DIetary ASSessment (DIASS) Study: Design of an Evaluation Study to Assess Validity, Usability and Perceived Burden of an Innovative Dietary Assessment Methodology

Abstract

During recent years, the integration of technology has substantially improved self-reported dietary assessment methods, such as food frequency questionnaires (FFQ), food records, and 24-h recalls. To further reduce measurement error, additional innovations are urgently needed. Memory-related measurement error is one of the aspects that warrants attention, which is where new smartphone technologies and ecological momentary assessment (EMA) approaches provide a unique opportunity. In this article, we describe the DIASS study, which was designed to evaluate an innovative 2-h recall (2hR) smartphone-based methodology, against traditional 24-h recalls, FFQ, and biomarkers, to assess both actual and habitual dietary intake. It is hypothesized that a 2-h reporting window decreases reliance on memory and reporting burden, and increases data accuracy. We included 215 men (28%) and women (72%), with a mean ± SD age of 39 ± 19 years and a mean ± SD BMI of 23.8 ± 4.0. Most participants were highly educated (58%). Response rates for the various dietary assessment methods were >90%. Besides the evaluation of the accuracy, usability, and perceived burden of the 2hR methodology, the study set-up also allows for (further) evaluation of the other administrated dietary assessment tools.

Validation of Diet ID™ in Predicting Nutrient Intake Compared to Dietary Recalls, Skin Carotenoid Scores, and Plasma Carotenoids in University Students

“…Innovative techniques to successfully capture the intricacies of dietary intake are needed to reduce participant and researcher burden in the research setting, as well as extend beyond research to improve dietary monitoring for public health benefit [ 70 , 71 ]. Dietary intake is closely associated with chronic disease risk, and dietary habits are often established prior to adulthood [ 72 ].…”