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Behavioral pathways and psychosocial determinants of adolescent mental health: positioning nutrition health literacy as a candidate upstream target
Adolescence represents a critical period for both nutritional and psychological development, marked by an increasing prevalence of mental health issues among youth globally. One potential modifiable factor is nutrition health literacy, which refers to an individual’s ability to acquire, comprehend, evaluate, and utilize nutritional information. Although the relationship between nutritional health literacy and mental health outcomes is not well documented, this mini-review aims to consolidate recent findings on this topic.
The article begins by acknowledging the complex and multidimensional aspects of nutrition health literacy, distinguishing it from food literacy and mental health literacy, while also noting the challenges in measuring it effectively in adolescents. Following this, the discussion outlines three primary behavioral pathways: dietary habits, physical activity levels, and sleep quality, through which nutrition health literacy may influence emotional well-being.
Evidence indicates that unhealthy dietary practices, including the omission of breakfast and excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, correlate with increased incidences of anxiety and depression, as shown in cross-sectional studies. However, evidence from prospective cohort studies is less robust and more variable. The review also considers the psychosocial factors operating across multiple ecological levels—family dynamics, peer influences, school environments, and broader sociocultural contexts—that collectively influence adolescent behaviors.
Additionally, the review assesses the effectiveness of school- and community-based prevention initiatives, which demonstrate modest yet significant outcomes, though these effects differ across various subgroups and contexts. The discussion touches on ongoing debates about the efficacy of universal interventions and identifies major gaps in current research, particularly in assessment standardization, longitudinal studies, and the representation of low- and middle-income countries.
In conclusion, the review advocates for culturally sensitive, equity-focused, and developmentally appropriate strategies to enhance nutrition health literacy as a promising, though currently unverified, avenue for advancing adolescent mental health. It also outlines the necessary study designs required to further investigate this potential link.
Year: 2026
