Background: Whereas the majority of efforts targeting adolescents’ dietary behaviour have predominantly focused on improving their access to nutrition information, findings indicate that this approach has had little if any effect on their short-term dietary behaviour. Among the reasons for this is that adolescents report finding it difficult to understand the nutrition information that they access, and are thus unable to use the information as intended. Exploring critical nutrition literacy (CNL) might provide insight into how adolescents evaluate and apply the nutrition information that they get from different sources.
Methods: The present study employed a cross-sectional study design, in which we sampled 1620 tenth graders, aged 15 and 16 years, enrolled at 58 secondary schools in Norway. Data collection: Using an electronic survey system, the participants responded to scales measuring ‘self-efficacy in Body and Health’ (SEBH), ‘evaluation of nutrition information’ (CNLEval and ‘engagement in dietary behaviour’ (CNLEng). Study hypotheses: We hypothesized that SEBH influences adolescents’ CNLEval and CNLEng, and that CNLEval influences CNLEng directly and mediates the effect of SEBH on CNLEng. Statistical analyses: Using Lisrel 9.30, the present study formulated and evaluated a hypothesized structural equation model (SEM) linking the two subdomains of CNL (CNLEval, CNLEng) and SEBH.
Results: The study yielded a simple yet theoretically sound model linking CNL and SEBH; the adequate fit to the goodness-of-fit indices showed that the proposed model adequately described the data.
Conclusions: The present study strengthened the hypothesis that there exists a strong association between CNL and SEBH, and between the two aspects of CNL-CNLEval and CNLEng. Hence, efforts aimed at promoting positive dietary behaviour in adolescents and enhancing their nutrition literacy efforts might benefit from enhancing their perceived self-efficacy in nutrition related subjects.