![]() In this paper, we introduce the integration of a health literacy lens as an analytical process used to assess how those groups of Canadians at risk of limited or marginal health literacy may be impacted by proposed federal health policy initiatives. Diet equity, as it relates to supporting informed food choices and healthier dietary intakes, may also be advanced. By improving how the food system provides nutrition label information, and improving people’s access and capacity to effectively use that information, both the individuals and systems become more health literate at functional, interactive and critical levels. ![]() Policy efforts to increase the effectiveness of food and health information systems in supporting healthy eating practices and decreasing disparities in population health may be limited if these health literacy skills are not addressed. In addition, for nutrition labelling to be effective, the requisite information must be noticed, processed, evaluated and used by those at the greatest risk of limited/marginal health literacy. Health literacy is also a systemic concern, and is the responsibility of systems through which the relevant health information is provided.Īn effective nutrition labelling policy requires a focus not only on the nutrition information being conveyed, but also on the varied contexts in which consumers engage with it. Critical health literacy encompasses critical nutrition label appraisal skills and the use of food skills (e.g., the use of seasonal or frozen vegetables) to address barriers to healthy eating at the community level. Interactive health literacy requires a more developed set of cognitive and literacy skills to interpret, evaluate and use the requisite nutrition label information to self-manage specific dietary goals, or to reduce disease risk with the selection of healthier foods. At the most basic level, functional nutrition literacy involves the basic set of reading and writing skills to be able to function in the everyday food shopping environment, such as engaging with nutrition labelling to be able to identify foods high in saturated fat, sodium and/or sugars. ![]() This tripartite model highlights the importance of achieving health literacy at functional, interactive and critical levels. Nutbeam’s tripartite model of health literacy links health literacy to people’s “knowledge, motivation and competencies to access, understand, appraise, and apply health information in order to make decisions in everyday life concerning healthcare, disease prevention and health promotion, to maintain or improve quality of life during the life course” ( Table 1). Not surprisingly, health literacy is increasingly being seen as an important contributor to the health of Canadians, and is linked to health disparities. This unique set of cognitive and social skills reflects the knowledge, motivation and competencies of individuals to make use of appropriate nutrition information in ways that promote and maintain health. Consumer use of nutrition information on food labels to make informed food choices, to plan healthy meals and to manage diseases of public health concern impacted by diet requires a range of health literacy skills. In addition, an unhealthy diet is one of the top risk factors for obesity and chronic disease burden in Canada. Canada’s ethnocultural diversity and the challenges for literacy and health literacy as they relate to informed food choices is an underestimated problem.
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