Exploring Australian parent preferences for a school-provided meal offering using a discrete choice experiment.

Abstract

There is growing interest in school-provided meal offerings in Australia. As a key stakeholder, it is important to understand Australian parent/caregiver preferences for such an offering. This study aimed to investigate parent interest and preferences in a school-provided meal offering for Australian primary schools. An online survey incorporating a discrete choice experiment was administered to parents of primary school-aged children across Australia. The discrete choice experiment involved 12 choice tasks, where parents were required to choose between two hypothetical school-provided lunch offerings. Six attributes with varying levels were used to describe the choice options: cost, nutrition and quality, environmental sustainability, access, menu options, and the school approach to food. A d-efficient design was constructed, with data analysed using multinomial logit models and the Krinsky and Robb method to calculate willingness to pay. The final sample consisted of 383 participants, predominantly women (90%). A majority expressed interest in school-provided meals (93%). The most significant influence on parent choice was nutrition and quality (β=0.71), followed by menu options (β=0.47), environmental sustainability (β=0.35), and a whole-school approach to food (β=0.28). A negative cost coefficient indicated a preference for lower-cost options. Parents were willing to pay for enhancements indicating the attributes were financially valued by parents. Results demonstrate Australian parent support for comprehensively designed and delivered school-provided lunches, aligned with their preferences. Parental preferences should be considered in system design, alongside other stakeholder perspectives, to achieve an acceptable and financially equitable school-provided meal system in Australia.