Deakin University
School of Psychology

Summary of findings: Healthier snacking at the movies research project

Investigators: Dr Lucy Zinkiewicz (lucyz@deakin.edu.au), Tom Duggan, Paul Dundas, Amanda Lott, Kylie Storer and Jessica Trask

This study aimed to investigate adult Victorian’s attitudes and beliefs about healthier snacking at the movies (the cinema), to investigate whether people wish to snack more healthily at the movies, and the factors which may prevent them from snacking more healthily at the movies. The project also aims to investigate whether such beliefs, intentions, behaviours, and control factors vary by gender, levels of exercise and place of residence (Melbourne city/suburbs, regional, and rural).

One hundred and ninety-six adult Victorians (18-66 years of age), made up of 132 women and 60 men, voluntarily completed two online surveys. The first survey measured attitudes and beliefs about snacking healthily at the movies, as well as whether they intended to snack more healthily when they next visited the movies, while the second survey (completed a month later) measured actual snacking behaviour at the movies and factors that affected snacking behaviour. A total of 107 respondents completed the second survey, with 75 of those having gone to the movies in the previous month.

Respondents fell into three fairly equal sized groups in relation to snacking intention: those who intended to snack healthily (intenders), those who did not (non-intenders), and those with unclear intentions.

Comparing those who did and did not intend to snack healthily, intenders had a more positive attitude towards snacking healthily and saw more pressure from significant others for them to do so. Intenders also saw being healthy as more desirable than did non-intenders, while non-intenders saw self-indulgence and convenience as more desirable. Non-intenders also saw various barriers to snacking healthily as being more powerful than did intenders. These were the greater cost and inconvenience of healthier snacking, the small range of healthy snacking options, when others at the movies with them don’t want to snack more healthily, when it’s not clear what snacks are healthier, and the desire to indulge oneself.

Looking at behaviour, snacking healthily was very strongly related to intention to snack healthily. However, only 44% of those who intended to snack healthily entirely managed to do so: 32% managed to snack healthily to some extent, while 24% failed at snacking healthily, suggesting that good intentions may not necessarily translate to good action, when it comes to healthy snacking at the movies. However, due to the small numbers of participants it was not clear what barriers prevented intenders from actually snacking healthily.

In relation to gender differences, women held a more positive attitude towards snacking healthily at the cinemas than men, and were more likely to intend to snack healthily than men. However, they did not actually snack more healthily than men.

In relation to exercise, women who regularly exercised most days had a stronger intention to snack healthily than those who did not do so, though this did not carry over to behaviour. Men who exercised moderately were more likely than men who did not exercise moderately to snack healthily either totally or to some extent.

Greater Melbourne, regional city and rural residents did not differ in intentions to snack healthily, however regional city residents were more likely than greater Melbourne residents to actually snack healthily at the movies, perhaps due to the slightly higher level of education amongst regional respondents.

The results of the study suggest that those who are less likely to intend to snack healthily at the movies see more difficulties in snacking healthily, find it less desirable to be healthily, and more desirable to have convenience and indulgence, while those who intend to snack healthily value health more strongly. However, those who intend to snack healthily are not necessarily able to do so, suggesting that cinema owners and operators should consider meeting this demand by expanding the range of healthier options available, especially ones which are also perceived as indulgent.