Are We Closer to International Consensus on the Term ‘Food Literacy’? A Systematic Scoping Review of Its Use in the Academic Literature (1998–2019)

Abstract

(1) Background: The term ‘food literacy’ has gained momentum globally; however, a lack of clarity around its definition has resulted in inconsistencies in use of the term. Therefore, the objective was to conduct a systematic scoping review to describe the use, reach, application and definitions of the term ‘food literacy’ over time. (2) Methods: A search was conducted using the PRISMA-ScR guidelines in seven research databases without any date limitations up to 31 December 2019, searching simply for use of the term ‘food literacy’. (3) Results: Five hundred and forty-nine studies were included. The term ‘food literacy’ was used once in 243 articles (44%) and mentioned by researchers working in 41 countries. Original research was the most common article type (n = 429, 78%). Food literacy was published across 72 In Cites disciplines, with 456 (83%) articles from the last 5 years. In articles about food literacy (n = 82, 15%), review articles were twice as prevalent compared to the total number of articles (n = 10, 12% vs. n = 32, 6%). Fifty-one different definitions of food literacy were cited. (4) Conclusions: ‘Food literacy’ has been used frequently and broadly across differing article types and disciplines in academic literature internationally. However, agreement on a standardised definition of food literacy endorsed by a peak international agency is needed in order to progress the field.

The Relationships between Food Literacy, Health Promotion Literacy and Healthy Eating Habits among Young Adults in South Korea

“…As the definition and scope of the concept of food literacy vary according to the research context, there are a variety of methods available for measuring it [ 14 , 38 ]. One such method is the short food literacy questionnaire (SFLQ) developed by Krause et al [ 15 ], which measures people’s practical food skills and knowledge in a clear and concise way.…”

What Factors Predict the Use of Coercive Food Parenting Practices among Mothers of Young Children? An Examination of Food Literacy, Disordered Eating and Parent Demographics

“…Such a term would be useful if used in conjunction with to the current concept of food literacy. The definition of food literacy is yet to have agreement, with 51 different definitions cited in a recent systematic scoping review [ 55 ]. Additionally, it is vital that well-validated and practical tools are developed to measure food literacy as a more holistic concept.…”

Interdisciplinary insights on the future of food systems research: perspectives from the next generation of research leaders

“…The development of a measure to assess this component of the food system has been hindered by low agreement on a definition and conceptualisation of food https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980022001641 Published online by Cambridge University Press Accepted manuscript literacy. However, a recent publication reported agreement on the Vidgen & Gallegos (31) model as the core conceptualisation of food literacy (32) . This allowed for the development of the International Food Literacy Questionnaire (IFLQ-19) (33) , a questionnaire which adheres to the 4 domains and 11 components of food literacy by Vidgen & Gallegos (31) using comprehensive validation techniques.…”