Evaluation of a Novel WeChat Applet for Image-Based Dietary Assessment among Pregnant Women in China

Abstract

As an important part of antenatal care for pregnant women in China, dietary assessment plays a positive role in maternal and fetal health. Shortcomings in the associated methodologies require improvement. Our purpose was to develop a novel WeChat Applet for image-based dietary assessment (WAIDA) and evaluate its relative validity among pregnant women in China. Data on 251 lunch meals of pregnant women in their second trimester were analyzed. The differences in food weight, energy, and nutrient estimates by the dietary recall or WAIDA method with the weighing method were compared using paired t-tests. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to analyze the correlation between food weight, energy, and nutrient intake obtained from the recall or WAIDA method and those obtained from the weighing method. The Bland–Altman analysis was used to examine the agreement between the recall or WAIDA method and the weighing method for energy and nutrients. Compared with the weighing method, the variation range of food weight, energy and nutrients estimated by the WAIDA method was smaller and more stable than that estimated by the recall method. Compared with the recall method, the correlations suggested a better relationship between the energy and nutrient intakes from the weighing method and those estimated by the WAIDA method (0.752–0.970 vs. 0.480–0.887), which were similar to those of food weight (0.332–0.973 vs. −0.019–0.794). The Bland-Altman analysis showed that the mean differences of the energy and nutrients estimated from the recall method were further away from zero relative to the weighing method compared to the WAIDA method and with numerically wider 95% confidence intervals. The spans between the upper and lower 95% limit of agreement (LOAs) of the energy and nutrients obtained by the WAIDA method were narrower than those obtained by the recall method, and the majority of the data points obtained by the WAIDA method lay between the LOAs, closer to the middle horizontal line. Compared with the recall method, the WAIDA method is consistent with the weighing method, close to the real value of dietary data, and expected to be suitable for dietary assessment in antenatal care.

Clinical Features of Suspected Malignant Hyperthermia in China from 2015 to 2020: A Retrospective Study from China Malignant Hyperthermia Emergency Assistance Group

“…Unlike WeChat group, which was characterized by communication convenience, WeChat app focuses on tool-based services, which means it can implement more functionality than WeChat group. [30][31][32] Moreover, medical staff could find this system quickly through searching this applet in WeChat without taking time to download a new app, especially in the rescue, race against time. We are confident that if well designed, the applet can achieve the key functions including quick auto-diagnosis, rapid initiation of MH treatment and dantrolene mobilization, and ultimately improve the management of MH in China.…”

Relationship between the Dietary Inflammatory Index Score and Cytokine Levels in Chinese Pregnant Women during the Second and Third Trimesters

“…In this study, three day 24-h food records (two weekdays and one weekend), including food and nutritional supplements, were collected face-to-face from each participant in the second and third trimesters by a trained dietitian referring to an image-based dietary assessment method [ 52 ] to estimate their nutrient intake during a specific pregnancy. For those who went through two visits in the second and third trimesters, the dietary intake was measured in both trimesters.…”

The Validity and Feasibility of Utilizing the Photo-Assisted Dietary Intake Assessment among College Students and Elderly Individuals in China

“…Nevertheless, this methodology failed to consider the food’s dimensions, including its thickness and height, which could influence the accuracy of the results. Additionally, Ding’s research focused solely on pregnant women, overlooking the potential difficulties associated with implementing this approach among college students, who lack life experience, and the elderly, who may have diminished physical capabilities [ 22 ]. Therefore, in order to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of the image-assisted method for dietary assessments, it is imperative to select diverse settings and populations.…”