Effectiveness of Integrated Technology Apps for Supporting Healthy Food Purchasing and Consumption: A Systematic Review

Sook Yee Lim,Kai Wei Lee,Syafinaz Amin-Nordin,Navin Kumar Devaraj,Wen-Li Seow,Nurul Azmawati Mohamed

doi:10.3390/foods10081861

Abstract

A healthy diet is essential for good health and nutrition, though literature showed that there are various factors affecting the intention to purchase and consume healthy food. Technology integration is known to be useful in various aspects, but findings from studies on the efficacy of technology integration to improve healthy food consumption and purchase have largely been inconsistent. Therefore, we aimed to examine the efficacy of interventions that use technology apps to improve healthy food purchasing and consumption in adults. Relevant studies were identified through PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, SportDiscuss and ACM Digital Library. Twenty studies were included in the systematic review. The majority of studies (n = 18) used a smartphone in the intervention, and only two studies used a personal digital assistant. The results showed that technology integration-based intervention favoured healthy changes in household food purchases, and increased consumption of healthy food and healthy eating outcomes – albeit to different extents. Overall, technology apps are convenient and user-friendly tools to encourage a change in healthy food purchase and consumption among people.

Highlights

Healthy food purchases and consumption are the trending topics among consumers nowadays
Along with the relative lack of attention, on healthy food purchasing and consumption, this review paper poses the following important research questions: Are technology app-based interventions effective enough to support healthy food purchase and consumption when compared with the traditional interventions such as face-to-face counselling, literature and group-based education? In which form are technology apps more effective and commonly used by adults? Is the effectiveness of stand-alone technology apps intervention comparative with the multi-component intervention? Which group of people have more access to technology apps? In order to fill in the knowledge gap, the general purpose of this review is to examine the efficacy of interventions that use technology-based apps to improve both healthy food purchasing and consumption in adults
Foods 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW of their title and abstract to determine if inclusion and exclusion criteria were met

Summary

Introduction

Healthy food purchases and consumption are the trending topics among consumers nowadays. An increase in healthy food purchasing patterns may motivate consumers to practice healthier food consumption habits [1]. While the definitions of “healthy” foods differ, generally, nutrition standards emphasising healthier foods would decrease the levels of sodium, sugar and unhealthy fats, while increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein [2]. Of overweight and obesity adults respectively in China had associations with factors such as food consumption, gender, income level, family history, physical inactivity and marital status [9,10,11]. Encouraging healthier food purchasing and consumption is critical for population health

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion