The first two years of life are a critical period for establishing healthy eating habits and food preferences, and with more availability of commercial foods for infants and young children than ever before, this PhD project explores why parents choose these products and how their use influences children’s eating habits.
There has been a substantial increase in the availability and marketing of commercial foods for infants and young children, including snack foods, pouches, and ready-to-eat meals. While these products are often promoted as healthy and convenient options for busy families, little is known about how parents interpret marketing claims, why they choose these products, or how their use may influence children’s overall dietary intake and later eating habits.
The findings of this PhD will help inform future nutrition policy, public health messaging and resources to support healthy feeding practices. It will use a mixed methods approach to investigate the role of commercial foods for infants and young children (CFIYC) in shaping early feeding practices and children’s dietary intake.
The project could include an initial quantitative study exploring the prevalence of commercial infant and toddler food use and the factors associated with purchasing decisions, including convenience, family routines, social norms, cultural influences, child eating behaviours, and parental feeding beliefs.
Building on these findings, qualitative interviews or focus groups with parents and caregivers will explore how families make decisions about commercial infant and toddler foods, including how they interpret packaging, nutrition claims and marketing messages, and the role these products play in everyday family life.
The project may also include secondary analyses of existing longitudinal datasets to investigate whether commercial infant and toddler food consumption is associated with later dietary quality.
The final PhD project will be developed collaboratively with the successful candidate and may be tailored to align with their interests and career goals.
Supervisors
Location
Burwood or Geelong
Eligibility criteria
- Applicants must meet Deakin’s PhD entry requirements, be enrolling full time or part time, and hold an Honours degree (First Class) or an equivalent standard Master’s degree with a substantial research component (including a Thesis component). Please refer to the entry pathways to higher degrees by research for further information.
- The opportunity is open to domestic and international students
- Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree with Honours or a Master’s degree with research component in health promotion, public health, psychology, exercise science or related field.
- Applicants must have experience in quantitative and/or qualitative methodology.
- Fluency in verbal and written English (evidence of English proficiency is required), highly motivated and able to work in a multidisciplinary team.
Key dates and other information
Please email your CV and a 1-page expression of interest, which includes a short research proposal, by Sunday, 9 August 2026.
Your CV/expression of interest should address the prerequisites and include:
- Qualifications, dates of completion and thesis grade
- List of any peer review publications
- Previous research or relevant practical experience
We will work with a suitably qualified applicant to apply for scholarship funding in Aug 2026 round for 2027 commencement.
Refer to our How to apply for a research degree webpage for more information.
Want more information?
Contact Dr Alissa Burnett or Dr Jennifer McCann