Sabrina Ionata de Oliveira Granheim

• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata; Torheim, Liv Elin; Terragni, Laura & Thurston, Miranda (2025). Conceptualizing the Digital Food Environment: A Framework. Urban Planning. 10, p. 1–34. doi: 10.17645/up.10635. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Food environments are important determinants of food choice and consumption and, consequently, drivers of global health and nutrition challenges such as obesity and noncommunicable diseases. These challenges are intensified by the ubiquitous presence of digital technology, which affects food practices. The goal of this study was to develop a middle‐range theory for understanding the digital food environment in late modernity. We conducted a critical realist grounded theory study based on elicited data (from semi‐structured interviews and observation of digital platforms, tools, and services) and extant data (from interdisciplinary scientific literature). We conceptualize the digital food environment as an augmented space where social and material food practices take place, mediated, enhanced, enabled, or replaced by digital technology, influencing food consumption and impacting nutrition, health, and equity. Our proposed model represents the digital food environment as a socially co‐produced space, where the interplay between structure and agency shapes food practices, driven by late modern processes such as digitalization, informationalism, individualization, commercialization, and exposure amplification. The digital food environment has a governance model where technology companies, digital content creators, and non‐human agents are key actors, increasing the complexity of food practices and power asymmetries that affect food choice, consumption patterns, and health narratives. Policies to promote healthy food environments must consider their increasingly digitalized nature.

• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata (2025). Kunstig intelligens og kritisk tenkning i mat- og helsefaget. Mat og helse i skolen. ISSN 1890-3193. 2, p. 4–8. Full text in Research Archive
• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata; Terragni, Laura; Torheim, Liv Elin & Thurston, Miranda (2025). The digitalization of young women's food environments in Norway. Health and Place. ISSN 1353-8292. 96, p. 1–9. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2025.103552. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Food environments, which significantly influence dietary patterns and health outcomes, are undergoing an accelerated process of digitalization. Young people are vulnerable to the adverse effects of food environment digitalization, with young women particularly affected due to their heavy exposure to social media. This study explores the process of digitalization of young women's food environments in Norway. Using a grounded theory approach, we conducted 14 semi-structured interviews with young women aged 18–25 years in Norway, complemented by an analysis of secondary materials such as websites, smartphone apps, and social media platforms identified during the interviews. We propose a theoretical model outlining four degrees of digitalization in young women's food environment interactions: analogue, digitally mediated, digitally enhanced, and digital-only. These interactions were influenced by processes at an individual level, through which young women strove to preserve their agency while seeking novelty, entertainment, social connection and self-optimization in relation to their food practices and bodies. Simultaneously, societal processes such as the normalization of technology use, increased personalization of digital services and intensification of exposure to digital food content and marketing shaped young women's action. These can conflict with their individual motivations or complement and reinforce them, thus creating tensions in how agency is exercised in increasingly digitalized food environments. We argue that the digitalization of food environments is likely to augment the complexity and intensity of their effects on health and nutrition, warranting further investigation.

• Løvhaug, Anne Lene; Granheim, Sabrina Ionata De Oliveira; Djojosoeparto, Sanne K.; Harrington, Janas M.; Kamphuis, Carlijn B.M. & Poelman, Maartje [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2022). The potential of food environment policies to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in diets and to improve healthy diets among lower socioeconomic groups: an umbrella review. BMC Public Health. 22(22). doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-12827-4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Socioeconomic inequalities in diets need to be tackled to improve population diets and prevent obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases. The potential of food environment policies to reduce such inequalities has to date however not been appraised. The objective of this umbrella review was to assess the impact of food environment policies on socioeconomic inequalities in diets and to identify knowledge gaps in the existing literature, using the Healthy Food Environment Policy Index as a conceptual framework. The policies considered in the umbrella review are within six domains: 1) food composition 2) food labelling 3) food promotion 4) food provision 5) food retail 6) food pricing. A systematic search for systematic literature reviews on the effect of food environment policies on dietary-related outcomes across socioeconomic groups and published in English between 2004 and 2019 was conducted. Sixteen systematic literature reviews encompassing 159 primary studies were included, covering food composition (n = 2), food labelling (n = 3), food provision (n = 2), food prices (n = 13) and food in retail (n = 4). Quality assessment using the “Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews” quality rating scale showed that review quality was mainly low or critically low. Results suggest that food taxation may reduce socioeconomic inequalities in diets. For all other policy areas, the evidence base was poor. Current research largely fails to provide good quality evidence on impacts of food environment policies on socioeconomic inequalities in diets. Research to fill this knowledge gap is urgently needed.

• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata; Løvhaug, Anne Lene; Terragni, Laura; Torheim, Liv Elin & Thurston, Miranda (2021). Mapping the digital food environment: A systematic scoping review. Obesity Reviews. ISSN 1467-7881. 23(e13356). doi: 10.1111/obr.13356. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Food environments are directly linked to diets and health outcomes such as over-weight, obesity, and noncommunicable diseases. The digitalization of food environ-ments is becoming a central issue in public health, yet little is known about thisemerging field. We performed a systematic scoping review to map the research onthe digital food environment and investigate how the eight dimensions of the foodenvironment, according to an established framework (availability, prices, vendor andproduct properties, marketing and regulation, accessibility, affordability, convenience,and desirability), might be shifting in the context of a digital society. We searchedMEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies published between2000 and 2019, using search terms covering digital technology and food environ-ment, which yielded 13,580 unique records. Our analysis of 357 studies shows thatdigitalization is taking place in all dimensions of the food environment, and enablingthe emergence of new forms of buying and selling food, such as online grocery shop-ping and online food delivery, which may be changing availability of foods and affect-ing the physical distance to shops and time allocated for shopping. Systematicreviews identified indicated that digital food marketing and social media can influ-ence food choices, preferences and consumption. Our findings suggest that digitaland physical food environments are interconnected and influencing one another, butthe impact of the digital on health and nutrition is yet unclear.

• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata De Oliveira; Vandevijvere, Stefanie & Torheim, Liv Elin (2019). The potential of a human rights approach for accelerating the implementation of comprehensive restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children. Health Promotion International. ISSN 0957-4824. 34(3), p. 591–600. doi: 10.1093/heapro/dax100. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Overweight and obesity in children is rising at the global level, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Among the causes for this increase is the marketing of unhealthy food and beverage products, which affects children's food preferences, purchasing requests and consumption patterns. The need to address harmful marketing to children has been recognized at the World Health Organization, with Member States having agreed in 2010 to implement a set of recommendations to restrict such practices. Concurrently, there is an increasing understanding of unhealthy food and malnutrition as human rights concerns. This paper explores the potential of existing legally and non-legally binding human rights instruments for accelerating the implementation of comprehensive restrictions to reduce harmful marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children. Four relevant themes were identified in existing human rights instruments: (i) the best interest of the child should be considered above all other interests; (ii) the rights to health and adequate food cannot be realized without supportive healthy environments; (iii) children should be protected from economic exploitation; and (iv) the persuasive marketing of unhealthy food and beverage products is explicitly recognized as a threat to the rights to food and health. In conclusion, existing human rights instruments could be harnessed to advance public health measures to restrict the marketing of unhealthy food and beverage products to children. Policy-makers and advocates should draw from these instruments and refer to State's obligations within international and domestic human rights law to strengthen their efforts to restrict harmful marketing practices to children.

• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata De Oliveira (2019). The digital food environment. UNSCN Nutrition. ISSN 1564-3743. p. 115–121. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Food environments are the “collective physical, economic, policy and sociocultural surroundings, opportunities and conditions that influence people’s food and beverage choices and nutritional status” (Swinburn et al., 2013). Unhealthy food environments have been linked to inadequate dietary intake and diet-related health conditions, such as obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The current approach to food environments pays little heed to the increasing role of digital technology and the internet in daily life and to the particularities of the digital world in influencing health and nutrition. Digital food environments encompass the digital components that may be part of food environments and influence health and nutrition. They are composed of digital actors (such as governments, academia, food industry and digital influencers) who perform digital activities (such as digital health promotion, digital food marketing and information sharing) in digital settings (such as social-networking sites, websites, blogs, smartphone apps). It has been suggested that digital food environments are already having an impact, particularly when it comes to body-image disorders, eating disorders and possibly overweight, obesity and NCDs. Some digital interventions have shown promising results in areas such as weight management. Further research is needed to characterize and assess the extent of the impact of digital food environments on health and nutrition in different contexts (low-, middle- and high-income countries) and different population groups, as well as their linkages with the broader food system (food access, affordability and safety) and policy implications.

• Solberg, Siri Løvsjø; Terragni, Laura & Granheim, Sabrina Ionata De Oliveira (2016). Ultra-processed food purchases in Norway: a quantitative study on a representative sample of food retailers. Public Health Nutrition (PHN). ISSN 1368-9800. 19(11), p. 1990–2001. doi: 10.1017/S1368980015003523. Full text in Research Archive

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• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata & Thurston, Miranda (2026). Navigating health, food and misinformation in social media environments. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. ISSN 1403-4948. 54(1_supp), p. 26–26. doi: https:/journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14034948261479642?_gl=1*9bibpr*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTQxNzk4OTI2MS4xNzkwOTIxMzU4*_ga_60R758KFDG*czE3OTA5MjEzNTckbzEkZzEkdDE3OTA5MjE0MTgkajYwJGwxJGgxMDE5MDc5ODEw. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The digital transformation of society plays a central role in shaping contemporary health and food narratives and practices in everyday life. Social media platforms (SoMe) have become primary sources of information for many sociodemographic groups, particularly young people, providing places for social connection and the circulation of health information. In this context, trust in scientific evidence and public health expertise is increasingly mediated by commercially-driven digital environments, while the authority of public health nstitutions is increasingly challenged. The SoMe food and health (mis)information environment thus affects trust in public health expertise. Public health preparedness involves regulating digital platforms and strengthening health literacy.

• Kleppang, Annette Løvheim; Vedøy, Ingeborg Barth; Bjørli, Marte; Thurston, Miranda; Granheim, Sabrina Ionata & Chimhutu, Victor (2026). Videreutdanning i systematisk folkehelsearbeid: Kompetanse for framtiden. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Folkehelsearbeid er et fagfelt i vekst, med økende betydning både nasjonalt og globalt. Systematisk folkehelsearbeid forutsetter struktur, langsiktighet og et solid kunnskapsgrunnlag for å sikre effektive og bærekraftige tiltak. Pandemier, klimaendringer, en aldrende befolkning og økende sosiale ulikheter har gjort forebyggende og helsefremmende folkehelsearbeid mer relevant enn noen gang. For å møte disse utfordringene og styrke den tverrfaglige kompetansen innen folkehelsearbeid i Norge, på lokalt-, regionalt- og nasjonalt nivå, har Universitetet i Innlandet (INN) utviklet en ny videreutdanning i systematisk folkehelsearbeid. Utdanningen er spesielt rettet mot å omsette kunnskap til praksis og tar sikte på å adressere sentrale utfordringer som fragmentering og manglende koordinering i dagens folkehelsearbeid, med et tydelig fokus på helse-i-alt-vi-gjør-perspektivet.

• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata (2026). Ernæring, kostråd og tillit i usikre tider. doi: https:/campuskongsvinger.no/program/event/ernaering-kostrad-og-tillit-i-usikre-tider/. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Vi bombarderes daglig med råd om hva vi bør spise. Sosiale medier, influensere, nyhetsartikler, reklame og selvutnevnte eksperter konkurrerer om oppmerksomheten vår. Men hvem kan vi egentlig stole på? I forbindelse med Forskningsdagene, hvor årets tema er tillit, setter vi søkelyset på hvordan vi navigerer i en verden full av motstridende kostholdsråd og helseinformasjon. Foredraget gir et innblikk i hvordan kostråd blir til, hvorfor tillit er avgjørende for god folkehelse, og hvordan digitale plattformer påvirker hva vi tror på, deler videre og legger på tallerkenen. Det gir et forskningsbasert perspektiv på spørsmål mange av oss møter hver eneste dag: Hvordan skiller vi mellom dokumentert kunnskap og sterke meninger? Hvorfor er tillit til forskning viktig? Og hvordan kan vi ta gode valg i en tid hvor informasjonen aldri har vært mer tilgjengelig, men heller aldri mer uoversiktlig?

• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata (2026). The digital food environment: Challenges and opportunities for public health policy. doi: https:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gy9HzXFmLs. Full text in Research Archive
• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata (2026). Ultra-processed digital diets and social media. Full text in Research Archive
• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata (2026). The digitalization of food choice. doi: https:/www.hvl.no/forsking/konferanse/symposium-fremtidens-mat/. Full text in Research Archive
• Thurston, Miranda & Granheim, Sabrina Ionata (2026). The SDGs, Health in All Policies and public health work at municipal level. doi: https:/innlandetfylke.no/tjenester/plan-statistikk-og-folkehelse/folkehelse/folkehelsepraten-i-innlandet/. Full text in Research Archive
• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata (2025). Når kunstig intelligens bestemmer menyen: hva skjer med kritisk tenkning? Full text in Research Archive
• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata (2025). Kosthold og ernæring i en digitalisert verden: Sosiale medier, helsepåstander og kritisk tenkning. Full text in Research Archive
• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata De Oliveira; Vandevijvere, Stefanie & Torheim, Liv Elin (2017). The potential of a human rights approach for accelerating the implementation of comprehensive restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children. Full text in Research Archive
• Lie, Ann Louise & Granheim, Sabrina Ionata De Oliveira (2017). Multistakeholder Partnerships in Global Nutrition Governance: Protecting Public Interests? 137(22). doi: 10.4045/tidsskr.17.0627. Full text in Research Archive
• Thurston, Miranda; Torheim, Liv Elin; Terragni, Laura & Granheim, Sabrina Ionata (2026). A Grounded Theory of the Digital Food Environment. Universitet i Innlandet / University of Inland Norway. ISSN 9788283806144. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Food environments are widely acknowledged as critical determinants of dietary practices, nutrition, and health. Unhealthy food environments contribute to global health challenges, including obesity and noncommunicable diseases, disproportionately affecting disadvantaged groups. The increasing role of digital technology and the internet in daily life is a global phenomenon. This digital transformation is likely to be accompanied by consequences (positive or negative) in the physical world, affecting how food environments are built and experienced, and ultimately the health and nutritional status of individuals and populations. Despite the increasing attention to the role of digitalization in contemporary society, existing approaches to the food environment are largely silent about the role of digital technology. This study aimed to address this gap by developing a conceptual definition of digital food environments and a theoretical framework addressing the characteristics and functioning of this social phenomenon. Using a critical realist grounded theory approach, the study abductively combined elicited and extant data. Elicited data was gathered through semistructured online interviews with 14 young women aged 18–25 years, and observation of digital tools and platforms they used. Extant data was gathered through an interdisciplinary systematic scoping review. The resulting middle-range theory indicates that digitalization affects all dimensions of the food environment, however little is known about the actual impact on health and nutrition. Food practices in the digital food environment were found to be digitalized to varying degrees, ranging from analogue practices in which digital technologies play no role, to digitally replaced practices in which food-related decision making is delegated to technological systems. The digital food environment was thus conceptualized as an augmented space where social and material food practices take place, mediated, enhanced, enabled or replaced by digital technology, influencing food consumption and impacting nutrition, health and equity. The framework represents the digital food environment as a socially co-produced space, where the interplay between structure and agency shapes food practices, driven by late modern processes such as informationalism, individualization, commercialization, exposure amplification, and digitalization itself. Overall, the study indicates that digitalization is more than a superimposed layer on traditional food environments, representing a transformative force that requires new approaches and policies to safeguard nutrition, health, and equity.

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