Published: January 2022

Journal: Obesity Reviews

Authors: Consavage Stanley, K, Harrigan, PB, Serrano, EL, Kraak, VI

See more related research

Share


Adults with lower incomes are disproportionately affected by poverty, food insecurity, obesity, and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In 2020–2021 amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) expanded the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Online Purchasing Pilot program to enable eligible participants to purchase groceries online in 47 states. This expansion underscores the need for SNAP adults to have digital literacy skills to make healthy dietary choices online. Currently, a digital literacy model does not exist to help guide USDA nutrition assistance policies and programs, such as SNAP. We conducted a systematic scoping review of the academic and gray literature to identify food, nutrition, health, media, financial, and digital literacy models. The search yielded 40 literacy models and frameworks that we analyzed to develop a Multi-dimensional Digital Food and Nutrition Literacy (MDFNL) model with five literacy levels (i.e., functional, interactive, communicative, critical, and translational) and a cross-cutting digital literacy component. Utilization of the MDFNL model within nutrition assistance policies and programs may improve cognitive, behavioral, food security, and health outcomes and support equity, well-being, digital inclusion, and healthy communities to reduce obesity and NCD risks.

Related Research

January 2025

A Systematic Review: The Impact of COVID-19 Policy Flexibilities on SNAP and WIC Programmatic Outcomes

The objective of this study was to explore the impact of policy flexibilities deployed during the COVID-19 public health emergency on access, enrollment/retention, benefit utilization, and perceptions of SNAP and WIC. The review identified 37 eligible articles. Twelve studies evaluated policy flexibilities in SNAP only, 21 in WIC only, and 4 in both programs. Across More

December 2024

Opportunities to Improve Summer EBT: Perspectives from state SNAP agencies

Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), or SUN Bucks, is a new federal program that provides grocery benefits to low-income families with children during the summer months, when children no longer have access to free or reduced-price meals at school. However, 13 states did not opt into the program when it launched in 2024. To understand More

November 2024

Experiences with COVID-19 economic relief measures among low-wage worker families: a qualitative study

This study aimed to understand experiences with COVID-19 economic relief measures among low-wage worker households with children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews from low-wage workers in households with children in two U.S. cities in 2022 (n = 40). The sample was recruited from a larger study which included survey measures More