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

Abstract

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.

Feasibility of Using an Artificial Intelligence-based Telephone Application for Dietary Assessment and Nudging to Improve the Quality of Food Choices of Female Adolescents in Vietnam: Evidence from a Randomized Pilot Study

“…Qualitative research undertaken as part of this project found that female adolescents from Vietnam had previously tried to track food consumption using commercial applications but stopped because they were difficult to use and time intensive [ 19 , 20 ]. Uploading food consumption generally involved a multistep process that included finding each food or ingredient separately on a dropdown menu and guessing their weight [ 20 ]. Adolescents believed their diet was unhealthy but did not trust the nutrition advice from those applications and followed fad diets [ 19 , 20 ].…”

“…Uploading food consumption generally involved a multistep process that included finding each food or ingredient separately on a dropdown menu and guessing their weight [ 20 ]. Adolescents believed their diet was unhealthy but did not trust the nutrition advice from those applications and followed fad diets [ 19 , 20 ]. Moreover, it has been shown that commercial applications might evoke unhealthy behavior [ 35 ].…”

“…The Food Recognition Assistance and Nudging Insights (FRANI) application was developed to be used by adolescents in Vietnam and Ghana [ 19 , 20 ]. FRANI validation studies provided reliable estimation of nutrient consumption of female adolescents compared with 24-h recalls and weigh food records [ [21] , [22] , [23] ].…”

The use of machine learning in paediatric nutrition

“…This project illustrated the nascent state of many of these efforts and reflected the ethical concerns of a generation who have grown up in the information age. Today's adolescents have high expectations for their interactions with apps, as highlighted by a group of Vietnamese girls who consulted on the design of an app to track and improve food choices [25 ▪ ]. They expected the app to provide highly personalised advice taking their height, weight and medical issues into consideration when giving feedback.…”

Towards the Design of a Gamified Application to Increase Tuberculosis Treatment Adherence in Vietnam

“…As of today, the use of gamification for health in Vietnam has been very limited. Recent fields in which gamification was applied for improved health outcomes include nutrition and dietary habits [21] as well as mental health and well-being [22]. To the best of our knowledge, there is no evidence in published or grey literature describing the use and impact of gamification on TB care and prevention in Vietnam.…”