Home economics and food literacy - An international investigation
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Author(s)
Pendergast, Donna
Dewhurst, Y.
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2012
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Child and adult obesity is a growing concern in affluent nations around the world, as typified in Australia where the incidence is more than 25% for children and 55% for adults. The connection between obesity, food choices, nutrition knowledge, and food preparation skills is well established. However, education about the concept and processes of 'food literacy' is relatively new. Furthermore, public discussion about the role of schools and formal curriculum to prepare young people to be food literate has received scant attention until recently, when medical experts dealing with the consequences of the obesity epidemic made ...
View more >Child and adult obesity is a growing concern in affluent nations around the world, as typified in Australia where the incidence is more than 25% for children and 55% for adults. The connection between obesity, food choices, nutrition knowledge, and food preparation skills is well established. However, education about the concept and processes of 'food literacy' is relatively new. Furthermore, public discussion about the role of schools and formal curriculum to prepare young people to be food literate has received scant attention until recently, when medical experts dealing with the consequences of the obesity epidemic made the following plea ''providing a mandatory food preparation curriculum to students throughout the country may be among the best investments society could make-bring home economics back'' (Lichtenstein & Ludwig, 2010, p.1858). This paper reports on an international study about the role of home economics in developing food literacy. Data were collected using an online survey with respondents from around the world replying to a series of questions about this topic. A total of 1188 respondents from 36 different countries in the world shared their views. Among key findings are the differences in understandings of 'food literacy'. Recommendations for future action are presented as a conclusion to this paper.
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View more >Child and adult obesity is a growing concern in affluent nations around the world, as typified in Australia where the incidence is more than 25% for children and 55% for adults. The connection between obesity, food choices, nutrition knowledge, and food preparation skills is well established. However, education about the concept and processes of 'food literacy' is relatively new. Furthermore, public discussion about the role of schools and formal curriculum to prepare young people to be food literate has received scant attention until recently, when medical experts dealing with the consequences of the obesity epidemic made the following plea ''providing a mandatory food preparation curriculum to students throughout the country may be among the best investments society could make-bring home economics back'' (Lichtenstein & Ludwig, 2010, p.1858). This paper reports on an international study about the role of home economics in developing food literacy. Data were collected using an online survey with respondents from around the world replying to a series of questions about this topic. A total of 1188 respondents from 36 different countries in the world shared their views. Among key findings are the differences in understandings of 'food literacy'. Recommendations for future action are presented as a conclusion to this paper.
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Conference Title
The International Federation for Home Economics World Congress. Global Wellbeing. Global creativity and innovation: Developing capacities for sustainable futures
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Copyright Statement
© 2012 International Federation of Home Economics. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the conference's website for access to the definitive, published version.
Subject
Curriculum and Pedagogy not elsewhere classified