FOOD LITERACY IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA: A MIXED-METHODS INVESTIGATION OF NUTRITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES IN ITALIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS

Antonio Ascione

Abstract


This study aims to investigate students' nutritional knowledge and attitudes during a sensitive stage in their lives, adolescence. It explores the main information sources considered influential in the process of educating students about healthy eating.

This study adopts a qualitative-quantitative approach. It involved 583 randomly selected students from two secondary schools in Naples. The data were collected through a structured questionnaire and thematic focus groups.

The results show that smartphones and social media constitute the most frequently consulted sources of information about healthy eating (41.5%), followed by classroom lessons (21.6%),

textbooks (20.2%), and family members (16.7%).

Data analysis revealed that students have greater nutritional knowledge in the areas of "nutrition and health" and "nutrient functions and sources," compared to other thematic areas such as "understanding the function of proteins" and "identifying the consequences associated with excessive consumption of added sugars." Furthermore, qualitative analysis, in numerous cases, revealed negative attitudes toward the adoption of healthy eating behaviors, often associated with the influence of social media, group dynamics, and the perceived unattractiveness of healthy food.


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.32043/gsd.v1i1.1704

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