SynthesisHealth promotion international2018
Just a subtle difference? Findings from a systematic review on definitions of nutrition literacy and food literacy.
Synthesis in Health promotion international, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 149 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
149 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Food literacy assessment tools for adults: a scoping review of dimensional evolution, cultural adaptation, and potential implications for nursing-related practice.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- The relationship between health literacy, food literacy, and dietary choices-a systematic review.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Effectiveness of school-based nutrition intervention components on fruit and vegetable intake and nutrition knowledge in children aged 4-12 years old: an umbrella review.Nutrition reviews · 2023Pooled it
- Food literacy programmes in secondary schools: a systematic literature review and narrative synthesis of quantitative and qualitative evidence.Public health nutrition · 2019Pooled it
- Development and evaluation of an intervention to improve food and nutrition literacy among Iranian Kurdish primary school children: An application of intervention mapping approach.Frontiers in public health · 2022Trial
- Using Food Models to Enhance Sugar Literacy among Older Adolescents: Evaluation of a Brief Experiential Nutrition Education Intervention.Nutrients · 2019Trial
- Beyond the plate: Exploring students' experiences with a food education intervention in an after-school program setting.Public health in practice (Oxford, England) · 2026Article
- Functional Nutrition Literacy and Healthy and Sustainable Eating Efforts Across Diverse Populations.Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2026Article
- Defining and measuring food literacy in late childhood and adolescence: a scoping review.Public health nutrition · 2026Article
- Experiential learning for nutrition literacy of school-aged children: a study protocol of cluster randomized controlled trial.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Article
- The Relationship between Health Literacy, Nutrition Literacy, and Food Literacy and Dietary Behaviors in Adults: A Systematic Review.Nutrition reviews · 2026Article
- Development and validation of the new self-reported food and nutrition literacy questionnaire: Food and Nutrition Literacy Survey - FANSy.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Development and validation of a comprehensive food literacy questionnaire for adolescents integrating knowledge, skills, and environmental influences.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Unhealthy diet quality as a clinical phenotype in bipolar disorder: A potential treatment target for improved mood and metabolic outcomes.Journal of affective disorders · 2026Article
- 5. Facilitating Positive Health Behaviors and Well-being to Improve Health Outcomes: Standards of Care in Diabetes-2026.Diabetes care · 2026Review
- Defining the guiding principles of weight-inclusive nutrition education.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Ultra-processed food consumption, hedonic hunger, and sleep quality among university students: a food and nutrition literacy perspective.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Nutrition label literacy and adolescent mental well-being: a three-wave longitudinal study of healthy eating self-efficacy and physical activity as a moderator.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Nutrition literacy and health-promoting lifestyle behaviors among university students: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
89 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Nutrition literacy and food literacy have become increasingly important concepts in health promotion. Researchers use one or the other term to describe the competencies needed to maintain a healthy diet. This systematic review examines whether these terms are synonymous or if their meanings are substantially different.We searched major bibliographic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, CINAHL, SocIndex and ERIC) for publications that provided an original definition of nutrition or food literacy. Then we used Nutbeam's tripartite health literacy model as an analytical grid. The definitions we found included specific competencies, which we mapped to the domains of functional, interactive, or critical literacy.In the 173 full-text publications we screened, we found six original definitions of nutrition literacy, and 13 original definitions of food literacy. Seven food literacy definitions were integrated into a conceptual framework. Analysing their structure revealed that nutrition literacy and food literacy are seen as specific forms of health literacy, and represent distinct but complementary concepts. Definitions of nutrition literacy mainly described the abilities necessary to obtain and understand nutrition information. Definitions of food literacy incorporated a broader spectrum of theoretical and practical knowledge and skills. To be food literate also means to apply information on food choices and critically reflect on the effect of food choice on personal health and on society. Since food literacy is based on a more comprehensive understanding of health behaviours, it is the more viable term to use in health promotion interventions. For the practical implication, a harmonization of the different definitions is desirable.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.