Efficacy of a brief web-based intervention with and without SMS to enhance healthy eating behaviors among university students

Healthy eating, such as the regular inclusion of fruits and vegetables in one's diet, is essential for maintaining optimal weight, maximizing brain and immune system functioning, and reducing the risk for disease. Despite its importance, few students meet recommended guidelines for healthy dietary behavior. The current study was designed to test the efficacy of two ehealth intervention approaches for increasing healthy eating behaviors among university students. Student volunteers from an introductory psychology class at a northeastern US university participated for class credit (n=154). Students were randomized to either an assessment only (AO), web-based nutrition intervention only (WBO), or web-intervention with daily text-messaging condition (WB+M). Participants completed measures of vegetable and fruit consumption and frequency of meals with designated healthy food selections at baseline and one-month follow-up. Only the WB+M intervention significantly increased the likelihood of attaining vegetable consumption standards and increased the frequency of designated healthy food choice options guidelines at follow-up compared to the AO condition. Findings suggest that delivering a brief web-based intervention with daily text messages about personal nutrition and fitness goals may support healthier eating patterns among students. •Tested two ehealth brief intervention approaches to improve health eating among college students•Those who completed a web and text messaging intervention met vegetable consumption standards more often than controls•Those who completed a combined web and text intervention chose healthy eating options more frequently than controls.•This approach may help improve dietary habits of college students who are unlikely to specifically seek nutrition resources.