The potential of technology to deliver parent-targeted lunchbox interventions to improve child diet in early childhood education and care services

The broad aim of this thesis is to examine the potential of mHealth technology to deliver a parent-targeted lunchbox intervention to improve child diet in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services. Specifically, the thesis will address several gaps in the evidence relating to the efficacy of mHealth interventions and user engagement with digital health interventions (DHIs) targeting child diet. The thesis objectives include: 1.To describe the types of lunchbox foods packed and consumed by children in ECEC services and compare this with nutrition guidelines (Chapter two) 2.To determine the efficacy of an mHealth intervention in ECEC services to reduce the packing of discretionary foods in children’s lunchboxes: SWAP IT Childcare (Chapters three (study protocol) and four (study outcomes)) 3.To explore factors that affect parent use and engagement with a mHealth delivered lunchbox intervention (Chapter five) 4.To systematically review the evidence regarding strategies associated with user engagement with digital health interventions to prevent chronic disease (Chapter six) 5.To provide a summary of findings and implications for future research (Chapter seven).