Graduation Term

2020

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

Committee Chair

Julie Schumacher

Abstract

The purpose of this experimental research study was to determine the effects that nutrition smartphone applications, specifically grocery list generation applications, have on parents’ overall grocery shopping experience and meal planning behaviors for their families. The prevalence of adolescent obesity in today’s society has significantly increased to an alarming rate and family mealtimes together have decreased. Family mealtimes together can impact a child’s weight status and future health outcomes. A total of 10 participants investigated and classified the aspects in a nutrition smartphone application that were beneficial to meal planning and grocery shopping. The findings indicated that a nutrition smartphone application that has low time consumption and provided a grocery list based off of food preferences incorporated into the design was more likely to benefit parents’ meal planning and grocery shopping behaviors. The results also indicated that while using the nutrition smartphone applications, families ate an evening meal at least five times together. In conclusion, a smartphone application that is beneficial to parents’ overall meal planning for their families can possibly increase family mealtimes spent together.

KEYWORDS: grocery shopping, meal planning, family mealtime, childhood obesity, smartphone application, nutritional meals, adolescent health outcomes

Access Type

Thesis-Open Access

DOI

http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2020.Bertram.L

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