Understanding how smartphone use affects teen eating habits
Teen screen diets and their relationships with dietary intake: setting the stage for precision interventions and evidence-based policies
This project looks at how what teens see on their smartphones influences their food choices and eating behaviors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11092282 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We know that media can shape what teenagers eat, but we don't fully understand the food and drink messages they encounter on their phones. This project will use a new method to capture everything that appears on a teen's smartphone screen, creating a complete record of their digital life. By collecting this information along with their dietary habits, we hope to learn more about how their screen time connects to their eating. This understanding can help us create better ways to support healthy eating for young people.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adolescents aged 13-17 years who are willing to share their smartphone screen activity and dietary information.
Not a fit: Patients who are not within the specified age range or are unwilling to share detailed smartphone and dietary data would not be suitable for this particular project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new strategies and policies that help teenagers make healthier food choices by addressing influences from their smartphone use.
How similar studies have performed: While the influence of media on eating is known, this novel method of capturing comprehensive smartphone screen activity for dietary research is largely untested.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Robinson, Thomas N. — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Robinson, Thomas N.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.