy snacks and stockpiling fresh ingredients, provides people with an opportunity to retain better health [12]. Truman et al. [68] and Vidgen and Gallegos [33] emphasized that not only people's food-related knowledge exerts a tremendous influence on their diet and health, but their real choice behavior and power of execution are also necessary requisites for achieving healthy eating habits. Perry et al. [50] and Rosas et al. [69] noted that selection and acquisition of healthy foods are two of the most primary dimensions of food literacy because these capabilities are intimately linked with people's daily diet patterns in a practical way. ...
... According to Truman et al. [68] and Cullen et al. [20], social and conscious eating behavior is an important aspect of food literacy by reflecting one's culture and values toward sustainable food and eating practices. Thomas et al. [22] noted that people take a positive attitude toward healthy food by cooking fresh ingredients and enjoying tasting meals with their friends. ...
... Healthy snack habits had the most powerful effect on increasing the ecological eating behavior and resilience and resistance also played a significant role in ecological eating habits. These results indicate that individuals' endurance for maintaining healthy eating habits and intrinsic motivations such as self-control and self-regulation are key elements in practicing ecological eating behavior in their daily lives [11,22,33,68]. Knowledge about the origin of food and label information was also closely related to sustainable eating behaviors [50,67]. ...
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and industrialized food systems, people’s eating behavior has become seriously restricted. Especially, university students have started to overly depend on processed foods and carnivorous diets, and it places a huge burden on society by inducing the deterioration of health and environmental sustainability. Therefore, this study was undertaken to examine the effects of university students’ perceived food literacy on ecological eating behavior towards sustainability. A total of 395 university students in South Korea participated in this research. First, students’ food literacy components, which are reading labels and budgeting, healthy snack styles, healthy food stockpiling and resilience and resistance, exert positive influences on ecological eating behavior; second, the other two components, which are food preparation skills and social and conscious eating, have no positive impact on ecological eating behavior. Finally, the influences of food literacy on ecological behavior are significantly moderated by gender differences. This suggests that strengthening university students’ food literacy through education is necessary to promote ecological eating behaviors and advance the development of sustainable society.
... Moreover, sensory properties are not considered despite their close association with food and eating (Brug et al., 2008;Sandell et al., 2016). Additionally, most FL studies and definitions focus on the adult population (Truman, Raine, et al., 2017). According to a recent consensus statement on FL in relation to children, adult definitions are too vague and fail to recognise different levels of competencies relevant to children of different age groups. ...
... According to a recent consensus statement on FL in relation to children, adult definitions are too vague and fail to recognise different levels of competencies relevant to children of different age groups. Child-oriented definitions of FL are furthermore recommended to acknowledge critical abilities (ie, skills that allow children to participate in broader societal food issues), consistent with a comprehensive definition of FL that includes more than knowledge and skills (Truman, Raine, et al., 2017). ...
... In terms of what can be learned from the remaining 4 subscales, the 8-item 'to know' subscale adds new knowledge to the field by introducing items beyond the nutritional and food safety knowledge as described by Doustmohammadian et al. (2017). The FL instrument by Amin et al. (2019) extends the 'to know' competency with 'food system knowledge' (4 items) but cultural knowledge is absent, although culture is an important element for defining FL (Benn, 2014;Truman, Raine, et al., 2017) and must therefore be operationalised into measurable questions. ...
Food literacy (FL) is an aim of food education and cooking interventions, but is defined and measured in different ways. In this study we developed, tested, and validated a FL instrument targeting children aged 12–14 years that builds on a broad 5-dimensional FL concept that includes the competencies of knowing and doing, as well as the rarely investigated competencies of using the senses, caring for others, and wanting to participate as a citizen regarding food issues. The study had 3 phases: 1) item development involving an expert panel; 2) scale testing comprising a face validity test with 31 pupils and a test with 817 pupils, of which 267 took part in a retest; and 3) scale validation including testing dimensionality by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal reliability by Cronbach α, external reliability by intraclass coefficient (ICC), and convergent and predictive validity by regression analysis. CFA showed an acceptable model fit, confirming the concept of FL as 1 factor and its 5 distinct competencies as subfactors. There was good internal reliability for total FL score (α = 0.85) and good external test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.92). Convergent validity for a similar health literacy construct was significant for the total FL scale and its 5 competencies; this was also true for the predictive validity of FL with food intake as an outcome. This 37-item, 5-dimensional FL instrument can be used to assess FL levels in children and can guide food and nutrition education.
... Following this growth in educational programming, food literacy has burgeoned into a robust area of both theoretical debate and applied research (Cullen, Hatch, Martin, Higgins, & Sheppard, 2015;Slater, Falkenberg, Rutherford, & Colatruglio, 2018;Truman et al., 2017;Vidgen & Gallegos, 2014). With classroom food literacy activities focused around cooking and gardening now having been widespread for two decades, questions are emerging around how education in these areas may address broader concerns around food systems sustainability (Meek & Tarlau, 2016;Powell & Wittman, 2018;Renwick & Powell, 2019). ...
... Defining food literacy has become a complex issue due to the ways in which it is perceived by both scholars and practitioners and in diverse contexts (Colatruglio & Slater, 2014;Pendergast & Dewhurst, 2012;Smith, 2009;Truman et al., 2017;Vidgen & Gallegos, 2014). One of the widely used definitions is Vidgen and Gallegos' (2014) version where they posit that food literacy is "scaffolding that empowers individuals, households, communities or nations to protect diet quality through change and strengthen dietary resilience over time. ...
... As described by Truman et al. (2017) in their review article, theoretical work on food literacy has been trending toward definitions and conceptualizations that move beyond the focus on individual action. An example of such a definition is provided by Cullen et al. (2015): "the ability of an individual to understand food in a way that they develop a positive relationship with it, including food skills and practices across the lifespan in order to navigate, engage, and participate within a complex food system. ...
Eleanore Vaines developed a conceptualization of ecology for the field of home economics, and created a number of maps to describe her theorising of everyday life and understanding of the complex webs of living systems. Her theoretical work can be applied to help understand food literacy as a set of practices that go beyond individual behaviours and choices, extending to involvement in community efforts to shift to more sustainable and socially just food systems. This article uses Vaines' work, including her "Spheres of Influence" and "Many Ways of Knowing" maps, to reconcile tensions in the discourse around food literacy. Two initiatives in Vancouver, BC, that focus on an ecological approach to learning about food are offered as a way to understand how food literacy can build pathways that integrate natural and social environments. These initatives demonstrate how shared, community locations can be sites for engagement with food in meaningful and transformative ways. Concerns about disconnections between populations and both the sources of their food and plants, animals, soils, and other aspects of the physical earth have long been voiced. Though he was not the first to do so, Wendell Berry of Kentucky took up these concerns in many of his writings; in 1972, for example, he noted that "all meaningful contact between ourselves and the earth is broken. We do not understand the earth in terms either of what it offers us or of what it requires of us, and I think it is the rule that people inevitably destroy what they do not understand… Most of us, for example, not only do not know how to produce the best food in the best way-we don't know how to produce any kind in any way" (Berry, 1972, p. 74-75). Berry continued this theme in his 1977
... Some other definitions of FL focused on individuals' relationship with food [21,[37][38][39][40]. Five previous papers agreed that FL represents a set of skills, knowledge, awareness, and behaviors that allows individuals to adequately interact with food, from being able to prepare it in order to meet nutrition guidelines, up to navigating the complex food system. ...
... On the other hand, most FL definitions considered food and the capacity to use it and interact with it as the core element of the construct [10,12,16,21,[36][37][38][39]. ...
... Regarding FL definitions, six papers conceived the concept as individuals' immaterial scaffolding, ability, or awareness aimed at accessing and correctly using food [10,12,16,21,38,39]. ...
Existing definitions of food literacy (FL) and nutrition literacy (NL) in particular refer to individual knowledge, motivation, competences, and awareness, which determine the relationship between individuals and food, the food system, and nutrition information. Several authors proposed specific conceptualization of the terms. Nevertheless, the description of analogies and differences between FL and NL is still lacking, as is an integrated framework which highlights the meaning of the concepts. This work aims to describe and discuss evidence provided by the literature in order to develop and propose a comprehensive conceptualization of FL and NL to the scientific community. We systematically reviewed six databases, considering the search terms of FL and NL. We collected the antecedents, components, and consequences of both FL and NL. We underlined and traced similarities of the concepts as well as prerogative features through the content analysis of definitions. We obtained 14 definitions of NL and 12 definitions of FL; 42 papers presented antecedents and 53 papers contained consequences. We observed that NL could be considered a specific form of FL. In addition, we noted that the consequences of NL are included in the subset of the consequences of FL and the conceptual limits of FL correspond to the outcome of healthful diet. We conclude that FL and NL build a multifaceted concept which implies both individual and public perspectives. We propose a conceptualization which could be useful to develop an executive framework aimed at providing healthy eating for the population.
... Components of food literacy include access to and the management of food, and the selection, planning, preparation, cooking and ingestion of meals [1,2]. Food literacy helps to protect and promote health via the choice of appropriate foods [3]. Food literacy also encompasses the application of nutritional information [4]. ...
... We selected a total of 112 papers, and a total of 547 questions were obtained through the literature search. These questions were classified into eight food information categories (production, processing, distribution, planning and management, selection, preparation and cooking, ingestion, and disposal) and three information comprehension categories (functional, interactive, and critical) [1,3]. The 547 questions were also classified into 21 domains (three food literacy domains × seven food system domains) [16]. ...
Food literacy refers to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for individuals to choose foods that promote health. As the rate of diet-related diseases increases, food literacy is becoming more important. However, there are no tools available to evaluate food literacy among the Korean elderly. We derived 547 questions from a literature review and, after three rounds of Delphi surveys, selected 33 preliminary questions. We calculated the content validity ratio of the questions and applied a face validity procedure. We then selected 32 questions, assessed their validity, and distributed them as a questionnaire to 205 elderly people. We then conducted exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to determine the validity of the questionnaire and used an internal consistency index (Cronbach’s α coefficient) to determine reliability. Based on the factor analysis, 13 questions were selected, distributed among three factors, and evaluated using the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett sphericity tests. The factor analysis showed that KMO was 0.872, which is a highly acceptable score, and the Bartlett sphericity test was χ2 = 1,374.69 at p = 0.00. The food literacy questionnaire developed in this study will likely be helpful for improving the healthcare of elderly people.
... Perceived behavioral control refers to students' perceptions of the level of difficulty or ease with which they implement food-saving behaviors in a particular setting, based on the food skills, resources, and knowledge they possess, which, in turn, influences their food-saving intentions. This finding is in agreement with the findings of Truman et al. [76]. That is, if students have fewer relevant food skills, resources, and knowledge, they will judge that the implementation of reduced food waste behaviors in that particular context will be hindered, and thus the food-saving behavior will be lower. ...
Reducing consumer food waste plays an important role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Considering the large number of colleges in China, with the largest enrollment in the world, it is especially important to address the issue of food waste among college students. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects that the college canteen catering modes have on the food-saving behavior of college students remain unclear. To fill this gap, an integrated theoretical framework model was constructed from the perspective of “psychological factors–behavioral intention–external environment–actual behavior” based on the theory of planned behavior, the norm activation model, and the attitude–context–behavior theory. Then, 422 valid questionnaires were empirically analyzed by structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression. The main conclusions of this study are as follows: (1) Food-saving intention and herd mentality are the major drivers of college students’ food-saving behavior. Personal norms, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavior control, and health risk perception are influencing factors on food-saving intention, among which personal norms have the greatest effect. (2) The standard-quantity catering mode has an inhibitory moderating effect, while the large-/small-portion-size and buffet catering modes have promoting moderating effects in the transformation of food-saving intention into actual behavior. Notably, the moderating effects of the buffet catering mode are more pronounced than those of the large-/small-portion-size catering mode. (3) The standard-quantity catering mode has a promoting moderating effect, while the large-/small-portion-size and buffet catering modes have inhibitory moderating effects in the path of the negative impact of herd mentality on food-saving behavior. These conclusions can help colleges recommend strategies to avoid food waste on their campuses from the perspectives of both the individual student and the food provider.
... This transition is detrimental to nutrition literacy, which assists in maintaining and improving health through selecting the right foods. [2,3] The nutritional scenario regarding preferences, choices, practices, and overall literacy in India has experienced remarkable shifts in the last few decades. The troughs of food scarcity, nutritional deficiencies, deprivation, famines, malnutrition, and droughts have stood the tests of time. ...
A bstract
Aims and Objective
The development of a nation depends on well-nourished individuals. A country’s economic independence also depends on adequate food supply for all sections of its population and the proper selection of the right kinds of food, called nutritional literacy. This review will show the transition of dietary selection and practices across India over the last two decades and its impact on health.
Materials and Methods
We conducted a literature search to review the evidence of the last two decades. The literature search was done using the PubMed search engine and the MeSH words “Nutrition Literacy, Dietary Practices, Diet Transition, Nutrition transition, India and Food pattern.” Evidence from the last two decades was collectively reviewed, and observations on the transition in nutrition literacy were summated.
Results
The literature search revealed 18 articles, out of which 13 articles were included in this review based on inclusion–exclusion criteria. Nine were review articles, and five were cross-sectional studies. The studies done over the last two decades on nutrition culture revealed that most of the studies related to transition have been done during the second decade of the twenty-first century. Most have found that the shift has been happening more among the urban poor and rural rich people. Indian diets have diversified and shifted away from cereals towards processed food.
Conclusion
It was found that there is a shift in feeding preferences in diet-deprived sections in India. The findings are similar in rural and urban areas where the poor fall prey to the food fads, make poor nutrition choices, and gradually develop chronic ailments. Such a transition over the years clearly shows that a malnourished child, having faulty feeding practices, becomes prey to the triple burden of hidden hunger, lack of nutrition, and repercussions of chronic non-communicable diseases, including dental ailments.
... Food and nutrition literacy (FNLIT) is a relatively new and multidimensional concept that may play an important role in establishing the overall dietary framework. It comprises a combination of necessary knowledge, skills, and practices relevant to nutritional recommendations (14)(15)(16), as well as a set of social, cultural, and ethnic factors (17,18). ...
Background
Food and nutrition literacy (FNLIT) is a relatively new term that is used to define the knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary to achieve a healthy diet. Improving food and nutritional literacy in children is a necessary solution to eliminate nutritional disorders in this age group. The purpose of this study was to design, implement and evaluate an intervention to improve food and nutrition literacy in children aged 10–12 years old based on an intervention mapping (IM) approach.
Methods
This experimental study was performed in three phases. Through the first phase, an intervention was developed using the (IM) approach. In the second phase, the intervention was implemented for 6 months, and in the third phase, the intervention outcomes were evaluated and compared with the control group through a randomized controlled trial among 300 participants (each control and intervention group = 150).
Results
Before the intervention, there was no significant difference between the control and intervention groups in all subscales of FNLIT. After the intervention, there was a significant difference between the control and intervention groups in all subscales of FNLIT (P < 0/001). There were no differences between the two groups in terms of the FNLIT scores at baseline (P > 0.05). However, after 6 months of intervention, a significant difference was observed between the two groups (intra-group differences) (P < 0.001). Such a difference was not identified in the control group after 6 months also the results show the impact of socioeconomic factors and parental literacy on the average score of students' FNLIT and after the intervention, a significant difference was observed between the scores of control and intervention groups in all subscales of the FNLIT (P < 0.001).
Conclusions
The school-based intervention developed and evaluated in this study provides a basis for future programs targeting the improvement of FNLIT in children, especially in poor and deprived areas such as Kurdistan province.
Clinical trial registration
Iranian Clinical Trials Registry (IRCT) Code: 32094.
... Nutrition literacy refers to food-related knowledge and skills applied to select healthy diets including meal volume, knowledge on food labels, reliability of nutrition information, and rudiments of nutrition information (5,6). Nutrition literacy assists in maintaining and improving health through selection of the right foods (7). ...
Background
Nutrition is critical to prevent some chronic diseases. Nutrition literacy refers to ability to gain, understand and evaluate nutrition facts to choose appropriate foods. Nutrition literacy has recently drawn the attention of professionals with respect to health promotion. The purpose of this study was to investigate nutrition literacy and potentially related demographic factors among workers of a steel company in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, southwest Iran.
Methods
In this descriptive-analytical study in 141 workers of Taraz Steel company in 2021, participants were selected by convenience sampling and a self-report nutrition literacy scale nativized to Iranians was used to collect data. Data were analyzed by SPSS 22 using Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman's correlation coefficient.
Results
About 75% of workers had adequate nutrition literacy and around 24% inadequate nutrition literacy. The highest percentage of mean score was obtained for determination of food groups (85.4%) and the lowest for calculation of food units (47%). The mean score of nutrition literacy was significantly higher in people with higher education (P = 0.020). Also, people with adequate monthly salary attained a higher mean score on determination of food groups (P = 0.021) and higher overall nutrition literacy (P = 0.003) compared to other people. No relationship was observed between nutrition literacy and body mass index as well.
Conclusion
Most workers have adequate nutrition literacy but their scores on calculation of food units are relatively low. It is essential for policymakers to collect information on the level of nutrition literacy in different populations, especially Iranian workers, to reduce the prevalence of nutrition-related chronic diseases.
... Nutrition literacy refers to food-related knowledge and skills applied to select healthy diets including meal volume, knowledge on food labels, reliability of nutrition information, and rudiments of nutrition information (5,6). Nutrition literacy assists in maintaining and improving health through selection of the right foods (7). ...
Background: Nutrition is critical to prevent some chronic diseases. Nutrition literacy refers to ability to gain, understand and evaluate nutrition facts to choose appropriate foods. Nutrition literacy has recently drawn the attention of professionals with respect to health promotion. The purpose of this study was to investigate nutrition literacy and potentially related demographic factors among workers of a steel company in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, southwest Iran.
Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study in 141 workers of Taraz Steel company in 2021, participants were selected by convenience sampling and a self-report nutrition literacy scale nativized to Iranians was used to collect data. Data were analyzed by SPSS 22 using Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman's correlation coefficient.
Results: About 75% of workers had adequate nutrition literacy and around 24% inadequate nutrition literacy. The highest percentage of mean score was obtained for determination of food groups (85.4%) and the lowest for calculation of food units (47%). The mean score of nutrition literacy was significantly higher in people with higher education (P = 0.020). Also, people with adequate monthly salary attained a higher mean score on determination of food groups (P = 0.021) and higher overall nutrition literacy (P = 0.003) compared to other people. No relationship was observed between nutrition literacy and body mass index as well.
Conclusion: Most workers have adequate nutrition literacy but their scores on calculation of food units are relatively low. It is essential for policymakers to collect information on the level of nutrition literacy in different populations, especially Iranian workers, to reduce the prevalence of nutrition-related chronic diseases.
... Similarly, as a component of their definition of critical food pedagogy, Classens and Sytsma include "empowering them to incite socioecological change within the food system" (2020, p. 10). This emphasis on a critical food pedagogy is evident elsewhere in the literature (Flowers & Swan, 2015;Harris & Barter, 2015;Jones, 2019;Lewis & O'Neil, 2019;Ma Rhea, 2018;Swan & Flowers, 2015;Truman et al., 2017;Walter, 2012). Although my course design does not adopt an explicit critical approach, I am pleased and very supportive when students challenge the foundations of the dominant global food system, identify issues of power and injustice, and feel empowered to make change. ...
The intimate relation people have with food provides unique opportunities for teaching. In this field report, I will describe and reflect upon the method of student-centred learning I use in a first-year university course entitled Food, Agriculture & Society. The aim of the course is to provide students with a broad understanding of how food and agriculture have shaped society and can contribute to a more sustainable future. Consistent with food pedagogy, a premise of the course design is that the intimate relation students have with the food they eat reflects their personal values and responsibility for their choices. An innovative element of my approach is that I co-create the syllabus. The course starts by writing the word “Food” on the blackboard. I then facilitate a multi-step process with students to co-create the syllabus. For most of the course, students lead the preparation and delivery of lectures on their selected topics. In this report, after describing the course design, I reflect upon my approach in relation to the tenets of food pedagogy, as well as discuss student feedback and my experience of teaching the course.
... They may also have been influenced by FOODcamp's structure, which mainly centers on practical activities and cooking classes. However, as highlighted in a consensus statement on children's FL, it is important to consider and explore how these broader aspects of FL can be further developed (Truman et al., 2017). ...
Food literacy (FL) refers to an individual's prerequisites for their engagement with food. Schoolchildren's FL has been defined in terms of five competencies: “to know”(e.g food-related knowledge), “to do” (e.g cooking skills), “to sense” (e.g. less well-explored sensory experiences), “to care” (e.g. taking care of oneself and others) and “to want” (e.g. willingness to take a stand and act). A cluster-based quasi-experimental effectiveness trial on the effects of a school-based intervention, “FOODcamp,” on FL, health literacy, and school well-being was conducted. A total of 640 school children in grades 6 and 7 (mean age = 12 years) attended this one-week camp and participated in different food-related classes and activities. Linear mixed models controlling for the nested structure of data showed small but significant effects for the following FL dimensions: “to do (E = 0.098, CI (0.035–0.161), p = 0.002), “to sense” (E = 0.152, CI (0.073–0.232), p < 0.001), and “to know” (E = 0.086, CI (0.022–0.150), p = 0.009) as well as for overall FL (E = 0.078, CI (0.034–0.122), p = 0.001). No effects were found for the dimensions “to want” or “to care”. The intervention also had a small but significant effect on children's health literacy but not on school well-being. These findings demonstrate the value of FOODcamp and the positive impacts of a relatively brief intervention on children's FL.
... investigated FL in 858 children across 44 schools and found that for children aged 10 years FL was high for food origins but lower for food skills and nutrition knowledge. 7 The lack of evidence in this space reflects the novelty of the term FL, 8,9 as well as the difficulties in measuring the attainment of FL in children. 10,11 Whereas there is limited evidence on the long-term impacts of FL programs in children, broader health literacy interventions in childhood have been demonstrated to positively impact health outcomes and behaviors in adulthood. ...
BACKGROUND
Childhood is a critical period for developing food-related skills and knowledge, known as food literacy (FL). Schools may be an important setting for interventions aiming to improve FL in children. This systematic scoping review aimed to characterize food literacy interventions in elementary schools.
METHODS
Databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO) were searched for FL interventions in elementary schools (students aged 4-12 years). Studies were assessed according to design, duration, theoretical underpinning, and ascertainment of FL outcome(s). Interventions were assessed according to FL competencies (functional, interactive, and critical).
RESULTS
After exclusions, 116 studies were eligible for review, including 105 original interventions. Interventions ranged from 45 minutes to 4 years. Social cognitive theory was the most referenced theory and common interventions included; classroom lessons, games, school gardens, food preparation, and cooking classes. Most studies measured FL outcomes quantitatively (96%, N = 111). All studies addressed functional FL (N = 116), while 77% (N = 89) addressed interactive FL and 28% (N = 32) addressed critical FL.
CONCLUSIONS
This first international review of FL programs in elementary schools found great heterogeneity in school-based FL intervention design and measurement of FL. Few interventions addressed critical FL, which should be a focus for future interventions.
... Despite being an increasingly recognised term, there is not yet a shared understanding of the construct's meaning and its components, resulting in a lack of theoretical consensus [8,9]. Most acknowledged empirical conceptualisations of food literacy include (i) the framework of Vidgen and Gallegos from Australia [3,7,10,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20], and (ii) the work of Desjardins and colleagues from Canada [21], which was later on revised by Thomas and coauthors [12,13,15]. Also from Canada, conceptualisations from (iii) Slater and coauthors [7,15,18] and from (iv) Cullen and colleagues [7,15,18,22,23] are considerably mentioned within the literature. ...
Poor eating habits are increasing the prevalence of weight-related issues, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Given the demand to improve individuals' food knowledge and competencies aiming at healthier behaviours, the current investigation explores the concept of food literacy. Considering the lack of a shared understanding of food literacy, this study aims to explore food literacy's domains, influential factors and determinants. Using a qualitative deductive-dominant content analysis, 30 experts from food-related fields were interviewed. The obtained outcomes were compared to available food literacy frameworks. Agreement among inter-raters was nearly perfect (k = 0.82). Yielding a total of 184 codes nested within 19, more than half of the identified attributes (62.5%) are corroborated by the current literature. However, the manifested content unmatched with the current frameworks of food literacy literature express food-literacy-related fields of action, knowledge, competencies, and determinants that have not yet been explored. As such, this study provides new and useful information concerning food literacy definition and development, by identifying its domains, factors of influence, and potential determinants. Moreover, this work paves the way for new measurements and interventions within this field.
Bu çalışmada, ilkokul öğrencilerinin gıda ve beslenme okuryazarlık düzeylerinin belirlenmesi için geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçek formunun geliştirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmanın örneklem grubunu uygun örnekleme yöntemi ile belirlenen 929 ilkokul dördüncü sınıf öğrencisi oluşturmaktadır. Araştırma verileri, araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen ve 26 maddeden oluşan taslak Gıda ve Beslenme Okuryazarlık Ölçeği (GBOÖ) aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Açımlayıcı faktör analizi sonucunda 15 maddeden oluşan dört faktörlü (zararlı tüketim, ambalaj okuma, faydalı tüketim ve etkileşim) bir yapı elde edilmiş ve elde edilen yapı doğrulayıcı faktör analizi ile doğrulanmıştır (χ2/sd= 1.729, RMSEA=.040, SRMR=.043, CFI=.92, TLI=.90). Ayrıca GBOÖ'nün yakınsak ve ayırt edici geçerliğe sahip olduğu belirlenmiştir. Ölçme aracının güvenirlik çalışmaları kapsamında Cronbach Alpha (α) iç tutarlılık ve kompozit (CR) güvenirlik katsayıları hesaplanmış ve test yarılama tekniğinden faydalanılmıştır. Elde edilen sonuçlar GBOÖ'nün güvenilir sonuçlar ürettiğini ortaya koymuştur. Sonuç olarak geliştirilen GBOÖ’nün, çocukların gıda ve beslenme okuryazarlık düzeylerini geçerli ve güvenilir bir şekilde ölçebilecek bir araç olarak ortaya çıkmıştır. GBBÖ, öğrencilerin gıda ve beslenme okuryazarlık düzeylerini izlemek ve değerlendirmek için kullanılabilir.
Food insecurity, the inadequate or insecure access to food because of financial constraints, is an important public health concern, associated with poor physical and mental health. Recent research among post-secondary students shows that it also has consequences for academic performance; food insecure students are more likely to have lower grades and to drop out. This qualitative study aimed to describe the experiences of Queen’s University students who didn’t have enough money for food or who worried about having enough money for food. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 undergraduate, 10 graduate and 5 professional students. Participants included 14 students of colour and 2 Indigenous students. All described chronic food insecurity during their time at Queen’s, including 9 who experienced severe food insecurity, skipping meals and going hungry. Most participants cycled between different levels of food insecurity (severe, moderate, and marginal) depending on the availability of resources, though a few were severely or moderately food insecure on an ongoing basis. None escaped worry and anxiety about being able to properly feed themselves. Our sampling strategy netted a more diverse set of students than previously described in the literature on post-secondary student food insecurity, including first-generation Canadians, international students, Indigenous students, law students and undergraduate students transitioning to independent living. Our results demonstrate the human costs of market approaches to post-secondary education and lend support to the growing campaign in Canada for a basic income that includes young people.
Food literacy (FL) is a goal for many food camps aimed at improving school children's culinary skills and food knowledge. FL in relation to children has been defined as constituting five competencies: “to do” (practical skills),“to know” (knowledge), “to sense” (sensory experiences), “to care” (care for self and others), and “to want” (to be willing to act). However, understanding the processes and mechanisms that relates to school children's FL remain underexplored. The aim of this study was to identify underlying mechanisms operating at a food camp and elucidate how they relate to FL competencies among school children. A qualitative embedded case study design was used to explore this with a Danish food camp programme ‘FOODcamp’ targeting school-going children aged 12–14 years, constituting an instrumental case. A theory-driven abductive research strategy was used to facilitate analytical generalization. Five schools and nine classes participating in FOODcamp were recruited for the study. Data comprised 10 focus group discussions conducted with children, nine interviews conducted with teachers, and 10 days of observation at FOODcamp. The analysis resulted in 12 conceptually derived mechanisms operating at a food camp namely ‘hands-on with food and kitchen utensils', ‘use of all senses’, ‘help and recognition’, ‘theoretical reflection’, ‘from farm to table’, ‘try new and scary things’, ‘experimenting’, ‘genuine participation’, ‘cook from scratch’, ‘principles', ‘meal group community’ and ‘food group community’. These mechanisms were in various combinations and in a dynamic interplay with contextual conditions related to school children's five FL competencies. The conceptually derived mechanisms may guide future research and practice by highlighting various processes and contextual conditions, given that they are adapted to the specific possibilities of a given context and age group.
In Canada, childhood obesity is increasing while 16% of children are food insecure. Schools provide an opportunity to promote healthy eating, yet, there is no national school food program. The purpose of this scoping review is to determine promising practices for Canadian school food programs. Using peer reviewed and gray literature in English and French published after 1970, we examined 35 publications for evidence of nutritional intake, nutrition education, improved educational attainment, promotion of health equity, and cultural awareness. Interest in school food programs is growing. Programs should address social determinants of health, food systems, and environmental and economic sustainability.
The main objective of this chapter is to determine the existence of a relationship between eHealth literacy and self-regulation in eating behaviour in young people. To achieve this goal, it was necessary to develop a confirmatory factorial analysis to determine the goodness-of-fit of the instruments utilized. The method included the administration of the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) and the self-regulated eating habits (SEH) to 1057 university students in the city of Tijuana Mexico followed by the calculation of Pearson’s product-moment correlation matrix. Results indicated that both instruments obtained acceptable goodness-of-fit. Thus, a correlational analysis was feasible. Results from the Pearson analysis indicated a correlation between eHealth literacy and the self-regulation of eating behaviour. In conclusion, this research demonstrated the viability to administrate the eHEALS and the SEH scale. Furthermore, this research provides empirical evidence regarding the relationship between eHealth literacy and self-regulation as a novel approach in health research.
Recent years have seen a great deal of academic interest in the study of food literacy. A range of definitions for the concept has been advanced, including a variety of different core elements. This chapter reports on a systematic review conducted to identify all the academic articles proposing key conceptualizations of food literacy published between 2001 and 2019. The chapter provides new information regarding the way food literacy has been defined so far and argues for a broadening of the definition of the concept to include media and digital skills. To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify gaps in literacy skills included in existing food literacy definitions.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore associations between different food literacy dimensions and diet quality among a sample of Canadian parents and examine differences in the prevalence of food literacy items between mothers and fathers.
Design/methodology/approach
Parents responsible for food preparation ( n =767) completed an online survey including dietary intakes and 22 items across five dimensions of food literacy (knowledge, planning, cooking, food conceptualisation and social aspects). Differences between genders for each item were analysed with χ ² tests. The healthy eating index (HEI) adapted to the Canadian Food Guide (CFG) was computed from a food frequency questionnaire. Associations between HEI scores and each item were analysed with linear regression models, controlling for sociodemographic variables and multiple testing.
Findings
Of parents responsible for food preparation, 81 per cent were mothers. The mean HEI score was 76.6 (SD: 10.6) and mothers reported healthier diets in comparison to fathers ( p =0.01). More mothers than fathers used CFG recommendations, selected foods based on nutrition labels, made soups, stews, muffins and cakes from scratch and added fruits and vegetables to recipes ( p <0.05). More fathers reduced the salt content of recipes than mothers ( p =0.03). Two knowledge items and seven food conceptualisation items were significantly associated with better HEI, after controlling for covariates and multiple testing. Planning items, cooking skills and social aspects were not significantly associated with HEI.
Originality/value
This study investigates multiple dimensions of food literacy and identifies knowledge and food conceptualisation as potential targets for future interventions involving parents responsible for household meal preparation. This study highlights the importance of considering gender differences in food literacy.
Objective
Food literacy provides a framework for food-related knowledge, skills, and behaviors. The aim of this study was to develop a Tool for Food Literacy Assessment in Children (TFLAC), grades 4–5.
Methods
Development of the TFLAC consisted of 3 phases: (1) content validity using a 2-round modified Delphi panel (n = 16) and content validity ratios (CVR); (2) pilot-testing (n = 38); and (3) assessment of internal consistency and test-retest reliability (n = 706) using Cronbach α and intraclass correlation coefficients, respectively. Statistical significance was set at P < .05.
Results
Round 1 (CVR = 0.40) and 2 (CVR = 0.70) Delphi panel feedback and the pilot test informed modifications to the TFLAC question format, wording, and difficulty. Food literacy domain-specific Cronbach α values were acceptable (range, .80–.98) except for cooking knowledge (.63), and intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.64–0.70 (P < .001).
Conclusions and Implications
The TFLAC meets basic psychometric standards and may serve as a foundation for nutrition education intervention design and evaluation. Further testing with a broader geographic audience may be warranted.
Even though public service co-production is achieving a growing popularity among both scholars and practitioners, there is little evidence on its implications and consequences. To contribute in filling such a gap, this paper investigates the role of public service co-production in fostering organizational change. A descriptive case study approach was taken, concerning a group co-production experience intended to the reorganization of primary school meal services in the Municipality of Quarrata, a medium-sized town established in Central Italy. A step-by-step approach was implemented to realize the full potential of public service co-production. Direct and indirect stakeholders were concomitantly involved in the reorganization of school meal services. Service co-production paved the way for several positive outcomes, including: increased user satisfaction, cost savings, greater social and environmental sustainability, and lower water footprint. The research findings suggested that public sector organizations need to perform as enablers of the co-producers' sleeping resources, enacting a self-nourishing cycle of public value co-creation. The enhancement of the co-producing skills that are available in the community is a fundamental ingredient of the recipe for more effective and smooth processes of organizational change. This is one of the first attempts to examine the role of service co-production in promoting organizational change in public sector organizations.
: The Food Literacy Partners Program was developed to train health professionals and community volunteers and to provide culturally appropriate food, nutrition, and physical activity education to adults and children in rural areas who are eligible for food stamps. This strategy is designed to improve health literacy in a community with limited nutrition resources and is modeled after a successful volunteer, two-way self-improvement program. Volunteers enhance their own knowledge and skills and enthusiastically share that knowledge and skills in service to their community. The program was developed in response to an identified local need and a funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and is based on supportive literature on health literacy. This article describes the Food Literacy Partners program.
(C) 2001 Aspen Publishers, Inc.
Methods:
A scoping review was conducted to identify all articles (academic and grey literature) using the term "food literacy". Databases included Medline, Pubmed, Embase, CAB Abstracts, CINAHL, Scopus, JSTOR, and Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Of 1049 abstracts, 66 studies were included. From these, data was extracted on country of origin, study type (methodological approach), primary target population, and the primary outcomes relating to food literacy.
Results:
The majority of definitions of food literacy emphasize the acquisition of critical knowledge (information and understanding) (55%) over functional knowledge (skills, abilities and choices) (8%), although some incorporate both (37%). Thematic analysis of 38 novel definitions of food literacy reveals the prevalence of six themes: skills and behaviours, food/health choices, culture, knowledge, emotions, and food systems. Study outcomes largely focus on knowledge generating measures, with very few focusing on health related outcome measures.
Conclusions:
Current definitions of food literacy incorporate components of six key themes or domains and attributes of both critical and functional knowledge. Despite this broad definition of the term, most studies aiming to improve food literacy focus on knowledge related outcomes. Few articles address health outcomes, leaving an important gap (and opportunity) for future research in this field.
Health literacy, defined as the ability to access, understand, and use health information, has been identified as an international public health goal. The term nutrition literacy has emerged as a distinct form of health literacy, yet scholars continue to reflect on constituent skills and capabilities in light of discussions regarding what it means to be food literate and health literate. This viewpoint argues that a comprehensive conceptualization of nutrition literacy should reflect key elements of health literacy and food literacy constructs. Nutbeam's tripartite model of health literacy is employed to explore competencies that are likely to facilitate healthy food relationships.
Copyright © 2015 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Food literacy has emerged as a term to describe the everyday practicalities associated with healthy eating. The term is increasingly used in policy, practice, research and by the public; however, there is no shared understanding of its meaning. The purpose of this research was to develop a definition of food literacy which was informed by the identification of its components. This was considered from two perspectives; that of food experts which aimed to reflect the intention of existing policy and investment, and that of individuals, who could be considered experts in the everyday practicalities of food provisioning and consumption. Given that food literacy is likely to be highly contextual, this second study focused on disadvantaged young people living in an urban area who were responsible for feeding themselves. The Expert Study used a Delphi methodology (round one n=43). The Young People's Study used semi-structured, life-course interviews (n=37). Constructivist Grounded Theory was used to analyse results. This included constant comparison of data within and between studies. From this, eleven components of food literacy were identified which fell into the domains of: planning and management; selection; preparation; and eating. These were used to develop a definition for the term "food literacy".
Today's supermarket contains hundreds of packaged foods specifically targeted at children. Yet research has shown that children are confused by the various visual messages found on packaged food products. This study explores children's nutrition knowledge with regard to packaged food products, to uncover strengths and difficulties they have in evaluating the healthfulness of these foods.
Focus groups were conducted with children (grades 1-6). Particular attention was paid to the ways children made use of what they know about nutrition when faced with the visual elements and appeals presented on food packaging.
Children relied heavily on packages' written and visual aspects - including colour, images, spokes-characters, front-of-package claims - to assess the healthfulness of a food product. These elements interfere with children's ability to make healthy choices when it comes to packaged foods.
Choosing healthy packaged foods is challenging for children due to competing sets of knowledge: one pertains to their understanding of visual, associational cues; the other, to translating their understanding of nutrition to packaged foods. Canada's Food Guide, along with the curriculum taught to Canadian children at schools, does not appear to provide children with the tools necessary to navigate a food environment dominated by packaged foods.
Defining food literacy: A scoping review
- Truman E Lane
- D Elliott
- E Truman