Enhancing Postsecondary Students' Dietary Behaviours: A Systematic Review of Mobile Health Interventions

Inadequate dietary intake among postsecondary students can negatively impact academic achievement, mental health and the development of chronic disease later in life. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions offer a unique opportunity to improve dietary behaviours in this population, who report frequent use of mobile devices. This systematic review evaluated the impact of mHealth diet interventions on postsecondary students' dietary behaviours. A literature search was conducted in January 2025 using six electronic databases (Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, Medline and PsycINFO). Eligible intervention studies included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and pre-post studies, with or without a control group. The interventions had to include at least one dietary behaviour outcome variable and involve only enroled postsecondary students. Sample and intervention characteristics, intervention results, as well as equity and behaviour change theory use and reporting, were extracted. Findings were reported as a narrative synthesis. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Of the studies reviewed, 10 reported a positive and significant impact on at least one dietary behaviour in the postsecondary student population. Notably, 5 of the 6 studies assessing fruit and/or vegetable intake found significant improvements following the mHealth interventions. However, the clinical significance of these should be noted: some reported dietary changes were relatively small. Overall, mHealth interventions show promise in improving postsecondary students' dietary behaviours. However, further research is necessary, and future interventions should ensure the use of validated dietary assessment tools and longer follow-up periods to evaluate long-term effectiveness.