Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: May 6, 2025
Date Accepted: Apr 20, 2026
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Feasibility of the SnackBox technology to study snacking behaviors: Two case studies on stress and physical activity
ABSTRACT
Background:
Snacks contribute 19–34% of daily energy intake, yet studying snacking behaviors faces challenges due to self-report biases. The SnackBox, an automated dietary assessment tool, offers a precise way to measure snacking in real-life settings.
Objective:
This study explores use of the SnackBox in assessing snacking patterns in relation to self-reported stress (Case Study I) and physical activity (Case Study II).
Methods:
Forty-eight office workers (29 female, mean age = 28.8, SD = 4.1) used the SnackBox at work and home for two weeks. The device recorded snack consumption (grams and time). Participants reported perceived stress via Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMA) and wore a Chill+ and Garmin wearable to track physical activity.
Results:
Across the study, 1,455 EMAs, 2,933 hours of wearable data, and 2,199 snacking events were recorded. Participants consumed an average of 769 kcal (SD = 772) from snacks, with peaks at 11:00, 15:30, and 21:00. Stress did not significantly impact snacking likelihood (χ21= 0.16, P = .69). Snacking was more likely before vigorous physical activity (OR = 2.00, SE = 0.39, P < .001).
Conclusions:
The SnackBox proves valuable for studying snacking behaviors by integrating dietary data with physiological and contextual factors. This approach enhances our understanding of snacking and supports personalized interventions or predictive models. Clinical Trial: ISRCTN (no. ISRCTN45046481)
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