Design of a mobile phone-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) application to assess dietary intake and provide nudges to improve healthy eating choices: Formative research in Ghana and Vietnam

Braga, Bianca C.; Aberman, Noora-Lisa; Arrieta, Alejandra; Bannerman, Boateng; Burns, Adam; Folson, Gloria; Huynh, Phuong; Koch, Bastien; McCloskey, Pete; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Hughes, David; Gelli, Aulo

doi:10.2499/p15738coll2.134412

Cited by 4 publications

(16 citation statements)

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“…Vietnam is a country in nutrition transition, with great changes in food supply, food prices, household expenditure, diet, and nutrition outcomes [20]. We previously reviewed the apps available in the Vietnamese market that could serve as tools for nutrition interventions [18]. Most of the apps found focused on tracking and changing food choices with the ultimate goal of losing weight [18].…”

Section: Prior Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We previously reviewed the apps available in the Vietnamese market that could serve as tools for nutrition interventions [18]. Most of the apps found focused on tracking and changing food choices with the ultimate goal of losing weight [18]. Food consumption is usually tracked by searching for and selecting each food and beverage separately from a dropdown menu and their portion sizes [18].…”

Section: Prior Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most of the apps found focused on tracking and changing food choices with the ultimate goal of losing weight [18]. Food consumption is usually tracked by searching for and selecting each food and beverage separately from a dropdown menu and their portion sizes [18]. This was considered so time consuming that even adolescents from Vietnam interested in changing their diets stopped using these apps [18].…”

Section: Prior Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Food consumption is usually tracked by searching for and selecting each food and beverage separately from a dropdown menu and their portion sizes [18]. This was considered so time consuming that even adolescents from Vietnam interested in changing their diets stopped using these apps [18]. There is a lack of free, user-friendly apps that focused on changing dietary quality [18].…”

Section: Prior Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Young people are early adopters of mobile phone apps, games, and social media and are highly influenced by peer norms [13,15,16]. Mobile phones and computers are now widely used by adolescents from countries with all income levels [17][18][19]. The implementation of nutrition interventions based on apps holds great potential to improve the dietary quality of this population, but its impact is yet to be demonstrated [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring an Artificial Intelligence–Based, Gamified Phone App Prototype to Track and Improve Food Choices of Adolescent Girls in Vietnam: Acceptability, Usability, and Likeability Study

Braga¹,

Nguyen²,

Aberman³

et al. 2022

JMIR Form Res

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Background Adolescents’ consumption of healthy foods is suboptimal in low- and middle-income countries. Adolescents’ fondness for games and social media and the increasing access to smartphones make apps suitable for collecting dietary data and influencing their food choices. Little is known about how adolescents use phones to track and shape their food choices. Objective This study aimed to examine the acceptability, usability, and likability of a mobile phone app prototype developed to collect dietary data using artificial intelligence–based image recognition of foods, provide feedback, and motivate users to make healthier food choices. The findings were used to improve the design of the app. Methods A total of 4 focus group discussions (n=32 girls, aged 15-17 years) were conducted in Vietnam. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed by grouping ideas into common themes based on content analysis and ground theory. Results Adolescents accepted most of the individual- and team-based dietary goals presented in the app prototype to help them make healthier food choices. They deemed the overall app wireframes, interface, and graphic design as acceptable, likable, and usable but suggested the following modifications: tailored feedback based on users’ medical history, anthropometric characteristics, and fitness goals; new language on dietary goals; provision of information about each of the food group dietary goals; wider camera frame to fit the whole family food tray, as meals are shared in Vietnam; possibility of digitally separating food consumption on shared meals; and more appealing graphic design, including unique badge designs for each food group. Participants also liked the app’s feedback on food choices in the form of badges, notifications, and statistics. A new version of the app was designed incorporating adolescent’s feedback to improve its acceptability, usability, and likability. Conclusions A phone app prototype designed to track food choice and help adolescent girls from low- and middle-income countries make healthier food choices was found to be acceptable, likable, and usable. Further research is needed to examine the feasibility of using this technology at scale.

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Section: Prior Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Prior Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Prior Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Prior Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Exploring an Artificial Intelligence–Based, Gamified Phone App Prototype to Track and Improve Food Choices of Adolescent Girls in Vietnam: Acceptability, Usability, and Likeability Study

Braga¹,

Nguyen²,

Aberman³

et al. 2022

JMIR Form Res

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Validation of Mobile Artificial Intelligence Technology–Assisted Dietary Assessment Tool Against Weighed Records and 24-Hour Recall in Adolescent Females in Ghana

Folson,

Bannerman,

Atadze

et al. 2023

The Journal of Nutrition

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Exploring an Artificial Intelligence–Based, Gamified Phone App Prototype to Track and Improve Food Choices of Adolescent Girls in Vietnam: Acceptability, Usability, and Likeability Study (Preprint)

Braga¹,

Nguyen²,

Aberman³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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BACKGROUND Adolescents’ consumption of healthy foods is suboptimal in low- and middle-income countries. Adolescents’ fondness for games and social media and the increasing access to smartphones make apps suitable for collecting dietary data and influencing their food choices. Little is known about how adolescents use phones to track and shape their food choices. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the acceptability, usability, and likability of a mobile phone app prototype developed to collect dietary data using artificial intelligence–based image recognition of foods, provide feedback, and motivate users to make healthier food choices. The findings were used to improve the design of the app. METHODS A total of 4 focus group discussions (n=32 girls, aged 15-17 years) were conducted in Vietnam. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed by grouping ideas into common themes based on content analysis and ground theory. RESULTS Adolescents accepted most of the individual- and team-based dietary goals presented in the app prototype to help them make healthier food choices. They deemed the overall app wireframes, interface, and graphic design as acceptable, likable, and usable but suggested the following modifications: tailored feedback based on users’ medical history, anthropometric characteristics, and fitness goals; new language on dietary goals; provision of information about each of the food group dietary goals; wider camera frame to fit the whole family food tray, as meals are shared in Vietnam; possibility of digitally separating food consumption on shared meals; and more appealing graphic design, including unique badge designs for each food group. Participants also liked the app’s feedback on food choices in the form of badges, notifications, and statistics. A new version of the app was designed incorporating adolescent’s feedback to improve its acceptability, usability, and likability. CONCLUSIONS A phone app prototype designed to track food choice and help adolescent girls from low- and middle-income countries make healthier food choices was found to be acceptable, likable, and usable. Further research is needed to examine the feasibility of using this technology at scale.

show abstract

Design of a mobile phone-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) application to assess dietary intake and provide nudges to improve healthy eating choices: Formative research in Ghana and Vietnam

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Exploring an Artificial Intelligence–Based, Gamified Phone App Prototype to Track and Improve Food Choices of Adolescent Girls in Vietnam: Acceptability, Usability, and Likeability Study

Exploring an Artificial Intelligence–Based, Gamified Phone App Prototype to Track and Improve Food Choices of Adolescent Girls in Vietnam: Acceptability, Usability, and Likeability Study

Validation of Mobile Artificial Intelligence Technology–Assisted Dietary Assessment Tool Against Weighed Records and 24-Hour Recall in Adolescent Females in Ghana

Exploring an Artificial Intelligence–Based, Gamified Phone App Prototype to Track and Improve Food Choices of Adolescent Girls in Vietnam: Acceptability, Usability, and Likeability Study (Preprint)

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