| Author: Olimpia Orz\u0105da\u0142a |<\/span><\/p>\n Karina Leksy, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof. (project leader from the University of Silesia) and Jagoda R\u00f3\u017cycka, PhD from the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Silesia in Katowice are implementing the project \u2018Communication and Food Literacy: Promoting a Well-Informed and Healthy Population (COMFOODHEALTH)\u2019. The initiative, funded by the T4EU Seed Funding Programme, is carried out in collaboration with the University of Alicante and the Universidade Cat\u00f3lica Portuguesa.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n Karina Leksy, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof. and Jagoda R\u00f3\u017cycka, PhD | Photo by Olimpia Orz\u0105da\u0142a<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \u201cThe project was created as part of the Transform4Europe alliance and responds to contemporary challenges related to information overload and widespread disinformation present online and in social media, which also encompasses topics related to health and nutrition issues,\u201d explains Prof. K. Leksy.<\/p>\n The idea arose from the convergence of research interests of scientists representing various T4EU partner universities and the shared belief that, nowadays, health education requires an interdisciplinary approach. Above all, however, there is a lack of educational programmes that combine nutritional education, media literacy, and critical thinking.<\/p>\n As the researchers emphasise, the Internet offers both valuable materials prepared by experts as well as misleading content. \u201cWe cannot say that social media contains nothing but unreliable information. There are also scientists promoting a healthy lifestyle. The problem is that, alongside this content, there are unverified messages \u2013 often of a marketing nature \u2013 which promote behaviour that poses a risk to health. The key lies in being able to interpret them correctly and relate them to one\u2019s own life,\u201d explains J. R\u00f3\u017cycka, PhD.<\/p>\n The first stage of the project will be to examine the needs of students from partner universities. Researchers will examine not only the young people\u2019s self-reports, but also their actual levels of nutritional and media literacy, as well as the sources from which they obtain their information.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore we begin developing educational programmes, we will conduct research at our university and partner universities to determine the actual state of students\u2019 knowledge. Only on this basis will we be able to create solutions that meet the real needs of the youth,\u201d says J. R\u00f3\u017cycka, PhD.<\/p>\n This multifaceted needs assessment is one of the most innovative elements of the project. The research will be conducted simultaneously at partner universities in Poland, Spain, and Portugal. It will allow the researchers to determine the extent to which student problems in various European countries are universal, and in which areas there are differences resulting from local experiences and education systems. The collected data will serve as the basis for developing a proposal for a joint educational programme for universities in the Transform4Europe alliance. The initial assumption is that the programme will focus, among other things, on issues related to the role of influencers in health communication, critical analysis of content published on social media, and media and nutritional education supporting a healthy lifestyle.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are very curious to see to what extent the responses from students in Katowice will resemble the results from Alicante or Lisbon. If it turns out that their broadly defined needs and level of knowledge regarding media and food literacy are similar, it will be easier to develop a universal programme. If differences emerge, developing the programme will be a greater challenge for us, given that it is intended to address the identified needs of students at the universities participating in the project,\u201d notes Prof. K. Leksy.<\/p>\n Representatives from a wide range of disciplines are involved in the project \u2013 from education and psychology, through health sciences, to social communication. As the researchers emphasise, it is precisely this kind of collaboration that allows us to view health not only from the perspective of nutrition, but also in terms of how people function in the digital world.<\/p>\n The team is currently awaiting approval from the ethics committee to begin the research in autumn. The results will allow them to prepare a proposal for a joint educational programme. The researchers hope that by exchanging experiences, they will be able to identify effective solutions used in various countries and develop modern educational programmes that respond to the challenges of the digital age. In the case of this project, this means developing a shared educational model that fosters not only nutritional knowledge but also young people\u2019s media and communication skills. Expanding the audience for the programme (developed as part of the project) will help to increase citizens\u2019 knowledge and health awareness, particularly in relation to dietary habits and resilience to misinformation, thereby encouraging them to make informed health decisions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>[vc_separator]\r\n ![\"Dr](\"https:\/\/us.edu.pl\/t4e\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/fotografie\/JagodaRozyckaiKarinaLeksy-800x533.jpg\")
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