Poor food literacy behaviours may contribute to food insecurity in developed countries. The aim of this research was to describe the apparent prevalence of food insecurity in adults at enrolment in a food literacy program and to examine the relationship between food insecurity and a range of independent variables. Individuals attending the Food Sensations® for Adults program in Western Australia from May 2016 to April 2018 completed a pre-program questionnaire (n = 1433) indicating if they had run out of money for food in the past month (food insecurity indicator), frequency of food literacy behaviours, selected dietary behaviours, and demographic characteristics. The level of food insecurity reported by participants (n = 1379) was 40.5%. Results from multiple logistic regression demonstrated that behaviours related to planning and management, shopping, preparation, and cooking were all statistically independently associated with food insecurity, in addition to soft/soda drink consumption, education, employment status, and being born in Australia. The results are salient as they indicate an association between food literacy and food insecurity. The implications are that food insecure participants may respond differently to food literacy programs. It may be necessary to screen people enrolling in programs, tailor program content, and include comprehensive measures in evaluation to determine effect on the impact of food literacy programs on different subgroups.

Aim:The aim of this study was to explore what is known about food literacy programmes targeting adolescents, including identification of the constituents of food literacy addressed, assessment of programme effectiveness, and description of programme design or delivery specific to adolescents. Methods: A review of the peer-reviewed literature surrounding adolescent food literacy was conducted using scholarly electronic databases. Programme reports were identified in the grey literature using online searching and cross-referencing to support the research aim. Programmes from 2000 to 2012 targeting adolescents aged 13-17 years were included. Results: A total of 19 peer-reviewed papers and four grey literature programmes met the search criteria. Interventions focused on practical cooking and/or food preparation skills and targeted younger adolescent age groups. Programmes were most commonly held in schools and community settings. The majority of programmes (n = 16/23) did not use a theoretical basis for their development. Programme evaluation encompassed the use of pre-and post-intervention questionnaires and focus groups. Only nine studies included a dietary behaviour-based outcome measure. Although 19 of the 23 studies reviewed reported positive changes related to the intervention, these did not include significant changes in diet quality or cooking frequency at home. Conclusions: Few existing adolescent food literacy programmes have demonstrated a positive impact on dietary behaviours to date. Adolescent target groups present unique challenges in programme development and delivery. However, the physical, social and emotional health needs of this age group and potential to influence lifelong behaviours highlight the need to design effective and age-appropriate adolescent food literacy programmes.

Food literacy is described as the behaviours involved in planning, purchasing, preparing, and eating food and is critical for achieving healthy dietary intakes. Food literacy programs require valid and reliable evaluation measures. The aim of this paper is to describe the development and validation of a self-administered questionnaire to measure food literacy behaviours targeted by the Food Sensations® for Adults program in Western Australia. Validity and reliability tests were applied to questionnaire item development commencing with (a) a deductive approach using Australian empirical evidence on food literacy as a construct along with its components and (b) adapting an extensively-tested food behaviour checklist to generate a pool of items for investigation. Then, an iterative process was applied to develop a specific food literacy behaviour checklist for program evaluation including exploratory factor analysis. Content, face, and construct validity resulted in a 14-item food behaviour checklist. Three factors entitled Plan & Manage, Selection, and Preparation were evident, resulting in Cronbach’s alpha 0.79, 0.76, and 0.81, respectively, indicating good reliability of each of these factors. This research has produced a validated questionnaire, is a useful starting point for other food literacy programs, and has applications globally.

Aim:  To describe the factors affecting school food selection by parents of young children attending low socioeconomic schools in Perth and recommend the features of resources parents need to make healthier choices. Methods:  Nine focus groups of parents of young children attending low socioeconomic status schools in Perth were conducted where parents were asked about the food their children ate at school and their opinions of school food resources. Results:  Focus group discussion centred on the themes of the challenge of being a good parent by providing healthy lunch box food; making compromises in what their children eat at school and the barriers to healthy eating in the school environment. Parents were concerned about what their children were eating at school but the barriers of convenience, child preference, cost and food safety prevented them from including healthier food in the lunch box. The amount of time allowed for eating and lack of refrigeration were school‐based barriers that impacted on the type and amount of food selected. Parents liked colourful, practical school food resources with recipes and nutrition information aimed at children. Conclusions:  Parents want help with selecting lunch box food/drinks that are nutritious, convenient, inexpensive and appealing for children to eat. Schools need to be supported to introduce healthy eating programs and should review the time given for young children to eat at school. Dietitians need to consider the home food environment and what motivates parents to make food choices for their children.

There is limited evidence to describe Australian mothers’ understanding of the Australian Infant Feeding Guidelines (AIFG). A qualitative inductive methodological approach was used in this study to explore experiences with the introduction of solid food. Seven focus groups with 42 mothers of children aged 4–18 months were conducted in disadvantaged areas in Perth, Australia. The mean age of infants was 9.6 months and mean age of introduction of solid food was 4.3 months (range 1.2 to 7.5 months). Almost half of the mothers in this study were aware of the AIFG however, only half again could correctly identify the recommended age for introducing solid food. Four themes and nine subthemes emerged from the analysis. Themes were (1) Every child is different (judging signs of readiness); (2) Everyone gives you advice (juggling conflicting advice); (3) Go with your gut—(being a “good” mother); and (4) It’s not a sin to start them too early or too late (—guidelines are advice and not requirements). The findings indicated that in spite of continued promotion of the AIFG over the past ten years achieving the around six months guideline is challenging. Professionals must address barriers and support enablers to achieving infant feeding recommendations in the design education materials and programs.