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Feasibility study of a food package literacy intervention: Process and initial results
Design:Two interactive workshops covered the following topics: label comprehension, front-of-package health claims, regulations, organic labeling requirements, advertising claims, and information processing. Pre- and post-test data were collected via a closed-ended questionnaire assessing “food package literacy” knowledge and an open-ended package analysis activity where students evaluated the healthfulness of a sample package.
Results: From pre-test to post-test, participants demonstrated a statistically significant increase of 5 points across all knowledge domains (from 14 to 19 correct responses out of a possible 30), t(17)=3.02, p=.008. Additionally, at post-test, participants were more aware of advertising features on the sample package and incorporated knowledge about package regulations and front of package advertising features to determine the healthfulness of the product.
Discussion: Findings highlight the potential benefits of incorporating “food package literacy” into nutrition education programs as a means of improving consumers’ nutrition knowledge, evaluations of product healthfulness, and in the long-term, their food purchasing and consumption patterns.
Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programsConduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Demonstrate the feasibility of a package literacy workshop-model intervention in adult nutrition education in a University setting.
Discuss the obstacles encountered (particularly attrition) when conducting an evaluation of a nutrition education program serving a college-aged adult population.
Describe opportunities for improving nutrition education curriculum through incorporating package literacy components to expand participant knowledge and skills and increase overall intervention effectiveness.
Keyword(s): Nutrition, College Students
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I designed the intervention and coordinated the implementation of program. I also designed the evaluation study, including the development of all of the measures. I have been working in nutrition education and media literacy interventions for over eight years. This project integrates a theory of media literacy from the communication discipline with practical health promotion lessons from the field of public health promotion and health education.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.