(P30-003-24) Protocol to Develop and Validate of an Online Digital Food and Nutrition Literacy Survey for Tailoring Interventions to Improve Diet Quality in Low-Income Adults

Objectives: Comprehensive tools to measure digital food and nutrition literacy (DFNL) are needed to support adults on food assistance navigating e-commerce platforms and making healthy food choices. We aim to develop and validate an online DFNL survey that could assess the literacy levels and inform a tailored intervention, moving participants toward higher literacy and ultimately to support nutrition security.

Methods:  The survey was developed to align with a multi-dimensional DFNL model (Consavage et al, 2021) and the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) framework (Fisher et al, 1992) for promoting improvement of diet quality in low-income adults. Development of the survey was informed by a literature search of tools to access components of digital literacy, nutrition literacy, and food resource management as well results from mixed method results (quantitative and qualitative). Key questions were conceptually assigned to define participant’s functional, interactive, communicative, critical, and translational DFNL level. Questions at each level were assigned to assess knowledge, motivation (internal and external), and perceived ease (i.e., confidence) to perform a DFNL action. Digital literacy evaluates internet access and electronic devices, such as finding food and nutrition-related information and ordering groceries online. Food and nutrition literacy involves obtaining, comprehending, and applying dietary information to comply with dietary guidelines. This also includes reading food labels, using unit pricing, and applying it to personal budget and health goals. The online survey was translated into Spanish by native speakers and pilot tested for readability, understandability, and completion within 40 minutes by a convenience sample of adults who are low income.

Results: We are currently conducting the online DFNL survey with demographic, food insecurity, self-reported health, and measures of diet quality with 300 adults who are low-income (150 English speaking, 150 Spanish speaking).

Conclusions: In this online survey, we will assess if the conceptual DFNL framework is supported by construct validity testing, if there is variability in testing, and if DFNL level explains variability in self-reported health and diet quality.

Funding Sources: AFRI/NIFA/USDA