Using online canteen ordering systems to reduce dietary risks for Cardiovascular Disease

2018 Postdoctoral Fellowship

Years funded: 2019-2021

Small changes to the food environment have potential to considerably reduce CVD risks at the population level. For example, simple consumer behaviour strategies (eg labelling & re-positioning menu items) have improved dietary choices when incorporated into the physical environment of supermarkets & restaurants.

Given the rise of purchasing food online, integrating such interventions into online environments may provide the greatest opportunity to re-orient food choices to reduce CVD. Specifically, online environments offer an inexpensive way to deliver consumer behaviour change interventions at scale & with fidelity to millions of Australians. Despite this, little is known about the effectiveness of online consumer behaviour change interventions, their sustainability, or their cost-effectiveness.

This research program will generate rigorous evidence to address these evidence gaps using a partnership with the largest provider of online canteens. The research will be based around a large NHMRC funded trial of a consumer behaviour change intervention delivered via an online canteen ordering system targeting the kilojoule, saturated fat, sugar & salt content of children’s school lunch orders. The existing online canteen infrastructure provides a rapid pathway for intervention translation, if effective, to >500,000 Australian children. The research program will address key evidence gaps & inform future research & practice regarding online efforts to reduce dietary risks for CVD.