Academic Background and the Selection of Menu Items Without Calorie Labels on ShopeeFood and GoFood in Bengkulu City
DOI
https://doi.org/10.64146/66fkmr34
Abstract
Online food delivery applications such as ShopeeFood and GoFood have become a primary food environment for students, yet most menu items lack calorie information. This study examined the effect of academic background on the selection of unlabelled menu items and the mediating role of nutrition literacy. An analytical cross-sectional design involved 80 students in Bengkulu City (40 health-cluster, 40 non-health-cluster) recruited by stratified random sampling. A validated questionnaire measured nutrition literacy, label attention, convenience orientation, and frequency of application use; menu selection was captured through a standardised ordering scenario. Data were analysed using chi-square tests, t-tests, analysis of variance, binary logistic regression, and mediation testing. Unlabelled items were selected by 40.0% of health-cluster students versus 65.0% of non-health-cluster students (chi-square = 5.013; p = 0.025). Nutrition literacy was higher in the health cluster (t = 3.309; Cohen’s d = 0.740) and was the strongest predictor (odds ratio = 0.340), fully mediating the effect of academic background (indirect effect = −0.752; Sobel z = −2.111; p = 0.035; 79.6% mediated). Model discrimination was adequate (Nagelkerke R square = 0.477; accuracy = 78.8%; area under the curve = 0.851). Strengthening nutrition literacy and mandating digital calorie labelling are priority interventions
References
Alangari, A. S. (2023). Restaurants' compliance with calorie labeling policies in food delivery applications. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10, 1281293. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1281293 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1281293
Alhudhaif, H., Shaikh, N., & Alhusseini, N. (2026). Does food literacy influence healthy food choices? Findings from a cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia. Frontiers in Nutrition, 13, 1773427. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2026.1773427 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2026.1773427
Alkhunein, S., Alghafari, W. T., Alzeer, H. M., Alhumaidan, O., Alsalman, S. A., Alshathry, N., & Alkhaldy, A. (2024). Response of the consumers to the menu calorie-labeling on online food ordering applications in Saudi Arabia. BMC Nutrition, 10(1), 25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-024-00829-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-024-00829-x
Alqahtani, N., Bashatah, A., Asiri, S., Syed, W., & Al-Rawi, M. B. A. (2024). Understanding of health literacy among healthcare students in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study. BMC Medical Education, 24(1), 1275. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06263-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06263-8
Alshahry, A. M., & Alhazmi, A. (2026). Determinants of food choices on online food delivery applications among university students: A cross-sectional study. Scientific Reports, 16(1), 9114. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-40145-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-40145-x
Bennett, R., Keeble, M., Zorbas, C., & Sacks, G. (2024). The potential influence of the digital food retail environment on health: A systematic scoping review of the literature. Obesity Reviews, 25(3), e13671. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13671 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13671
Bianchi, F., Luick, M., Bandy, L., Bone, J., Kelly, S., Farrington, J., Leung, J., Mottershow, A., Murar, F., & Jebb, S. A. (2023). The impact of altering restaurant and menu option position on food selected from an experimental food delivery platform: A randomised controlled trial. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 20(1), 60. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-023-01456-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-023-01456-8
Cahyani, I. (2025). The relationship between diet and the incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease in boarding school students. HealthSmart: Jurnal Kesehatan Masyarakat, 1(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.64146/WN1XN988 DOI: https://doi.org/10.64146/wn1xn988
Candra, W. W., & Hayadi, I. (2025). Analisis perbandingan kualitas layanan Grab Food dan Maxim Food Delivery di Kota Bengkulu. Managament Insight: Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen, 19(1), 1–14. https://ejournal.unib.ac.id/Insight/article/view/42470
Cheikh Ismail, L., & Al Dhaheri, A. S. (2024). A cross-sectional study on online food delivery applications (OFDAs) in the United Arab Emirates: Use and perceptions of healthy food availability among university students. Journal of Nutritional Science, 13, e21. https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2024.21 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2024.21
Consavage Stanley, K., Harrigan, P. B., Serrano, E. L., & Kraak, V. I. (2022). A systematic scoping review of the literacy literature to develop a digital food and nutrition literacy model for low-income adults to make healthy choices in the online food retail ecosystem to reduce obesity risk. Obesity Reviews, 23(4), e13414. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13414 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13414
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2023). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (6th ed.). SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.7748/nr.12.1.82.s2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7748/nr.12.1.82.s2
Daryati, M., Anggraini, R., Sari, J. P., & Hermawati, D. (2026). Effectiveness of smartphone application-based nutrition education for parents on changes in children's eating behaviour. Jurnal Gizi dan Teknologi Pangan: Nutrismart, 2(2), 141–153. https://doi.org/10.64146/SW8ZTJ73 DOI: https://doi.org/10.64146/sw8ztj73
Farrukh, M. T. (2026). Association between nutritional knowledge and dietary habits among undergraduate students in Islamabad and Rawalpindi: A cross-sectional comparative study of medical and non-medical disciplines. BMC Nutrition, 12(1), 68. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-026-01306-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-026-01306-3
Field, A. (2024). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Finlay, A., Boyland, E., Jones, A., & Robinson, E. (2023). The impact of calorie labelling and proportional pricing on out of home food orders: A randomised controlled trial study using a virtual food and drink delivery app. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 20(1), 111. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-023-01513-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-023-01513-2
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2024). The state of aricultural commodity markets 2024: Trade and nutrition. FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd2864en
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2022). Multivariate data analysis (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Harjadinta, & Susanty, Y. E. (2025). The role of fast food consumption patterns in the incidence of obesity in adolescents. HealthSmart: Jurnal Kesehatan Masyarakat, 1(1), 66–77. https://doi.org/10.64146/0GR58S35 DOI: https://doi.org/10.64146/0gr58s35
Hayes, A. F. (2022). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach (3rd ed.). Guilford Press. https://doi.org/10.1111/jedm.12050 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jedm.12050
Ikhsan, & Kurniawan, F. (2026). The relationship between ultra processed food consumption and the incidence of metabolic syndrome in office workers. Jurnal Gizi dan Teknologi Pangan: Nutrismart, 2(1), 58–71. https://doi.org/10.64146/DW9AYS45 DOI: https://doi.org/10.64146/dw9ays45
Jia, S. S., Todd, A. R., Vanderlee, L., Farrell, P., Allman-Farinelli, M., Sacks, G., & Gibson, A. A. (2024). Offline to online: A systematic mapping review of evidence to inform nutrition-related policy actions targeting online food delivery platforms. BMC Medicine, 22(1), 542. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03747-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03747-8
Jindarattanaporn, N., Phulkerd, S., & Thamarangsi, T. (2023). Nutritional content of popular menu items from online food delivery applications in Bangkok, Thailand: Are they healthy? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(5), 3992. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20053992 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20053992
Jung, S. E., Shin, Y. H., Hermann, J., Abercrombie, M., & Wilson, S. (2023). Applying the health belief model to explore fruit and vegetable consumption among college students. Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, 18(5), 736–752. https://doi.org/10.1080/19320248.2023.2210080 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19320248.2023.2210080
Katadata. (2026). Penjualan GrabFood, GoFood, dan ShopeeFood di Indonesia meningkat pada 2025. Databoks Katadata. https://databoks.katadata.co.id/teknologi-telekomunikasi/statistik/6997ed8e89309/penjualan-grabfood-gofood-dan-shopeefood-di-indonesia-meningkat-pada-2025
Kohler, U., Karlson, K. B., & Holm, A. (2011). Comparing coefficients of nested nonlinear probability models. The Stata Journal, 11(3), 420–438. https://doi.org/10.1177/1536867X1101100306 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1536867X1101100306
Lemken, D., Wahnschafft, S., & Eggers, C. (2023). Public acceptance of default nudges to promote healthy and sustainable food choices. BMC Public Health, 23(1), 2311. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17127-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17127-z
Luick, M., Bianchi, F., Bain, F., Bandy, L., Doshi, P., Hilliard, D., & Pechey, R. (2024). Do calorie labels change energy purchased in a simulated online food delivery platform? A multi-arm randomised controlled trial. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 21(1), 103. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-024-01638-y DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-024-01638-y
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2023). Developing food labels for improved health outcomes. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/c1f4d81d-en DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/c1f4d81d-en
Pratama, H., & Saputra, E. (2025). The influence of Android applications in nutrition education on increasing adolescent vegetable and fruit consumption knowledge and behavior. Jurnal Gizi dan Teknologi Pangan: Nutrismart, 1(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.64146/7SNWJ962 DOI: https://doi.org/10.64146/7snwj962
Preacher, K. J., & Selig, J. P. (2012). Advantages of Monte Carlo confidence intervals for indirect effects. Communication Methods and Measures, 6(2), 77–98. https://doi.org/10.1080/19312458.2012.679848 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19312458.2012.679848
Saleh, S. T., & Osaili, T. M. (2024). Adolescents' use of online food delivery applications and perceptions of healthy food options and food safety: A cross-sectional study in the United Arab Emirates. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11, 1385554. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1385554 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1385554
Shovianti, N., Simanjuntak, B. Y., & Okfrianti, Y. (2024). Frekuensi menggunakan aplikasi delivery food dan indeks massa tubuh (IMT) pada mahasiswa Poltekkes Bengkulu. Jurnal SAGO Gizi dan Kesehatan, 5(3B). https://ejournal.poltekkesaceh.ac.id/index.php/gikes/article/view/2033 https://doi.org/10.30867/gikes.v5i3b.2033 DOI: https://doi.org/10.30867/gikes.v5i3B.2033
Shudayfat, T., Bani Hani, S., Shdaifat, E., Al-Mugheed, K., Alsenany, S. A., & Abdelaliem, S. M. F. (2023). Electronic health literacy and its association with lifestyle behaviour among undergraduate students. DIGITAL HEALTH, 9, 20552076231185429. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076231185429 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076231185429
Tanasache, O. A., Law, C., Smith, R. D., Cummins, S., de Bekker-Grob, E. W., Swait, J., Donkers, B., & Cornelsen, L. (2025). Impact of calorie labelling on online takeaway food choices: An online menu-based choice experiment in England. Appetite, 208, 107894. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2025.107894 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2025.107894
Winham, D. M., Glick, A. A., Heer, M. M., & Hutchins, A. M. (2024). Health belief model predicts likelihood of eating nutrient-rich foods among U.S. adults. Nutrients, 16(14), 2335. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16142335 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16142335
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Wica Elvina (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with HealthSmart: Journal of Public Health agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). This license allows others to share and adapt the work, provided appropriate credit is given to the author(s) and to the work's initial publication in this journal.
2. Authors may enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., posting it to an institutional repository or publishing it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).
Health Smart: Jurnal Ilmu Kesehatan Masyarakat, all rights reserved. This open-access article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons 