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Digital Interventions Targeting Healthy and Sustainable Eating Behavior: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Käbi Vanwinkelen1, Bram Spruyt1, Tim Smits1
1Media, Information and Persuasion Lab, Department of Communication Science, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45, Leuven, 3000, Belgium, 32 016326735.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
|January 8, 2026
Summary
Digital interventions show promise for healthier, sustainable eating, with social media being most effective. Further research is needed for adolescents and low socioeconomic groups.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Public Health
- Digital Health
Background:
- Current dietary patterns contribute to obesity, noncommunicable diseases, and environmental issues.
- Digital media offer potential solutions for promoting healthier and sustainable food choices.
- Evidence on the effectiveness of digital interventions for food consumption is currently fragmented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze the effectiveness of digital interventions on healthy and sustainable food consumption.
- To identify participant and intervention characteristics associated with improved outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Systematic search of Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus databases.
- Inclusion of quasi-experimental or longitudinal studies on digital interventions for nonclinical populations.
- Meta-analysis and moderator analyses to assess intervention effectiveness and influencing factors.
Main Results:
- A small but significant positive effect of digital interventions on food consumption was found (d=0.33).
- Social media interventions demonstrated stronger effects (d=0.65) compared to other platforms.
- Interventions incorporating prompts/cues and social support showed enhanced effectiveness.
Conclusions:
- Digital interventions can effectively promote healthier and sustainable eating behaviors.
- Social media platforms are particularly promising for behavior change due to their interactive features.
- Further research is required to address effectiveness gaps in adolescents and low socioeconomic populations.
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