Adolescence is a critical period characterized by physical, social, and developmental changes that impact on health and eating behaviour. Indonesia is experiencing dramatic economic and infrastructural changes, causing greater access to the global food industry and media. This transition is influencing food intake trends, leading to new nutritional challenges in adolescent girls. Qualitative research was conducted between November 2016 and January 2017 in five urban sites in Java, Indonesia, to examine individual, social, environmental, and macrosystem factors affecting snacking behaviours in unmarried adolescent girls 16–19 years of age. Methods entailed 30 freelisting exercises, nine key informant interviews, and 16 in‐depth interviews. Freelisting results identified over 200 snack foods, with the most salient processed convenience foods such as chips and cookies. Respondents typically snacked multiple times daily. Widespread availability of affordable and “tasty” snacks makes snack foods appealing meal substitutes. Snacks provide a distraction to boredom and loneliness and an enhancement to social gatherings. Girls exhibited limited understanding or concern about potential negative effects of snacking. Parents facilitate acquisition of nutrient‐poor snacks, whereas friends exert pressure for routine consumption of snack foods. Social media infiltrated with promotions of eateries and snack foods is likely contributing to the preponderance of snack food consumption. Routine consumption of snack foods high in sugar, salt, and fat and skipping meals will likely have long‐term consequences on the nutritional status and health of Indonesian adolescent girls. Findings underline the urgent need to develop contextually relevant, targeted behavioural change strategies to modify the potentially harmful eating and activity patterns of adolescent girls identified in this study and to curb the trajectory of overweight in urban Indonesia.

Objectives The objective of this study was to compare the perceived effectiveness of 3 front-of-package label (FOPL) types in helping Indonesian adolescents i. identify unhealthy foods, and ii. discourage consumption of unhealthy foods. Methods In June 2021, we conducted 8 focus group discussions (FDGs) with adolescents 12–18 years of age from Greater Jakarta (n = 46 adolescents). FDGs were stratified by gender and socioeconomic status (high/middle vs low). We reviewed 3 types of FOPLs - i. the traffic light label (TLL), ii. warning label, and iii. a healthier choice logo, which appears on selected product categories in Indonesia. Specifically, adolescents reflected on the visibility and memorability of FOPLs, comprehension and perceived effectiveness of the labels. FDGs were analysed using data-driven inductive thematic analysis approach. Results Participants characterized the warning label and TLL as memorable and visible, while the healthier choice icon was found to be the least visible, interesting or attractive of the labels. In general, participants understood the warning label and healthier choice logo, while some, particularly those from lower socioeconomic status (SES), did not understand the numeric information or meaning of the TLL colors. Opinions about whether the warning would change snack purchasing behavior were mixed, with some reporting that the warning would discourage them from buying unhealthy snacks and others conveying that it would not influence their food choices. Similarly, some reported that the TLL would make them ‘stop and think’, but not necessarily influence their purchasing behaviours. Adolescents considered that both TLL and warning labels were relevant for those who are concerned about their health, not them. Some participants appreciated the positive nature of the healthier choice logo and noted that it could help them identify healthy product. However, it was generally agreed that it would not influence their behaviour. Conclusions TLL and warning labels hold promise for helping adolescents identify unhealthy foods and discourage purchases of these products. Future research is needed to understand whether FOPLS would actually impact adolescents’ food purchasing behaviours and whether there are differences by gender or SES. Funding Sources The Netherland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.