Short-Term Effect of a Health Promotion Intervention Based on the Electronic 12-Hour Dietary Recall (e-12HR) Smartphone App on Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Among Spanish Primary Care Professionals: Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization has called for addressing the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) by promoting healthy lifestyles among the population. Regarding patient health, primary care professionals (PCPs) are the first line of care who can positively influence patients' behavior and lifestyle habits. However, a significant percentage of PCPs do not lead a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, addressing their health behaviors may be the key to substantially increasing health promotion advice in general practice. The Mediterranean diet has been extensively studied, and there is strong evidence of it being a dietary pattern for the prevention of NCDs, in addition to its significant environmental, sociocultural, and local economics benefits. OBJECTIVE: This study focused only on the dietary aspect of the PCPs' lifestyle. The primary objective was to evaluate the effect of using the Electronic 12-Hour Dietary Recall (e-12HR) smartphone app to improve diet, specifically to promote adherence to the Mediterranean diet (AMD), among PCPs. The secondary objectives were to establish the usability of the e-12HR app and to determine AMD among PCPs. METHODS: An individual-level randomized, controlled, and single-blind clinical trial was conducted with 2 parallel groups: a control group (CG), using the nonfeedback version of the e-12HR app, and an intervention group (IG), using the feedback version of the e-12HR app. The level of human involvement was fully automated through the use of the app. There was a 28-day follow-up period. Participants were PCPs (medicine or nursing) recruited offline at one of the selected primary care centers (Andalusia, Spain, Southern Europe), of both sexes, over 18 years old, possessing a smartphone, and having smartphone literacy. RESULTS: The study response rate was 73% (71 of 97 PCPs), with 27 (38%) women and 44 (62%) men: 40 (56%) PCPs in the CG and 31 (44%) in the IG. At baseline, AMD was medium (mean Mediterranean Diet Serving Score [MDSS] index 9.45, range 0-24), with 47 (66%) PCPs with a medium/high MDSS index. There were significant statistical improvements (CG vs IG, in favor of the IG) at week 4 (no significant statistical differences at baseline): +25.6% for the MDSS index (P=.002) and +213.1% for the percentage with a medium/high MDSS index (P=.001). In relation to specific food groups, there were significant statistical improvements for fruits (+33.8%, P=.02), vegetables (+352%, P=.001), nuts (+184%, P=.02), and legumes (+75.1%, P=.03). The responses to the usability rating questionnaire were satisfactory. CONCLUSIONS: The results support recommending the use of the e-12HR app as a tool to contribute to improving diet and preventing NCDs among PCPs, while positively influencing patient dietary behavior and preventing diet-related NCDs among patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05532137; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05532137.

Relative Validity of a Method Based on a Smartphone App (Electronic 12-Hour Dietary Recall) to Estimate Habitual Dietary Intake in Adults.

BACKGROUND: Accurate dietary assessment is key to understanding nutrition-related outcomes and for estimating the dietary change in nutrition-based interventions. When researching the habitual consumption of selected food groups, it is essential to be aware of factors that could possibly affect reporting accuracy. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the relative validity of the current-day dietary recall, a method based on a smartphone app called electronic 12-hour dietary recall (e-12HR), to categorize individuals according to habitual intake, in the whole sample of adults and in different strata thereof. METHODS: University students and employees over 18 years recorded the consumption of 10 selected groups of food using e-12HR during 28 consecutive days. During this period, they also completed 4 dietary records. Once the period was finished, the subjects then completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and a usability-rating questionnaire for e-12HR. The food group intakes estimated by the e-12HR app, the dietary records, and the FFQ were categorized into sextiles: less than once a week, once or twice a week, 3-4 times a week, 5-6 times a week, once or twice a day, and 3 or more times a day. The 10 selected groups with e-12HR were compared with 4 dietary records and an FFQ reference method, in the whole sample and in different strata thereof: age (years): <25 and ≥25; gender: females and males; occupation: students and employees; smoking: no and yes; physical activity (minutes/week): ≥150 and <150; and body mass index (kg/m2): <25 and ≥25. The association between the different methods was assessed using Spearman correlation coefficient (SCC). Cross-classification and kappa statistic were used as a measure of agreement between the different methods. RESULTS: In total, 203 participants completed the study (56.7% [115/203] women, and 43.3% [88/203] men). For all food groups and all participants, the mean SCC for e-12HR versus FFQ was 0.67 (≥0.62 for all strata). On average, 50.7% of participants were classified into the same category (≥47.0% for all strata) and 90.2% within the nearest category (≥88.6% for all strata). Mean weighted kappa was 0.49 (≥0.44 for all strata). For e-12HR versus RDs, mean SCC was 0.65 (≥0.57 for all strata). On average, 50.0% of participants were classified into the same category (≥47.0% for all strata) and 88.2% within the nearest category (≥86.1% for all strata). Mean weighted kappa was 0.50 (≥0.44 for all strata). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that e-12HR generated categories of dietary intake highly comparable with the 2 reference methods in the whole sample and in different strata thereof. The inclusion of photographs to facilitate estimation of the servings consumed generated correlation/agreement data between e-12HR and the FFQ that were similar to a previous study using an older version of the app, which did not include photographs.

Electronic 12-Hour Dietary Recall (e-12HR): Comparison of a Mobile Phone App for Dietary Intake Assessment With a Food Frequency Questionnaire and Four Dietary Records.

BACKGROUND: One of the greatest challenges in nutritional epidemiology is improving upon traditional self-reporting methods for the assessment of habitual dietary intake. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relative validity of a new method known as the current-day dietary recall (or current-day recall), based on a smartphone app called 12-hour dietary recall, for determining the habitual intake of a series of key food and drink groups using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and four dietary records as reference methods. METHODS: University students over the age of 18 years recorded their consumption of certain groups of food and drink using 12-hour dietary recall for 28 consecutive days. During this 28-day period, they also completed four dietary records on randomly selected days. Once the monitoring period was over, subjects then completed an FFQ. The two methods were compared using the Spearman correlation coefficient (SCC), a cross-classification analysis, and weighted kappa. RESULTS: A total of 87 participants completed the study (64% women, 56/87; 36% men, 31/87). For e-12HR versus FFQ, for all food and drink groups, the average SCC was 0.70. Cross-classification analysis revealed that the average percentage of individuals classified in the exact agreement category was 51.5%; exact agreement + adjacent was 91.8%, and no participant (0%) was classified in the extreme disagreement category. The average weighted kappa was 0.51. For e-12HR versus the four dietary records, for all food and drink groups, the average SCC was 0.63. Cross-classification analysis revealed that the average percentage of individuals classified in the exact agreement category was 47.1%; exact agreement + adjacent was 89.2%; and no participant (0%) was classified in the extreme disagreement category. The average weighted kappa was 0.47. CONCLUSIONS: Current-day recall, based on the 12-hour dietary recall app, was found to be in good agreement with the two reference methods (FFQ & four dietary records), demonstrating its potential usefulness for categorizing individuals according to their habitual dietary intake of certain food and drink groups.

Valoración de la ingesta dietética mediante la aplicación e-EPIDEMIOLOGÍA: comparación con un cuestionario de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos en una muestra de trabajadores / Evaluation of dietary intake using the e-EPIDEMIOLOGY app: comparison with a food frequency questionnaire in a sample of workers

Antecedentes: Las nuevas tecnologías abren nuevas posibilidades para mejorar los métodos convencionales de determinación de la dieta. Objetivos: Comparar los datos de ingesta habitual obtenidos con una aplicación para teléfono móvil (e-EPIDEMIOLOGÍA) con los recogidos mediante un cuestionario de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos (CFCA) previamente validado. Material y métodos: Trabajadores andaluces de 26-68 años usaron e-EPIDEMIOLOGÍA durante 28 días y rellenaron un CFCA (en papel) al final del periodo de estudio. El grado de acuerdo entre las categorías de consumo habitual para los alimentos/bebidas estudiados fue evaluado mediante coeficiente de correlación de Spearman (CCS), análisis de clasificación cruzada e índice kappa ponderado (K). Resultados: 68 participantes completaron el estudio. CCS mostró alta La cita de este artículo es: O A Reyes et al. Valoración de la ingesta dietética mediante la aplicación e-EPIDEMIOLOGÍA: comparación con un cuestionario de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos en una muestra de trabajadores asociación (0,63). Análisis de clasificación cruzada mostró que el 87,8% de los sujetos estaban clasificados correctamente (misma categoría o categoría adyacente). K indicó una concordancia aceptable (0,46). Discusión: Los resultados indican que e-EPIDEMIOLOGÍA presenta buen acuerdo con el CFCA (AU)

Background: New technologies open up new possibilities for improving conventional methods for determining dietary intake. Objectives: To compare the usual intake data obtained with a mobile phone application (e-EPIDEMIOLOGY) with those collected using a previously validated Food Consumption Frequency Questionnaire (CFCA). Material and methods: Andalusian workers aged 26-68 used e-EPIDEMIOLOGY for 28 days and filled out a CFCA (paper) at the end of the study period. The degree of agreement between the categories of habitual consumption for the foods/drinks studied was evaluated using Spearman’s correlation coefficient (SCC), cross-classification analysis and weighted kappa index (K). Results: 68 participants completed the study. SCC showed high association (0.63). Cross-classification analysis showed that 87.8% of the subjects were correctly classified (same category or adjacent category). K indicated an acceptable concordance (0.46). Discussion: The results indicate that e-EPIDEMIOLOGY has a good agreement with the CFCA (AU)

Is there any alternative to traditional food frequency questionnaire for evaluating habitual dietary intake?

INTRODUCTION: Dietary assessment methods are an important instrument for nutrition research. Food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) have been the most frequently used dietary assessment tool in epidemiological and intervention studies. There is a great necessity for new methods of determination of habitual dietary intake that overcome the limitations of these traditional methods. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the present study were to develop a new method, based on an application for mobile phones called e-EPIDEMIOLOGY, designed to record individual consumption data about a short series of foods/drinks, and to compare data collected using this tool with those obtained from a previously validated short paper FFQ. METHODS: University students over 18 years recorded the consumption of certain foods/drinks using e-EPIDEMIOLOGY during 28 consecutive days and then filled out a short paper FFQ at the end of the study period. To evaluate the agreement between both methods, Spearman's correlation coefficient, cross-classification analysis and a weighted kappa statistic were used. RESULTS: One hundred and nineteen participants completed the study (71.4% female and 28.6% male). The mean Spearman's correlation coefficients for food/drink group intake between the two methods was 0.73. The mean percentage of participants cross-classified into categories of "exact agreement + adjacent" was 91.6%. The average weighted kappa statistic was 0.60. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that e-EPIDEMIOLOGY has good agreement with the previously validated FFQ short paper. However, it was noted that further testing of e-EPIDEMIOLOGY is required to establish its wider utility.

The e-EPIDEMIOLOGY Mobile Phone App for Dietary Intake Assessment: Comparison with a Food Frequency Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: There is a great necessity for new methods of evaluation of dietary intake that overcome the limitations of traditional self-reporting methods. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to develop a new method, based on an app for mobile phones called e-EPIDEMIOLOGY, which was designed to collect individual consumption data for a series of foods/drinks, and to compare this app with a previously validated paper food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). METHODS: University students >18 years of age recorded the consumption of certain foods/drinks using e-EPIDEMIOLOGY during 28 consecutive days and then filled out a paper FFQ at the end of the study period. To evaluate the agreement between the categories of habitual consumption for each of the foods/drinks included in the study, cross-classification analysis and a weighted kappa statistic were used. RESULTS: A total of 119 participants completed the study (71% female, 85/119; 29% male, 34/119). Cross-classification analysis showed that 79.8% of the participants were correctly classified into the same category and just 1.1% were misclassified into opposite categories. The average weighted kappa statistic was good (κ=.64). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that e-EPIDEMIOLOGY generated ranks of dietary intakes that were highly comparable with the previously validated paper FFQ. However, it was noted that further testing of e-EPIDEMIOLOGY is required to establish its wider utility.

[Hospital admissions in Bahía de Algeciras (Cádiz, Spain). Comparison with the rest of Andalusia and Spain (2001-2005)]. / Ingresos hospitalarios en el área de la Bahía de Algeciras. Comparación con Andalucía y España (2001-2005).

OBJECTIVES: To describe hospital admissions data in the Bay of Algeciras from 2001 to 2005 compared with the rest of Andalusia and Spain and to analyze the relationship between these data and the most frequent diagnoses leading to excessive premature mortality in this area. METHODS: We carried out a cross-sectional study. The study population consisted of the residents of the municipalities of the Bay of Algeciras, obtained from the Population and Household Census of 2001. Age-adjusted annual average hospital admission rates were compared between the Bay of Algeciras (2001-2005) and the rest of Andalusia and Spain using the relative and attributable risk. Hospital admissions and premature mortality rates were compared by means of the relative risk of the most important causes. RESULTS: Hospital admissions in the Bay of Algeciras were significantly lower for most of the diagnoses studied. There was also excessive premature mortality, especially for circulatory diseases (RR for hospital admissions: 0.79 in men and 0.87 in women; RR for premature mortality: 1.39 in men and 1.70 in women). Notable specific diseases were diabetes in both genders and cerebrovascular disease and liver cirrhosis in men. CONCLUSIONS: This study found a lower use of healthcare services and a higher risk of premature mortality due to severe diseases in this region. Further studies analyzing the potential socioeconomic and environmental determinants of the area are required.