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

• Published in: Nutrition research and practice Vol. 18; no. 6; pp. 885 - 896
• Main Authors: Ko, Eunji, Jang, Eunjin, Sim, Jiwon, Jeong, Minjeong, Park, Sohyun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) 대한지역사회영양학회 01.12.2024; The Korean Nutrition Society and the Korean Society of Community Nutrition; 한국영양학회
• Subjects: Original Research; 생활과학; literacy; young adult; Food; intervention study; climate change
• ISSN: 1976-1457; 2005-6168
• DOI: 10.4162/nrp.2024.18.6.885

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. 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. The FL scores of the intervention group improved significantly from an average of 65.8 to 69.6 points ( = 0.015), with notable gains in the socio-ecological domain in FL from 65.3 to 71.5 points ( < 0.001). A linear regression analysis comparing FL between the intervention and control groups found that only the knowledge items were marginally significant ( = 0.054), with no statistically significant difference in the practice aspect before and after the intervention ( = 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. 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.