Effectiveness of Nutrition Interventions in Vending Machines to Encourage the Purchase and Consumption of Healthier Food and Drinks in the University Setting: A Systematic Review

Abstract

University food environments typically offer an abundance of unhealthy foods, including through vending machines. This review evaluated the effectiveness of nutrition interventions in vending machines in the university setting. Ten databases were searched for experimental studies published up to July 2019, evaluating nutrition interventions that aimed to encourage the purchase or consumption of healthier foods and drinks in vending machines in the university setting. In total, 401 articles were identified, and 13 studies were included. Studies were pre-post test (n = 7, 54%), randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (n = 5, 38%), and non-randomized controlled trial (n = 1, 8%). Most studies were from the USA (n = 10, 77%) and were published between 2014 and 2018 (n = 9, 69%). Eight interventions (62%) reported positive change in outcomes, including increased number/proportion of sales or revenue from healthier items (n = 6), improved adherence to guidelines for the ratio of healthy/unhealthy products available (n = 1), and improved consumer perception of items available (n = 1). Effective interventions involved the promotion, reduced pricing, increased availability, and/or optimized product placement of healthier items within vending machines. Strategies to improve the nutritional quality of food and drinks in vending machines are warranted. This may be achieved by making healthier options more available and promoting them; however, more robust intervention studies are needed to determine effectiveness.

Characterization, Nutrient Intake, and Nutritional Status of Low-Income Students Attending a Brazilian University Restaurant

“…Differently from findings shown in a recent systematic review, in which university food environments are potentially contributing to inadequate dietary intakes, and overweight/obesity risk [ 32 ], our study showed that most of the low-income students with adequate weight present adequate dietary intake regarding TEI, macronutrients, and iron. However, they presented inadequate intake regarding sodium, calcium, and cholesterol.…”

Consumption, Attitudes, and Trends of Vending Machine Foods at a University Campus: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…A systematic review of VM nutrition interventions at university settings concluded that effective interventions involve providing healthier VM replacement, reducing the prices of healthier items, and promoting them through awareness campaigns [ 15 ]. Increasing the availability of healthy products with and without additional nutrition communication at a university in Italy nudged the consumers’ food choices towards healthy options [ 16 ].…”

Benchmarking the university campus food environment and exploring student perspectives about food insecurity and healthy eating: a case study from Australia

“…Studies have revealed that engagement with young people is essential for transformation and meaningful change due to their in uence and insight into contemporary issues 16,17 . Many studies have previously assessed this topic with a singular approach, including an audit without student consultation or qualitative consultations without a comprehensive assessment of the environment 18,19,20,21,22 . The current study utilised a combined approach to holistically assess the university food environment.…”