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Food literacy as a multidimensional concept

Perry E, Thomas H, Samra H, Edmonstone S, Davidson L, Faulkner A, Petermann L, Manafo E, Kirkpatrick S. Identifying attributes of food literacy: A scoping review Public Health Nutrition. 2017; 20(13): 2406-2415.

Review question

•      What are the attributes of food literacy as defined by existing research in the field?

Background

•      Non-communicable diseases, including cancers, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes, are among the leading causes of death globally.

•      Contributing to these conditions are dietary risk factors, which are now recognized as the largest contributor to mortality both globally and in Canada.

•      Increasing prevalence of large-scale food retail stores and fast-food outlets, combined with industrialization of the global food system, have contributed to the increasing accessibility of low-cost, energy-dense, and nutrient-poor foods and beverages.

•      In recognition of this trend, increasing attention has been given to food literacy as a tool to influence eating patterns. Broadly speaking, food literacy highlights interconnectivity between food, health and the environment, while fostering a greater understanding of food beyond traditional nutrition recommendations and cookery lessons.

•      Unfortunately, there exists significant variation in the definitions and characteristics associated with food literacy in the existing research. This variation makes it difficult to generalize and compare results across studies.

•      The aim of this review is to characterize the attributes of food literacy as conceptualized by existing research in the field.

How the review was done

•      Review authors conducted a detailed search of research databases for eligible studies published in English from 2005 to 2016. Key words included food, nutrition, skill, and literacy.

•      Eligible articles were limited to research carried out in Canada, the USA, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

•      A total of 851 articles were retrieved from the initial search, of which 19 were included in this review. A manual search of additional unpublished research was conducted, which yielded 30 additional articles.

•      One of the authors of the review is an Associate Editor for Public Health Nutrition. All remaining authors declare no conflict of interest.

What the researchers found

•      Fifteen food literacy attributes and associated descriptors were identified from the peer-reviewed and grey literature. These were organized into five key themes or categories: food and nutrition knowledge, food skills, self-efficacy and confidence, ecological, and food decisions.

•      Food and nutrition knowledge referred to attributes related to facts and information related to food and nutrition. Within this category, four attributes were identified: Food Knowledge, Nutrition Knowledge, Food Language, and Nutrition Language. Overall, food and nutrition knowledge referred to common knowledge of the variety of foods that exist, where they come from (including a connection to local food procurement), how food is produced, basic ingredients, and, to a lesser extent, rudimentary nutritional knowledge about the function of nutrients in the body.

•      Food skills were defined as techniques of food purchasing, preparation, handling, and storage. Within this category were two attributes: Food Techniques and Food Skills.

•      Within the category of self-efficacy and confidence were five attributes: Nutrition Literacy, Nutrition Self-Efficacy, Food Self-Efficacy, Cooking Self-Efficacy, and Food Attitude. Attributes in this category reflected an individual’s ability to perform in specific settings or situations, including overcoming obstacles to achieve a desired outcome.

•      Ecological attributes underscored systems and influences that interact with food decisions and practices. Within this category were the attributes of Socio-Cultural Influences and Eating Practices, Food and Other Systems, and Infrastructure and Population-Level Determinants. These factors underscore the perception and understanding people have of food.

•      Dietary Behaviour was the sole attribute under the category of food decisions, and is defined as the application of knowledge, information, and skills to make healthy food choices.

Conclusion

•      In summary, food literacy is a complex phenomenon made up of multiple attributes.

•      By conceptualizing these attributes, the results of this scoping review provide the foundation for the development of a measurement tool that can support the monitoring and evaluation of interventions to support food literacy.