2010PSY Health Psychology: Unhealthy Snacking Project Proposal

This research proposal outlines a health promotion project aimed at reducing unhealthy snacking among university students in Australia. The project utilizes the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to design an intervention program. The proposal begins with a comprehensive literature review, highlighting the prevalence of unhealthy snacking, its negative health outcomes, and existing research on the topic, including studies that have used TPB and implementation intentions to modify snacking behavior. The study proposes to recruit 150 undergraduate students aged 18-30, who will be randomly assigned to either a TPB-based intervention group or a control group. Data collection will involve questionnaires to assess eating habits, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The project aims to demonstrate that the intervention will lead to decreased attitudes towards unhealthy snacks, increased perceived behavioral control, reduced intentions to snack on unhealthy foods, and, ultimately, reduced unhealthy snacking behaviors. The proposal also discusses the expected outcomes, practical applications, limitations, and directions for future research.