Researchers in the Netherlands created a new questionnaire to measure how much children aged 8-12 understand about food—from where it comes from to how it’s grown, sold, and eaten. The tool, called the Dutch Children’s Food Literacy Questionnaire, asks 29 questions about food production, shopping, cooking, and waste. Scientists tested it with over 600 children and found it works well at measuring food knowledge. Older children scored higher than younger ones, suggesting food understanding grows with age. This questionnaire could help schools and programs check if their nutrition lessons are actually teaching kids about food.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Can we create a reliable test to measure how much children understand about food—where it comes from, how it’s grown, and what happens to it?
  • Who participated: 608 children aged 8-12 years old from Dutch primary schools and a sports club, plus 11 experts (teachers, doctors, nutritionists, and researchers) who helped design the test
  • Key finding: The new 29-question food literacy test works reliably and consistently. Older children scored higher than younger children, showing that food understanding increases as kids get older.
  • What it means for you: Schools and nutrition programs now have a proven tool to measure whether their food education is actually working. This helps teachers know if kids are really learning about healthy eating and where food comes from. However, this is just one tool for one country, so results may differ in other places.

The Research Details

Researchers created a new questionnaire step-by-step. First, they wrote many questions about food—covering topics like farming, shopping, cooking, eating, and throwing away food. Then they asked 11 experts (including teachers, doctors, and nutrition specialists) to review the questions and suggest improvements. They also had 27 children test the questions to make sure kids could understand them. After making changes based on this feedback, they gave the final 29-question test to 608 children to see if it worked well.

The researchers checked two important things: First, they made sure the questions were consistent—if you asked the same child the same question twice, would they give similar answers? Second, they tested whether the questions actually measured food understanding by seeing if older children (who should know more about food) scored higher than younger children.

This approach is called ‘validation,’ which means proving that a test actually measures what it claims to measure. It’s like checking that a bathroom scale actually measures weight correctly before using it to track your health.

Before this study, there wasn’t a proven way to measure how much children understand about food. Schools and nutrition programs needed a reliable tool to check if their lessons were working. Without a good measurement tool, it’s hard to know if teaching kids about food is actually helping them learn. This questionnaire fills that gap and gives educators a way to track progress.

The study is strong because it involved many people (608 children) and used expert input from multiple fields. The test showed good ‘internal consistency’ (Cronbach’s α = 0.80), meaning the questions work together well to measure the same thing. The ’test-retest reliability’ was also good (ICC = 0.81), meaning children gave similar answers when tested twice. However, this study only included Dutch children, so the results may not apply exactly the same way in other countries with different food cultures.

What the Results Show

The final questionnaire contains 29 questions organized around the farm-to-fork concept—the journey food takes from being grown to being eaten and disposed of. The test showed strong reliability, meaning it consistently measures food literacy the same way each time it’s used.

One clear finding was that older children scored higher than younger children on the test. A 12-year-old typically understood more about food than an 8-year-old, which makes sense because children learn more about food as they grow up. This pattern suggests the test is actually measuring real differences in food knowledge.

The questionnaire covers important topics including how food is produced on farms, how it’s transported and sold in stores, how families prepare and eat meals, and what happens to food waste. By measuring all these areas, the tool gives a complete picture of a child’s food literacy rather than just one narrow aspect.

The study showed that the questionnaire works well across different groups of children and settings (schools and sports clubs). The fact that it worked consistently in these different environments suggests it could be used in many different situations. The researchers also confirmed that the questions were appropriate for the age group—children understood what was being asked and could answer the questions.

Before this study, there was no standard, proven tool for measuring food literacy in children. Different researchers were using different methods, making it hard to compare results across studies. This new questionnaire provides a consistent measurement tool. However, the researchers note that other countries may need their own versions because food systems and cultures differ. They call for international agreement on how to measure food literacy so that different countries can compare their results.

The study only included children from the Netherlands, so the results may not apply exactly the same way in other countries where food systems, cultures, and education are different. The questionnaire was tested with children aged 8-12, so we don’t know if it works well for younger or older children. The study didn’t measure whether children who score high on this test actually make healthier food choices in real life—it only measures knowledge and understanding. Additionally, the study didn’t look at whether teaching kids about food actually improves their eating habits over time.

The Bottom Line

Schools and nutrition education programs should consider using this questionnaire to measure whether their food education lessons are working. Teachers can use it before and after teaching units about food to see if students learned more. Parents interested in their child’s food knowledge could discuss the topics covered in the questionnaire (farming, shopping, cooking, eating, and waste) at home. Confidence level: Moderate—this is a well-designed tool, but it’s new and only tested in one country so far.

Teachers and school administrators should care about this tool because it helps measure the success of nutrition education programs. Parents interested in their children’s understanding of healthy eating and where food comes from would find this useful. Nutrition researchers and public health officials should care because this provides a standardized way to measure food literacy. People in other countries may need to adapt this tool for their own cultures and food systems. This tool is less relevant for families who aren’t involved in food education programs.

Changes in food literacy take time. If a school implements a food education program, you might see measurable improvements in children’s food knowledge within a few months of regular lessons. However, changing actual eating habits based on improved food knowledge typically takes longer—usually several months to a year of consistent practice and reinforcement.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your child’s food literacy by having them answer 3-4 questions from the questionnaire each week (such as ‘Can you name three foods that grow on farms?’ or ‘Do you know what happens to food waste?’). Record their answers to see improvement over time as they learn more about food.
  • Use the app to set weekly food learning goals based on the questionnaire topics: one week focus on where food comes from, the next week on how to prepare it, then on food waste. Complete one simple activity per week related to that topic (like visiting a farmer’s market, cooking a meal together, or composting).
  • Every month, have your child retake a few questions from the questionnaire to see if their food knowledge is improving. Track which topics they understand well and which ones need more learning. Use this information to guide what food activities and lessons you focus on with your child.

This research describes a measurement tool for assessing children’s food knowledge and understanding. It does not provide medical advice or dietary recommendations for individual children. Parents and educators should consult with pediatricians, registered dietitians, or qualified nutrition professionals for personalized nutrition guidance. This questionnaire measures knowledge only and does not diagnose nutritional deficiencies or eating disorders. Results may vary in different countries and cultures. Always seek professional medical advice before making significant changes to a child’s diet or nutrition education program.