Understanding food choices and promoting healthier food options among online food delivery service users in Australia: a qualitative study.

backgroundOnline food delivery services (OFDS) are increasingly used to acquire food prepared out-of-home. Evidence suggests that OFDS commonly promote energy dense and nutrient poor foods, and their regular use may contribute to adverse health outcomes. To inform public health efforts to promote healthy choices on OFDS in Australia, we aimed to explore factors influencing adults' food choices on OFDS and gauge their perceptions towards actions that could support healthier food choices on OFDS.

methodsThis is a qualitative study. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with English speaking adults living in Victoria, Australia, aged 18 to 45 years who reported using OFDS at least once a month. The interview guide was developed to elicit information on factors that prompted participants' food choices on OFDS and gather insights on if and how they could be supported to make healthier food choices on OFDS. Transcripts were deductively coded, guided by the socio-ecological model, using thematic analysis.

resultsThirty Australian adults participated in the study. Participants were mostly women (80%) with a mean age of 28 years and living in metropolitan Melbourne. 85% had completed higher education, 20% lived with children < 18 years of age and > 80% used OFDS 2-5 times per week. A range of individual factors (motivation to seek comfort food, time and cost considerations), social factor (family influence) and environmental level factors related to navigating OFDS (limited availability and accessibility to healthy food outlets and healthy food options; price promotions, low delivery fee and appealing food images) influenced consumers food choice decisions on OFDS. All participants expressed positive attitudes towards potential actions to help them make healthier food choice decisions on OFDS (such as making healthier foods as default or on promotions).

conclusionIndividual and social circumstances, together with online marketing techniques, drive consumers' food purchasing decisions on OFDS. Actions are needed to enhance the accessibility, availability and desirability (through increased visibility and price promotions) of healthy food options on OFDS to promote healthy food choices.