Defining and measuring food literacy in late childhood and adolescence: a scoping review

Abstract

Objective: Food literacy is a multidimensional concept capturing interrelated factors driving individuals' food behaviours. Conceptualisation to date has focused on adults without considering developmental limitations of childhood. This scoping review clarifies conceptualisation and measurement of food literacy in late childhood and adolescence. Design: We searched the literature in seven electronic databases, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews for article screening and selection. We conducted an inductive content analysis to identify the primary dimensions and indicators of food literacy for children and adolescents and examined assessment of these dimensions in existing measurement tools. Setting: Articles covering late childhood and adolescent populations. Participants: Older children and adolescents (9-18 years). Results: The initial search in November 2023 yielded 1319 articles with thirteen meeting inclusion criteria, and a search update in February 2026 yielded four additional recently published articles for inclusion. We identified four dimensions and twenty-three reflective indicators of child and adolescent food literacy. Conceptualisation and measurement of food literacy in children to date have heavily emphasised dimensions pertaining to food systems and nutrition knowledge and confidence in everyday food skills relative to valuing shared food experiences and purposeful engagement with food. Conclusions: Valuing shared food experiences and purposeful engagement with food are understudied dimensions of food literacy, despite evidence that they are important determinants of food behaviours. Future research should focus on further conceptual development and validation of age-appropriate indicators for these dimensions.