Analysing the behaviour change techniques in an effective food literacy program to inform future program design.

Aim: Food literacy programs aim to improve food related skills and knowledge and are selected Governments as a strategy to address dietary intakes at a community level. The purpose of this research is to identify behaviour change techniques in a food literacy program, which were assessed by the achievement of participant goals related to food literacy and dietary behaviour changes.

Methods: Consensus methods were applied to map behaviour change techniques to an adult food literacy program.

Development of the Menu Assessment Scoring Tool (MAST) to Assess the Nutritional Quality of Food Service Menus.

Preventing the rise in obesity is a global public health priority. Neighbourhood environments can help or undermine people's efforts to manage their weight, depending on availability of nutritious and nutrient-poor 'discretionary' foods. The proportion of household food budgets spent on eating outside the home is increasing.

The Validation and Improvement of a Food Literacy Behavior Checklist for Food Literacy Programs.

Food literacy is a multidimensional construct required to achieve diet quality. The Food Sensations for Adults (FSA) program aims to improve the food literacy of low to middle-income adults living in Western Australia and is funded by the Western Australian Department of Health. The original published behavior checklist used to measure change in food literacy has been revised based on experience of the facilitators and the iterative development of the program.

Effectiveness of Foodbank Western Australia's for Adults Food Literacy Program in Regional Australia.

Background: for Adults, funded by the Western Australian Department of Health, is a four-week nutrition education program focused on food literacy, with demonstrated success amongst Western Australians. In the last two years, 25% of programs have been in regional and remote areas and therefore the aim of this research is to explore the impact of the program in regional areas.

Methods: Participants answered validated pre- and post-questionnaires to assess change in food literacy behaviours (2016-2018).

Australian Consumers Are Willing to Pay for the Health Star Rating Front-of-Pack Nutrition Label.

The Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation has supported the recommendations set out in the 2019 Health Star Rating System Five Year Review Report. Specifically, the forum supported, in principle, Recommendation 9, to mandate the Health Star Rating if clear uptake targets were not achieved while the system is voluntary. Given that mandatory labelling is being considered, it is important to investigate how much consumers value the Health Star Rating in order to understand potential consumer uptake and inform industry.

To dine in or not to dine in: A comparison of food selection and preparation behaviours in those with and without food security.

Issue Addressed: Vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected by food insecurity, resulting in heightened risk of suboptimal dietary intake. Food insecure people appear to implement several coping strategies and dietary compromises to avoid hunger. Less explored in the literature is how these strategies impact consumption of food inside and outside of the home.

Can addressing food literacy across the life cycle improve the health of vulnerable populations? A case study approach.

Issue Addressed: Food literacy programs aim to improve an individual's knowledge and skills in the planning, management, selection, preparation and eating of healthy foods. Unhealthy dietary patterns across the life cycle are associated with an increased risk of chronic disease. Foodbank WA's Healthy Food for All (HFFA) team has made addressing health inequity a priority, by enhancing food literacy skills of vulnerable people across the lifespan.

Food-Insecure Household's Self-Reported Perceptions of Food Labels, Product Attributes and Consumption Behaviours.

Dietary compromises related to food insecurity profoundly undermine health and constitute a serious public health issue, even in developed nations. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of food labelling and product attributes on the purchasing choices of food-insecure households in Australia. An online survey containing 19 food choice and 28 purchasing behaviours questions was completed by 1056 adults responsible for household grocery shopping.

Identifying Participants Who Would Benefit the Most from an Adult Food-literacy Program.

Food literacy programs aim to improve behaviours required to achieve a quality diet. The objectives of this study were to assess the demographic, food literacy related and dietary behaviour of participants enrolling in Food Sensations for Adults, a free four-week food literacy program and identify the subgroup of participants who benefit most. Cross-sectional pre-program questionnaire data (n = 1626) from participants enrolling in the program was used to stratify into low, middle and high food-literacy tertiles.

Effectiveness of an Adult Food Literacy Program.

Nutrition education programs aim to improve food literacy domains covering the planning and management, selection, preparation and cooking and eating of healthy food. Reviews indicate programs are effective but acknowledge challenges with evaluation of community focused delivery. Food Sensations for Adults (FSA) is a free four-week nutrition and cooking program targeted at low-to-middle income Western Australians who would like to improve their food literacy.

Examining the Association between Food Literacy and Food Insecurity.

Poor food literacy behaviours may contribute to food insecurity in developed countries. The aim of this research was to describe the apparent prevalence of food insecurity in adults at enrolment in a food literacy program and to examine the relationship between food insecurity and a range of independent variables Individuals attending the Food Sensations for Adults program in Western Australia from May 2016 to April 2018 completed a pre-program questionnaire ( = 1433) indicating if they had run of money for food in the past month (food insecurity indicator), frequency of food literacy behaviours, selected dietary behaviours, and demographic characteristics. The level of food insecurity reported by participants ( = 1379) was 40.

What Drives Food Insecurity in Western Australia? How the Perceptions of People at Risk Differ to Those of Stakeholders.

Food insecurity is considered a "wicked" problem due to the highly complex and at times undefined casual factors. Although many stakeholders are working to address the problem, a possible divergence exists between their views on food insecurity and those of the people who are actually experiencing the problem. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there was a difference between the opinions of those "at risk" and stakeholders.

Utilising a multi-item questionnaire to assess household food security in Australia.

Issue Addressed: Currently, two food sufficiency questions are utilised as a proxy measure of national food security status in Australia. These questions do not capture all dimensions of food security and have been attributed to underreporting of the problem. The purpose of this study was to investigate food security using the short form of the US Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) within an Australian context; and explore the relationship between food security status and multiple socio-demographic variables.