Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

In light of children's exposure to high levels of food marketing, media literacy skills are needed to navigate advertising appeals promoting the consumption of unhealthy (e.g., high fat, salt and sugar) foods. Health-promoting media literacy education encourages children to use analytical skills to critically examine media messages, and recognize their influence on perceptions, in order to make more informed health choices. However, there is limited research on media literacy intervention efficacy where nutrition promotion is concerned, including how to measure the acquisition of analytical skills needed to navigate food marketing appeals. This study addresses those gaps through the evaluation of evidence-based health-promoting media literacy lesson plans for children focusing on critical knowledge of food marketing and packaging. Two evidence-based "Media Literacy & Food Marketing" lesson plans developed for grades 3-6, and grades 6-9, were used by teachers in the classroom. A measurement tool (four question assignment) was created to assess children's pre and post-lesson levels of critical knowledge about packaged food and marketing messages, in relation to specific core constructs contained within the lesson plans (e.g., analysis and evaluation skills). A total of 71 students participated from grades five, seven, eight, and nine, from two Alberta schools (one urban, one rural). Qualitative analysis (using Nvivo 12) of the participant responses showed small relative increases in analysis and evaluation skills in post-lesson responses, in comparison with pre-lesson answers. Students were better able to understand food marketing appeals, and to assess the nutritional content of packaged foods. This study provides researchers, educators and practitioners with an approach to evaluating the acquisition of critical analytical skills around food, nutrition and health which have the potential to support informed food choices.