SnackTrack-An App-Based Tool to Assess the Influence of Digital and Physical Environments on Snack Choice

As food choices are usually processed subconsciously, both situational and food environment cues influence choice. This study developed and tested a mobile app to investigate the association between physical and digital environments on snack choices. SnackTrack was designed and used to collect data...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nutrients 2023-01, Vol.15 (2), p.349
Main Authors: Valenčič, Eva, Beckett, Emma, Collins, Clare E, Koroušić Seljak, Barbara, Bucher, Tamara
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applications programs
Choice Behavior
choice behaviour
Consumer behavior
Consumers
Diet, Healthy
digital nudging
Environment
Feasibility studies
Food
food environment
Food Preferences
Fruits
Influence
Mobile Applications
snack choice
Snacks
Subconscious
user interface
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Summary:As food choices are usually processed subconsciously, both situational and food environment cues influence choice. This study developed and tested a mobile app to investigate the association between physical and digital environments on snack choices. SnackTrack was designed and used to collect data on the snack choices of 188 users in real-life settings during an 8-week feasibility trial. The app asks users to take a photo of the food they are planning to consume and to provide additional information regarding the physical environment and context in which this food was eaten. The app also displayed various user interface designs (i.e., different background images) to investigate the potential effects of images on snack choice. Preliminary results suggest that the time of snack obtainment did not have a significant effect on the healthfulness of the snacks chosen. Conversely, it was found that unhealthy background images appeared to encourage healthier snack choices. In conclusion, despite consumers having the knowledge to make healthy choices, environmental cues can alter food choices. SnackTrack, a novel tool to investigate the influence of physical and digital environments on consumers' food choices, provides possibilities for exploring what encourages (un)healthy eating behaviours.
ISSN:2072-6643
2072-6643
DOI:10.3390/nu15020349