Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Digital tools to promote healthy and sustainable eating habits
Coordinator
Compass
Task 7.2.1 will build on Task 7.1.5. with a twofold aim: a) develop common guidelines to facilitate the designing and testing procedures and goals of interventions; b) develop and test a set of tools for the measurement, monitoring and evaluation of eating and food related behaviours.
A set of specific interventions addressing healthy and sustainable eating (including food waste reduction etc) in public canteens and out of home settings will be co-designed and then tested by engaging local users.
Development and application of educational and empowering models aimed at promoting healthy and sustainable diets (also including food waste reduction, fight against food neophobia), in specific target populations, with the support of advanced and innovative technological tools and innovative technological systems to evaluate users’ perception.
Report on tools for measurement, monitoring and evaluation of eating and food related behaviours (M34)
Recent studies related to diet monitoring and people’s relationship with food have shown that digital technologies can help us measure and keep track of certain aspects related to food.
In addition to tracking consumption and habits, however, digital technologies can be a valuable aid in promoting healthy behaviors using notifications, information pills, shared contents, etc. A relevant aspect in directing behavior towards healthier food choices consists in tailoring the intervention according to socio-demographic as well as personality aspects.
The operational plan consists of two main studies involving the use of two apps, "Fresh and natural" by Compass, for meal reservation at universities, and "Mypockethealth," developed by our research team. The goal will be to monitor trends in consumption behaviors as a function of our psychological interventions.
The studies are designed as follows:
A) Action-research via Mypocketheatlh app to promote healthy and sustainable habits. In detail, an interactive program with a tracker will be developed through which users can set a goal and update their daily consumptions. Behaviors will include water intake, purchase of seasonal products, and consumption of fruits and vegetables.
B) Monitoring of “Fresh and Natural” use by Bicocca’s students and workers for data collection about healthier food choices.
The main objective of this project is to test the effectiveness of digital technologies in promoting food choices in the direction of healthiness and sustainability.
In one case, the study will be extended to the entire population, thanks to the use of a daily tracker that allows setting health goals and monitoring their progress. The aim is to implement the frequency of healthy habits in daily actions.
In the second case, the target audience is represented by university students who will be intercepted through the app dedicated to booking meals at campus services. The goal is to direct students to the greenest meals by creating information pills and graphic elements.
The results of the project, then, will contribute to the implementation and sharing of digital research and intervention protocols for promoting healthy and green habits.
The expected results will focus on monitoring habits and purchases, with reference to trends over time as a function of the implemented interventions.
