Feasibility and principal acceptability of school-based mobile communication applications to disseminate healthy lunchbox messages to parents.

<bold>Issue Addressed: </bold>This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of using an existing school-based mobile communication application to deliver messages to parents on how to pack a healthy lunchbox.<bold>Methods: </bold>A telephone survey was conducted with 196 primary school principals within the Hunter New England region of New South Wales, Australia, in 2016.<bold>Results: </bold>Almost two thirds of primary schools (59%) currently use a school-based mobile communication application to communicate with parents. Most principals (91%) agreed school lunchboxes need improving, of which 80% agree it is a school's role to provide information and guidelines to parents. However, only 50% of principals reported currently providing such information. The provision of lunchbox messages to parents by a third party appeared an acceptable model of delivery by principals. Larger schools and schools in urban and lower socio-economic localities were more likely to have used a school-based mobile communication application.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>The majority of principals recognise student lunchboxes need improving. The use of school-based mobile communication applications appears to be feasible and acceptable by principals as a method of communicating lunchbox messages to parents. SO WHAT?: Use of school-based mobile communication applications may be an effective method for delivering health information at a population level. Future research should assess the potential efficacy of disseminating health interventions via this modality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]