Health Literacy and Food Literacy for K‐12 Schools in the COVID‐19 Pandemic

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Food literacy, a sub-area of health literacy, is achieving attention in schools, academia, research, health care, businesses, and governments worldwide. Against the current COVID-19 pandemic backdrop, the relevance of food literacy's interconnected attributes such as nutritional knowledge, food skills, and food environment is gaining traction. Enhancing health and food literacy in the K-12 school environment are important empowerment tools with the potential to reduce health inequalities as vulnerable people are at risk of limited health literacy. METHODS:We aim to clarify the meaning of food literacy and its relationship to health literacy and other factors influencing eating behavior. RESULTS:We offer a proposed conceptual model depicting connections between relevant theories and constructs in the field of health and nutrition. Concrete actions are offered that contemporary schools can take guided by the utility of the model. CONCLUSIONS:This visual can help guide schools' multidimensional health and food literacy efforts while considering the realities of the current COVID-19 pandemic context and beyond. This model will provide an overarching reference for schools to consider key constructs to support practice, research, policy, and intervention efforts to advance their health and food literacy agendas.

A systematic scoping review of the literacy literature to develop a digital food and nutrition literacy model for low‐income adults to make healthy choices in the online food retail ecosystem to reduce obesity risk

“…Additional research would facilitate our ability to understand the entire landscape of literacy‐relevant models and frameworks. Another limitation was that the study scope did not examine the digital literacy needs of children and adolescents, which have been addressed elsewhere 81,82 …”

“…Another limitation was that the study scope did not examine the digital literacy needs of children and adolescents, which have been addressed elsewhere. 81 , 82 …”

The International Framework for School Health Promotion: Supporting Young People Through and After the COVID‐19 Pandemic*

“…A rapid systematic review (n = 10 studies) revealed that healthy nutritional intake in many children and adolescents was adversely affected 20 . As a result, increased focus on health and food literacy in schools has been noted as a potential strategy to offset the nutrition impacts of COVID‐19 for young people 21 …”

The Connection between Non-Alcoholic Fatty-Liver Disease, Dietary Behavior, and Food Literacy in German Working Adults

“…A cognitive factor in the food choice framework that has received increasing attention over the last two decades and shares substantial conceptual connections with DB and health is the concept of food literacy (FL) [ 22 , 23 , 24 ]. FL describes how to find, understand, assess, and apply information with respect to one’s ability to plan, prepare, and consume food that is suitable or needed to promote health [ 25 , 26 , 27 ].…”