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Chilón-Troncos RF, García-Salirrosas EE, Millones-Liza DY, Villar-Guevara M. Adaptation and Validation of the S-NutLit Scale to Assess Nutritional Literacy in the Peruvian Population. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:707. [PMID: 38928953 PMCID: PMC11203883 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Maintaining good dietary practices is a factor that allows a better quality of life; therefore, it is necessary to promote health via the fundamental tool of nutritional literacy. In this context, this study aims to evaluate nutritional literacy in Peru through the S-NutLit tool, which is composed of two dimensions. The scale, composed of 11 items, was applied to 396 Peruvian adults. According to the evaluation of the indicators, an acceptable reliability was found, as was a model fit with excellent estimation according to its indicators (CMIN/DIF 2.559; IFC 0.965; SRMR 0.043; RMSEA 0.063; and PClose 0.070). In this way, we seek to reinforce health promotion activities through a nutritional literacy diagnosis, which, due to its characteristics, can be self-administered and used by health entities and other entities in general that are interested in knowing the eating practices of an individual, which undoubtedly leads to good health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rony Francisco Chilón-Troncos
- Unidad de Ciencias Empresariales, Escuela de Posgrado, Universidad Peruana Unión, Lima 15102, Peru; (R.F.C.-T.); (D.Y.M.-L.)
| | | | - Dany Yudet Millones-Liza
- Unidad de Ciencias Empresariales, Escuela de Posgrado, Universidad Peruana Unión, Lima 15102, Peru; (R.F.C.-T.); (D.Y.M.-L.)
- Escuela Profesional de Administración, Facultad de Ciencias Empresariales, Universidad Peruana Unión, Lima 15102, Peru
| | - Miluska Villar-Guevara
- Escuela Profesional de Administración, Facultad de Ciencias Empresariales, Universidad Peruana Unión, Juliaca 21101, Peru;
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Cabezas MF, Nazar G. A scoping review of food and nutrition literacy programs. Health Promot Int 2023; 38:daad090. [PMID: 37676303 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daad090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The impact of food literacy (FL) and nutrition literacy (NL) programs on lifestyles and health is recognized in the literature, yet few studies systematize it. This study aims to deepen the understanding of FL/NL from the characterization of programs in terms of (i) theoretical foundations, conceptualization and measuring instruments; (ii) characterization of the FL/NL programs and results and (iii) limitations and future directions declared. A scoping review of original articles addressing FL/NL programs from the Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed databases published between 2015 and 2023. There was a somewhat restricted view of the construct and the absence of a clear boundary between FL and NL. Half of the studies reported theoretical foundations. The most used model was Social Cognitive Learning Theory. More significant development of programs was observed in Australia, using quasi-experimental designs. Most of the studies informed positive results. Limitations of the studies related to the sampling process, absence of a control group and lack of follow-up. It is suggested that long-term interventions consider economic, social and cultural factors. Despite that theoretical and empirical aspects should be revised, FL/NL programs are a suitable strategy to mitigate the social and health effects of inadequate nutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gabriela Nazar
- Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
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Chaves CDS, Camargo JT, Zandonadi RP, Nakano EY, Ginani VC. Nutrition Literacy Level in Bank Employees: The Case of a Large Brazilian Company. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15102360. [PMID: 37242243 DOI: 10.3390/nu15102360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Nutrition Literacy (NL) positively impacts diet quality and has the potential to promote health and prevent nutrition-related chronic diseases. Brazil is one of the countries with the highest rates of nutrition-related chronic diseases. Nevertheless, in Brazil, few studies have explored the NL levels of its population. To provide remote access to the Nutrition Literacy Assessment Instrument for Brazilians (NLit-Br) and assess Brazilian bank employees, we conducted a study to estimate the validity of the NLit-Br online and to investigate whether bank employees have an adequate NL level. In the first step, we randomly assigned 21 employees from three financial institution branches to two groups to complete NLit-Br paper and online versions. After an interval period, both groups completed the NLit-Br with an opposite delivery method (paper vs. online). We compared the validity of the digital and paper versions of the NLit-Br by the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), and the reliability by Kuder-Richardson formula 20. Second, we evaluated 1174 bank employees using the NLit-Br online version. We found an excellent absolute agreement (ICC ≥ 0.75) between the paper and online versions. The questionnaire had good internal consistency (KR-20 = 0.64). The sample was characterized as mostly male (61.0%), married/cohabitant (73.8%), and white (69.8%), with high household income (85.2%), and graduated or postgraduate (97.4%). The mean age of the population was 42.1 (SD = 7.6) years. Subjects predominantly had possibly inadequate NL (62.3%). The online NLit-Br total score was significantly associated with gender, age, and household income (p < 0.05). Women and individuals with higher incomes had a higher degree of NL. Subjects over 50 years old had a lower degree of NL. There was no significant association between the NLit-Br score and the participants' education. The NLit-Br online is a valid instrument to assess NL remotely. The population studied showed a high prevalence of inadequacy of the NL. Therefore, there is a need for targeted actions to improve the NL of bank employees.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juliana Teruel Camargo
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Dr/MSC 1825, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- School of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas, KS 66160, USA
| | - Renata Puppin Zandonadi
- University of Brasília, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition, Campus Universitario Darcy Ribeiro, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
| | | | - Verônica Cortez Ginani
- University of Brasília, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition, Campus Universitario Darcy Ribeiro, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
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Vrinten J, Van Royen K, Pabian S, De Backer C, Matthys C. Development and validation of a short nutrition literacy scale for young adults. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1008971. [PMID: 37020809 PMCID: PMC10067712 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1008971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Due to their high media use, young adults are frequently exposed to contradictory or even erroneous nutrition information. To properly handle and critically assess nutrition information, young adults (both general population and patient populations) need adequate levels of nutrition literacy. Currently there is a lack of suitable instruments to measure nutrition literacy in young adults (18-25 years). Therefore the aim of this study was to develop and validate a Short Nutrition Literacy (S-NutLit) scale for use in this age group. Methods Development and validation of the S-NutLit consisted of six phases: (1) item generation based on literature, (2) expert assessments to evaluate content validity, (3) cognitive interviews with the target population to assess face validity and readability, (4) pre-test to reduce the number of items, (5) validation survey to assess dimensionality with exploratory factor analyses, internal reliability with Cronbach alpha, construct and criterion validity by examining associations with age, gender, education level, health literacy, general literacy, dietary behaviors and physical activity with correlations, ANOVAs, and t-tests, (6) two-week follow-up survey to assess test-retest reliability with intra-class correlations. Results Starting from an initial pool of 53 items, expert assessments and cognitive interviews led to the reformulation, removal, and construction of items. Young adults aged 18-25 years participated in cognitive interviews (n = 12), pre-test (n = 101), validation survey (n = 300), and reliability survey (n = 92). The final S-NutLit consisted of 11 items rated on a 5-point scale distributed across two subscales (i.e., information skills and expert skills). Cronbach alpha values ranged from 0.79 to 0.83 and intraclass correlations from 0.61-0.79 (p < 0.001). Significant associations were observed with health literacy (r = 0.27, p < 0.001), general literacy and numeracy (rs = 0.12, p = 0.046), and education level (rs = 0.13, p = 0.025). Conclusion Findings indicate that the S-NutLit is a valid and reliable tool to assess nutrition literacy among young adults. The S-NutLit fills a gap in the field by offering a short measure of nutrition literacy and may be incorporated in digital technology to support the nutrition care process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jules Vrinten
- Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Communication Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Kathleen Van Royen
- Karel de Grote University College, Research Centre The Cycle of Care, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sara Pabian
- Department of Communication Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Tilburg Centre for Cognition and Communication, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
| | - Charlotte De Backer
- Department of Communication Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Christophe Matthys
- Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Endocrinology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Christophe Matthys,
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Gao T, Duan Y, Qi Q, Mo G, Han S, Liu H, Zhang M. Nutrition literacy differs based on demographics among University students in Bengbu, China. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1113211. [PMID: 36935682 PMCID: PMC10020653 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1113211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Nutrition literacy (NL) encompasses the knowledge and skills that inform individuals' food choices. This cross-sectional study explored factors associated with NL among Chinese university students in Bengbu, China. Methods A cross-sectional survey was carried out. Two thousand one hundred thirty-three university students were selected by stratified cluster sampling. A 43-item NL questionnaire was used to assess NL. Binary logistic regression was used to determine odds ratios (ORs) along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for NL and to test the interaction effects of multiple factors on total NL and its six dimensions. Results Of these participants, 1,399 (65.6%) were women and 734 (34.4%) were men. Students who were from urban areas (OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.08-1.72), were living with both parents (OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.02-1.65), and had high academic performance (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.34-2.57) were more likely to report higher NL levels than did other students. The ORs for NL (OR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.06-2.41), nutrition knowledge (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.00-2.26), obtaining skills (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.16-2.65), and critical skills (OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.05-2.39) were higher for medical students who had received nutrition education than for other students. The ORs for NL (OR = 2.42, 95% CI: 1.21-4.84), nutrition understanding (OR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.28-5.25), and interactive skills (OR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.04-4.08) were higher for only-child students and those with a monthly expenditure of >¥1500. Conclusions NL of university students differed in terms of place of origin, living arrangement, nutrition education, academic performance, and household income, and the findings imply that universities should have all students take a basic nutrition course to improve their NL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianjing Gao
- School of Public Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, China
| | - Ying Duan
- School of Public Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, China
| | - Qi Qi
- School of Public Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, China
| | - Guangju Mo
- School of Public Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, China
| | - Siyue Han
- School of Public Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, China
| | - Huaqing Liu
- School of Public Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, China
- *Correspondence: Huaqing Liu
| | - Min Zhang
- School of Health Management, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, China
- Min Zhang
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The Nutrition Literacy Assessment Instrument for Brazilians, NLit-Br: An Exploratory Cross-Cultural Validity Study. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14224914. [PMID: 36432600 PMCID: PMC9693279 DOI: 10.3390/nu14224914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to test the validity of the cross-cultural adapted Nutrition Literacy Assessment Instrument for Brazilians (NLit-Br). An observational cross-sectional study was performed in chronic disease clinics from the Brazilian Public Health System in two phases: (1) linguistic and cultural adaptation and (2) validity testing. Six registered dietitians and thirty adult patients diagnosed with at least one chronic disease participated in the study using the nutrition literacy assessment instrument (NLit-Br) and the short assessment of health literacy for Portuguese-speaking adults (SAHLPA-18). Sample descriptive variables: age, sex, race, income, education, and occupation. To adapt the instrument to the Brazilian Portuguese and Brazilian culture, we tested cognitive interviewing and the Scale Content Validity Index (S-CVI) with a group of dietitians and patients. To test the tool’s validity, health literacy (SAHLPA-18) was used as a construct that presents similarities and differences with nutrition literacy (NLit-Br). The correlation of NLit-Br and the SAHLPA-18 was tested (Spearman’s Rho). Internal consistency was measured by Kuder−Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20). The NLit-Br content validity (S-CVI = 0.85) and internal consistency (KR-20 = 0.868) were confirmed. Additionally, NLit-Br presented a significant and robust correlation with SAHLPA-18 (r = 0.665, p < 0.001). Therefore, the NLit-Br was considered a linguistic, cultural, and valid instrument to measure Brazilian’s nutrition literacy.
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Health Literacy, Socio-Economic Determinants, and Healthy Behaviours: Results from a Large Representative Sample of Tuscany Region, Italy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182312432. [PMID: 34886157 PMCID: PMC8656600 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: Health Literacy (HL) is one of the main determinants of health and is crucial for the prevention of noncommunicable diseases, by influencing key health-related behaviours. The aim of the present study was to assess the role of HL and sociodemographic factors in predicting the adoption of two healthy behaviours—physical activity and fruits and vegetables consumption. Methods: This study was conducted on the Tuscan population subsample of the Italian Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 2017–2018. HL was assessed using the Italian version of the six-item European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q6). Results: About 40% of the 7157 interviewees reported an inadequate or problematic HL level. Female sex, poor financial status, foreign nationality, and low education were associated with a problematic HL level, while an inadequate HL level was associated with being 50–69 years old, low education level, foreign nationality, poor financial status and unemployment or inactive status. Inadequate HL level was a strong predictor of both eating less than three portions of fruits/vegetables per day and not engaging in sufficient PA during leisure times. Conclusions: Our findings showed that an inadequate level of HL could negatively affect physical activity and diet, independently from the other sociodemographic conditions, confirming the role of HL as a relevant social determinant of health.
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Nutrition Literacy and Healthy Diet: Findings from the Validation of a Short Seniors-Oriented Screening Tool, the Spanish Myths-NL. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182212107. [PMID: 34831865 PMCID: PMC8624156 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182212107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
A good level of nutrition literacy (NL) is proposed as a determinant factor for following a healthy diet. Improving seniors’ NL might be particularly pertinent to enhance the quality of their diets. This study aimed to systematically design and validate a short seniors-oriented questionnaire as a screening tool to evaluate NL. We developed the Myths-NL questionnaire, composed of 10 widespread nutrition myths, and checked for its content and face validity. An observational cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the validity and the test–retest reliability, involving a community-dwelling group of 316 individuals aged 65 years and over. Construct validity was proved by establishing both discriminant and convergent validity. Cronbach α = 0.61 and Spearman r = 0.79 (p = 0.02) demonstrated internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Participants who had secondary/university studies scored significantly higher compared with those with primary (p < 0.001), and a significant linear relationship (R2 = 0.044, p = 0.001) with a positive slope (β = 0.209) between Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) and Myths-NL scores was observed, proving construct validity. In conclusion, the Myths-NL questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool to screen NL in Spanish seniors and it might be useful as an assessment NL tool for designing and implementing lifestyle interventions to promote healthy eating.
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