How Food Literacy Impacts the Ability to Match Food to Country of Origin in the “Around the World in 8 Plates” Survey

Food literacy is an emergent term in public health nutrition literature that is used to describe proficiency in food-related skills and knowledge to ensure adequate nutrition and an overall healthy dietary pattern. The term has often been used in questionnaires, but few studies have specifically assessed food literacy among college students. Having interventions that are focused on improving food literacy skills, during such a critical period for young adults, is beneficial for increasing food knowledge and understanding. Therefore, the goal of this present study was to utilize an interactive survey called Around the World in Eight Plates and compare it to self-perceived food literacy among college students. The original instrument, which had students match eight dishes to eight countries of origin, was developed by researchers from the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative (MCURC). An item, asking students about self-perceived food literacy, was developed through a literature review and added to the original instrument as the main research question. Students at Central Washington University (CWU) were invited to participate in the survey (n=161) at multiple locations on CWU’s campus. A total of 155 students were included in the final analysis. No significant correlation was found between students’ number of correct answers on the survey and students’ self-perceived food literacy. Researchers discussed how misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the food literacy-related question could have affected these results. Further research is necessary to determine what additional reasons may exist for this finding