Evaluating the effectiveness of a food literacy pilot program for university students: using a mixed-methods research approach.

IF 2 4区 医学 Q3 NUTRITION & DIETETICS
Nutrition Research and Practice Pub Date : 2024-12-01 Epub Date: 2024-10-10 DOI:10.4162/nrp.2024.18.6.885
Eunji Ko, Eunjin Jang, Jiwon Sim, Minjeong Jeong, Sohyun Park
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background/objectives: As awareness of climate change increases, the relevance of environmental education in dietary choices gains prominence. Although diversely defined, food literacy (FL) is increasingly recognized as the ability to make food choices with an awareness of environmental sustainability. This study aims to conduct a pilot implementation and assess the effectiveness of a program developed to improve FL among university students.

Subjects/methods: The study spanned from August 2022 to February 2023, involving 92 participants (42 in the intervention group and 50 in the control group). Over 11 weeks, the program included cooking classes, local farm visits, and environmental impact lectures developed through extensive literature reviews and interviews with students and experts. FL was measured using a 33-item survey along with basic sociodemographic factors. After the intervention, both groups participated in qualitative interviews. All statistical analyses were carried out in Stata/SE version 17.0, and interview data were analyzed in Microsoft Excel using the framework analysis method.

Results: The FL scores of the intervention group improved significantly from an average of 65.8 to 69.6 points (P = 0.015), with notable gains in the socio-ecological domain in FL from 65.3 to 71.5 points (P < 0.001). A linear regression analysis comparing FL between the intervention and control groups found that only the knowledge items were marginally significant (P = 0.054), with no statistically significant difference in the practice aspect before and after the intervention (P = 0.657). The interviews revealed that the intervention group experienced broadened perspectives and heightened environmental consciousness, although translating these into practice was challenged by unchanged daily routines.

Conclusion: This pilot program effectively enhanced some aspects of FL-related knowledge of participants. High satisfaction among participants and no dropouts indicated its potential for scaling. Future programs will benefit from strategies that facilitate the transition from educational improvement to practical application.

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来源期刊
Nutrition Research and Practice
Nutrition Research and Practice NUTRITION & DIETETICS-
CiteScore
3.50
自引率
4.20%
发文量
62
审稿时长
6-12 weeks
期刊介绍: Nutrition Research and Practice (NRP) is an official journal, jointly published by the Korean Nutrition Society and the Korean Society of Community Nutrition since 2007. The journal had been published quarterly at the initial stage and has been published bimonthly since 2010. NRP aims to stimulate research and practice across diverse areas of human nutrition. The Journal publishes peer-reviewed original manuscripts on nutrition biochemistry and metabolism, community nutrition, nutrition and disease management, nutritional epidemiology, nutrition education, foodservice management in the following categories: Original Research Articles, Notes, Communications, and Reviews. Reviews will be received by the invitation of the editors only. Statements made and opinions expressed in the manuscripts published in this Journal represent the views of authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Societies.
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