Volume 14, Issue 1, 2026
Use of Food Delivery Applications, Perception of Healthy Food Options and Food Safety among Undergraduates in University Of Ibadan
Iyanda A.B, Adeleye A.T, Ojo G.I , Oyediji M.O, JIME, H.K Oredugba M.P And Anyanwu P.O
Abstract
Food delivery apps provide convenient access to meals, but concerns exist
regarding vendor hygiene, limited meal variety, and poor nutritional quality.
Students often rely on repetitive, carbohydrate-heavy meals, raising health and
safety issues, while limited awareness of healthy options hinders informed
choices. Therefore, this study examined the use of food delivery applications,
perceptions of healthy food options, and food safety among undergraduates at
the University of Ibadan
The descriptive survey design was adopted, with 200 students selected through
multistage sampling from four departments in the Faculty of Education. Data
were collected using a structured questionnaire on app usage, healthy food
perception, and food safety, rated on a four-point Likert scale. Reliability
coefficients of 0.76.. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential
statistics of Pearson Product Moment Correlation and t-test.
Findings revealed that while food delivery applications offer convenience,
students remain concerned about food safety and nutrition. Affordability and
accessibility strongly influenced their choices, and students who prioritize
healthy eating demonstrated higher food safety awareness. Female students
reported slightly higher app usage than males. The study recommends stricter
hygiene monitoring of vendors, increased promotion of healthy meal options,
and initiatives encouraging home-cooked meals, such as cooking workshops
and access to affordable fresh foods.
Keywords
Food Safety, Food Delivery, Nutrition, Mobile Applications, Healthy Food Options
Full Text
Download
References
Al Amin, M., Arefin, M.?S., Alam, M.?R.,
Ahammad, T., and Hoque, M.?R. (2021). Using
mobile food delivery
applications
during
COVID-19 pandemic: An extended model of
planned behavior.
Journal of Food
Production Marketing, 27, 105–126.
28
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PERSPECTIVES, VOLUME 14, ISSUE 1, (2026)
29
Breugelmans, E., Campo, K., and Gijsbrechts, E.
(2007). Shelf sequence and proximity effects on
online grocery choices. Marketing Letters, 18(1
2), 117–133.
Choudhary, P. (2024). Consumer acceptance of AI
driven personalization in food-delivery platforms.
International Journal of Human–Computer
Interaction. Advance online publication
Coumans, J. M. J., Bolman, C. A. W., Lechner, L.,
and Oenema, A. (2021). An exploration of
perceptions and preferences for healthy
eating in Dutch consumers: A qualitative pilot
study. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 7, Article 20.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-020-00735-6
Dastile, L. S., Francis, J., and Muchenje, V. (2017).
Consumers’ social representations of meat safety in
two selected restaurants of Raymond
Mhlaba Municipality in the Eastern Cape, South
Africa. Sustainability, 9(10), 1651.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su9101651
Ehuwa, O., Jaiswal, A. K., and Jaiswal, S. (2021).
Salmonella, food safety and food handling
practices. Foods, 10(5), 907.
https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10050907
Freeman, L. R., and Kelly, S. (2020). The impact
of food delivery services on the dietary habits
of consumers. Journal of Nutrition
Education and Behaviour, 52(2), 126–133
Ganchrow, J. R., Mennella, J. A., and Doty, R. L.
(2003). The ontogeny of human flavor
perception. In R. L. Doty (Ed.), Handbook
of Olfaction and Gustation (2nd ed., pp. 823
946). Marcel Dekker.
Gibson, E. L. (2006). Emotional influences on food
choice: Sensory, physiological and
psychological pathways. Physiology &
Behaviour, 89(1), 53–61.
Global Burden of Disease Collaborators. (2017).
Global, regional, and national comparative risk
assessment of dietary risks, 1990–2017.
The Lancet, 393(10184), 1958–1972
GlobalData. (2023). Online food delivery market
analysis. GlobalData. Retrieved from
https://www.globaldata.com/store/report/o
nline-food-delivery-market-analysis/
Goldberg, D.?M., Khan, S., Zaman, N., and
Abrahams, A.?S. (2020). Text mining approaches
for postmarket food safety surveillance using
online media. Risk Analysis, 12, 1–20.
Hirschberg, C., Rajko, A., Schumacher, T., and
Wrulich, M. (2017). The changing market for food
delivery (McKinsey report). McKinsey &
Company
Hsu, S.-Y., Chang, C.-C., and Lin, T.?T. (2016). An
analysis of purchase intentions toward organic food
on health consciousness and food safety
with/under structural equation modeling. Journal
of British Food, 118, 200–216.
https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-11-2014- 0376
Jackson, B., Cooper, M. L., Mintz, L. B., and
Albino, A. (2003). Motivations to eat: Scale
development and validation. Journal of
Research in Personality, 37(3), 297–318.
Jackson, L. S. (Ed.). (1999). Impact of processing
on food safety. Springer.
Kapoor, A.?P., and Vij, M. (2018). Technology at
the dinner table: Ordering food online
through mobile apps. Journal of
Retailing and Consumer Services, 43, 342–351.
Koster, E. P. (2009). Diversity in the determinants
of food choice: A psychological perspective.
Food Quality and Preference, 20(2), 70
82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2007.11.002
LaCaille, L. J., Dauner, K. N., Krambeer, R. J., and
Pedersen, J. (2011). Psychosocial and
environmental determinants of eating
behaviors, physical activity, and weight change
among college students: A qualitative
analysis. Journal of American College Health, 59,
531–538.
Lent, R. W. (2004). Toward a unifying theoretical
and practical perspective on well-being and
psychosocial adjustment. Journal of
Counseling Psychology, 51(4), 482–509.
Maimaiti, M., Zhao, X., Jia, M., Ru, Y., and Zhu,
S. (2018). How we eat determines what we
become: Opportunities and challenges
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PERSPECTIVES, VOLUME 14, ISSUE 1, (2026)
brought by food delivery industry in a changing
world in China.
European
Journal
of
Clinical Nutrition, 72(9), 1282–1286.
Maria, A., Gonzalez, R., and Patel, S. (2024).
Mobile-first food-safety education for university
students:
A pilot programme evaluation.
Journal of Public Health Education. Advance
online publication.
Matarese, L. E., and Pories, W. J. (2014). Adult
weight loss diets: Metabolic effects and
outcomes.
Nutrition
Practice,
29(6),
in
Clinical
759–767.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0884533614550251
Ogden, J. (2002). Health Psychology: A Textbook
(3rd ed.). Open University Press.
Piochi, M., Fontefrancesco, M. F., and Torri, L.
(2022).
Understanding
Italian
consumers’
perception of safety in animal food products.
Foods, 11, 3739.
Ray, A., Dhir, A., Bala, P. K., and Kaur, P. (2019).
Why do people use food delivery apps? A uses and
gratification theory perspective. Journal of
Retailing and Consumer Services, 51, 221–230.
Shaojing, X., Li, Y., and Chen, P. (2019).
Determinants of consumers’ preference for food
delivery apps in China. Journal of Retailing and
Consumer Services, 49, 386–394
Shim, M., and You, M. (2015). Cognitive and
affective risk perceptions toward food safety
outbreaks:
Mediating the relation between
news use and food consumption intention. Asian
Journal of
Communication, 25(1), 48–64.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01292986.2014.989242
Smith, A. (2020). Understanding consumer
behaviour in online meal-ordering: Implications for
nutrition policy. Public Health Nutrition,
23(14), 2536–2544.
Suhartanto, D., Dean, D., Leo, G., and Triyuni, N.
N. (2019). Millennial experience with online food
home delivery: A lesson from Indonesia.
Interdisciplinary
Journal
of
Information,
Knowledge, and Management, 14, 277
294. https://doi.org/10.28945/4386
Van Langeveld, A. W. B., Teo, P. S., and Hendriks,
A. E. J. (2016). Effects of taste education
and
healthy food exposure in school-aged children.
Appetite,
107,
537–545.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.08.1