Impact of Smart Snacks Intervention on College Students' Vending Selections

Abstract

Objectives: To place Smart Snacks in vending machines and determine if different sales strategies affect Smart Snack selection.

Participants: University students living in resident halls.

Methods: Vending machines included 50% Smart Snacks and 50% non compliant snacks. Three sales strategies targeted student selection of Smart Snacks: Reduced price, signage, and nutrition education activities. Three-way ANOVA was used for analysis.

Results: There was a statistically significant three-way interaction on snack selection between sales strategy, study period, and snack type, F(4, 77) = 3.33, P = .01. There were no statistically significant simple two-way interaction between study period and sales strategy for either Smart Snack, F(1, 77) = 1.62, P = 0.18, or NC snack types, F(1, 77) = 2.02, P = 0.07.

Conclusions: Sales strategies did not affect Smart Snack selections. Advocates for healthier snacks in vending machines can align with university administrations to establish nutrient guidelines.

Keywords: Health education; healthy snack vending; university vending.