Snack food consumption behavior: a systematic review of theory-based intervention strategies for changing eating behavior

Health interventions have been shown to be associated with an increase in effectiveness of changing people’s behaviors. However, interventions to change snack food consumption are perceived as complex intervention strategies. This systematic review aimed to identify interventions targeted at changing snack food eating behaviors and theory used in interventions. A comprehensive search strategy was performed using databases including Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Articles published between 2010-2019, intervention studies were included and coded to determine whether and how theory was used. More than half of eligible studies on snack food consumption behavior (56.6%) used theory in interventions. 30 articles were identified for inclusion (n = 444). The most-often-used theories were Social Cognitive Theory, Theory of Planned Behavior/Theory of Reasoned Action, and Transtheoretical Model. Intervention strategies targeting the individual level included tailored health communication and goal setting. Commonly used strategies at the interpersonal and organizational level include social support programs and ecological models, respectively.  Community-based participatory strategy was used at the community level. These strategies most construct from theories providing information that needs to be changed to promote healthy behavior. Application of theories in interventions enhanced the effectiveness to promote nutrition behavior change. Striving to use theory more thoroughly by applying and testing theories would be crucial to recommend.