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

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Nutrition Education

Background:

• Food literacy programs are government-selected strategies to improve dietary habits at the community level.
• These programs aim to enhance individuals' food-related knowledge and skills.
• Understanding the specific techniques driving behavior change is crucial for program effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify behavior change techniques within an adult food literacy program.
• To assess the achievement of participant goals related to food literacy and dietary behavior changes.
• To link specific techniques to successful outcomes in a community-level intervention.

Main Methods:

• Consensus methods were used to map behavior change techniques to the program curriculum.
• Content analysis of participant evaluation data (2016-2021) aligned target behaviors with techniques.
• Statistical analyses (Chi-square, ANCOVA) examined demographic factors, food literacy, and dietary behavior changes.

Main Results:

• 4697 participants completed the 4-week food literacy program evaluation.
• Participants setting goals and achieving changes showed higher food literacy scores and fruit intake.
• Demographic factors like being female, older, higher education, higher socioeconomic status, living with children, being Australian-born, and not identifying as Indigenous were associated with goal setting and change.

Conclusions:

• This study is the first in Australia to connect behavior change techniques with food literacy and dietary behavior improvements in an effective program.
• Identifying effective techniques facilitates the replication of successful food literacy interventions.
• The findings provide valuable insights for designing and implementing evidence-based nutrition programs.