A Journey into School Lunchbox Decision-Making: A Qualitative Exploration of Australian Parents

Issue Adressed: This study aims to understand parents' decision-making process when packing their child's lunchbox, investigating barriers and facilitators of seeking nutrition information for food choices. Methods: An online survey with Likert and open-ended questions conducted via Facebook. Quantitative data analysis of frequencies, means, standard deviation, and correlations and thematic analysis for qualitative responses. Results: Of 52 parent participants, 78% considered nutritional information when packing lunchboxes, relying mainly on food labelling (32%) and the Australian Nutrition Food Guide (12%). Most parents (64%) felt confident preparing healthy lunchboxes, focusing on fresh, high-fiber foods and avoiding preservatives. While 60% felt they didn't need additional information, 40% were open to more guidance. Key themes included informed food choices, balancing nutrition with preferences, managing information overload, and practical approaches. Conclusions: Parents demonstrated knowledge of healthy eating guidelines but faced challenges in balancing nutritious choices with children's preferences, cost, and providing a balanced diet. Implications for Practice: Practitioners should provide clear, accessible guidance on healthy lunchbox preparation, promote comprehensive food labelling, offer strategies for balancing nutrition with preferences, address cost challenges, and develop interventions to overcome barriers in food knowledge and availability.