What Is the Impact of Nutrition Literacy Interventions on Children's Food Habits and Nutrition Security? A Scoping Review of the Literature

Exploring university students' nutrition literacy in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional survey

Introduction

Improving individuals' nutrition literacy can be one way to promote healthy dietary behaviors, which lowers the incidence of non-communicable diseases. In Saudi Arabia, there is a limited information regarding nutrition literacy among students. Therefore, the purposes of this study was to investigate university students' nutrition literacy and identify its predictors in Saudi Arabia. Another objective was to assess how nutrition literacy is associated with eating habits among this sample.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was carried out among students attending the University of Jeddah and King Abdulaziz University (Jeddah City) in Saudi Arabia from June 2023 to September 2023. Using a convenience sampling approach, 570 students were enrolled in this study. An online-based structured survey tool including demographic details, a food frequency questionnaire, and a nutrition literacy scale was used to collect the data. Descriptive and multiple binary logistic regression analysis were performed.

Results

Approximately 40.4% of the participants exhibited poor nutrition literacy. Female students were less likely than male students to have poor nutrition literacy (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 0.62; 95% confidence interval, CI = 0.42, 0.92). Underweight (AOR = 1.73; 95%CI = 1.22, 4.56) and overweight participants (AOR = 3.1; 95%CI = 2.77, 7.23) were at higher risk of having poor level of nutrition literacy as compared to those who had normal weight. Students who did not take any nutrition-related courses had a 1.3 times higher probability of having a poor level of nutrition literacy compared to their counterparts (AOR = 1.3; 95%CI = 1.05, 3.74). Moreover, poor nutrition literacy was associated with higher weekly consumption frequencies of red meat, processed foods, funk foods and sugar-sweetened beverages.

Conclusion

A higher percentage of university students had poor nutrition literacy, which was associated with gender, self-reported BMI status, nutrition-related courses and unhealthy eating habits. These findings can assist university administrators and policymakers in implementing effective measures to enhance students' nutrition literacy rates in Saudi Arabia.

Assessing the Quality of ChatGPT's Dietary Advice for College Students from Dietitians' Perspectives

BACKGROUND

As ChatGPT becomes a primary information source for college students, its performance in providing dietary advice is under scrutiny. This study assessed ChatGPT's performance in providing nutritional guidance to college students.

METHODS

ChatGPT's performance on dietary advice was evaluated by 30 experienced dietitians and assessed using an objective nutrition literacy (NL) test. The dietitians were recruited to assess the quality of ChatGPT's dietary advice, including its NL achievement and response quality.

RESULTS

The results indicate that ChatGPT's performance varies across scenarios and is suboptimal for achieving NL with full achievement rates from 7.50% to 37.56%. While the responses excelled in readability, they lacked understandability, practicality, and completeness. In the NL test, ChatGPT showed an 84.38% accuracy rate, surpassing the NL level of Taiwanese college students. The top concern among the dietitians, cited 52 times in 242 feedback entries, was that the "response information lacks thoroughness or rigor, leading to misunderstandings or misuse". Despite the potential of ChatGPT as a supplementary educational tool, significant gaps must be addressed, especially in detailed dietary inquiries.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the need for improved AI educational approaches and suggests the potential for developing ChatGPT teaching guides or usage instructions to train college students and support dietitians.

Preliminary evaluation of a scenario-based nutrition literacy online programme for college students: a pilot study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a scenario-based nutrition literacy (NL) online programme for Taiwanese college students.

DESIGN

A randomised pilot trial design was used in this study.

SETTING

The study was conducted at a university in Taiwan. The intervention consisted of a five-unit web-based NL programme including videos of real-life scenario-based stories, situational analysis teaching and after-unit quizzes. Theme-related website information and smartphone apps (both iOS and Android systems) were offered for reference in every unit. The NL measure consisted of a self-rated scale, a scenario-based test and a healthy eating behaviour survey. Paired sample t-tests and ANCOVA were performed to test the effects on NL and healthy eating behaviour.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants were ninety-eight students, with a retention rate of 98 %. The ratio of men to women was 0·2:1. Most students were freshmen (48 %).

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the experimental group showed significant post-intervention improvements in the NL and healthy eating behaviours after controlling for pretest scores.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot study offers preliminary evidence of the potential positive effects of implementing a scenario-based NL online programme for college students. It offers a possibly novel strategy to enhance health-promoting behaviours in Taiwanese universities. Further research with larger sample sizes and more rigorous designs is warranted to confirm and build upon these initial findings.

A scoping review of food and nutrition literacy programs

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.

What is the level of nutrition literacy of Saudi adolescents? A national wide exploratory cross-sectional study

Background

Despite being a prolific research topic, studies evaluating nutrition literacy in the Arab world are scant and still nonexistent in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Therefore, a national study was launched with the aim to (1) assess nutrition literacy among Saudi adolescents aged 10-19 years old and (2) determine its correlates.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was launched across all Saudi provinces between 29 April and 6 June 2022, enrolling a convenience sample of 2,115 adolescents (mean age = 16.8 ± 2.5; girls: 48.7%). An online self-administered questionnaire was disseminated to eligible participants to collect relevant data.

Results

Study findings showed that nearly half of the adolescents (44.6%) had poor nutrition literacy. The male gender doubled the risk of adolescents having poor nutrition literacy (OR = 2.0, CI = 1.5-2.5, p < 0.001). Northern border residents were 14 times more likely to be nutritionally illiterate, in contrast to adolescents residing in Riyadh (OR = 14.0, CI = 7.3-28.0, p < 0.001). Adolescents were more likely to be nutritionally illiterate if they were underweight or overweight (OR = 2.7, CI = 1.6-4.7, p < 0.001; OR = 2.2, CI = 1.7-2.9, p < 0.001). School students had 2 times more risk of having poor nutrition literacy, in contrast to those who were enrolled in universities (OR = 1.8, CI = 1.4-2.4, p < 0.001). Nutrition illiteracy was 4 times higher among adolescents having caregivers else than their parents (OR = 3.9, CI = 2.2-6.9, p < 0.001). Parental education level also contributed to determining adolescents' nutrition literacy status.

Conclusions

It has become essential to courage the development of supportive school environments in Saudi Arabia to promote nutrition education and improve adolescents' nutrition literacy. Without a doubt, this calls for taking a holistic approach on the part of education and health ministries, nutrition professionals, educators, parents, and, most importantly, the teenagers themselves, who must have the desire and motivation to learn.

Development and evaluation of an intervention to improve food and nutrition literacy among Iranian Kurdish primary school children: An application of intervention mapping approach

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 and Food Literacy in the MENA Region: A Review to Inform Nutrition Research and Policy Makers

BACKGROUND

Improving food and nutrition literacy is fundamental to tackling the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region's enormous challenges, including malnutrition and food insecurity. To direct initiatives, it is crucial to assess the region's food and nutrition literacy. Thus, we aimed to review studies on food/nutrition literacy status in the MENA countries and illuminate the region's research gaps in these areas, in terms of assessment, policy, and program implementation.

METHODS

PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched between 18 December and 8 May 2022, to identify relevant articles published up to 2022 in the MENA region.

RESULTS

Twelve studies were included in this review. Lebanon, Palestine, and Iran are the only three MENA countries where nutrition and/or food literacy were assessed. People in these countries mostly had inadequate food and/or nutrition literacy levels, especially in the skills rather than the cognitive domain. Food and/or nutrition literacy showed associations with food habits, food-label use, food-consumption patterns, school performance, food security, dietary diversity, and nutrient adequacy. The MENA countries developed no policies or programs to address food and nutrition literacy.

CONCLUSION

This review is a wake-up call for researchers and policymakers to develop a robust approach to combat food and nutrition literacy concerns in the MENA region.