Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
Concept Development and Use of an Automated Food Intake and Eating Behavior Assessment Method
Published on: February 19, 2021
Snacking Behaviors in Relation to Stress and Physical Activity Using Automated Dietary Assessment: Observational
Femke J de Gooijer1,2, Alex van Kraaij2, Marlou Lasschuijt1
1Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Background:
Snacks contribute 19% to 34% of daily energy intake, yet studying snacking behaviors faces challenges due to self-report biases. The SnackBox, an automated dietary assessment tool, enables structured measurement of snacking in seminaturalistic settings.
Objective:
This study explored the relationships between snacking and perceived stress (case study 1) and physical activity (case study 2) using the SnackBox technology.
Methods:
Forty-seven office workers (n=29, 61.7% female; mean age 28.8, SD 4.1 years) used the SnackBox at work and home for 2 weeks. The device recorded snack consumption (grams and time). Participants reported perceived stress via ecological momentary assessments and wore a Chill+ band and a Garmin wearable to track physical activity.
Results:
Across the study period, 1455 ecological momentary assessments, 2933 hours of wearable data, and 2199 snacking events were recorded. Participants consumed a daily average of 769 (SD 772) kcal from snacks. Stress did not significantly impact snacking likelihood (χ21=0.2; P=.69). Snacking was more likely before vigorous physical activity (odds ratio 2.00; SE 0.39; P<.001).
Conclusions:
The SnackBox demonstrated utility as a technology probe for exploring relationships between snacking and physiological and contextual factors. This approach enhances our understanding of snacking and supports personalized interventions and predictive models.
Trial Registration:
ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN45046481; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN45046481.
