Innovative approaches to estimate individual usual dietary intake in large-scale epidemiological studies

Valid estimation of usual dietary intake in epidemiological studies is a topic of present interest. The aim of the present paper is to review recent literature on innovative approaches focussing on: (1) the requirements to assess usual intake and (2) the application in large-scale settings. Recently, a number of technology-based self-administered tools have been developed, including short-term instruments such as web-based 24-h recalls, mobile food records or simple closed-ended questionnaires that assess the food intake of the previous 24 h. Due to their advantages in terms of feasibility and cost-effectiveness these tools may be superior to conventional assessment methods in large-scale settings. New statistical methods have been developed to combine dietary information from repeated 24-h dietary recalls and FFQ. Conceptually, these statistical methods presume that the usual food intake of a subject equals the probability of consuming a food on a given day, multiplied by the average amount of intake of that food on a typical consumption day. Repeated 24-h recalls from the same individual provide information on consumption probability and amount. In addition, the FFQ can add information on intake frequency of rarely consumed foods. It has been suggested that this combined approach may provide high-quality dietary information. A promising direction for estimation of usual intake in large-scale settings is the integration of both statistical methods and new technologies. Studies are warranted to assess the validity of estimated usual intake in comparison with biomarkers.

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Evaluation of dietary intake assessed by the Dutch self-administered web-based dietary 24-h recall tool (Compl-eat™) against interviewer-administered telephone-based 24-h recalls

Journal of Nutritional Science ◽

10.1017/jns.2017.45 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Saskia Meijboom ◽

Martinette T. van Houts-Streppel ◽

Corine Perenboom ◽

Els Siebelink ◽

Anne M. van de Wiel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dietary Intake ◽

Large Scale ◽

Alcohol Intake ◽

Lower Number ◽

Vitamin B ◽

Food Groups ◽

Web Based ◽

The Web

AbstractSelf-administered web-based 24-h dietary recalls (24 hR) may save a lot of time and money as compared with interviewer-administered telephone-based 24 hR interviews and may therefore be useful in large-scale studies. Within the Nutrition Questionnaires plus (NQplus) study, the web-based 24 hR tool Compl-eat™ was developed to assess Dutch participants’ dietary intake. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of this tool against the interviewer-administered telephone-based 24 hR method. A subgroup of participants of the NQplus study (20–70 years, n 514) completed three self-administered web-based 24 hR and three telephone 24 hR interviews administered by a dietitian over a 1-year period. Compl-eat™ as well as the dietitians guided the participants to report all foods consumed the previous day. Compl-eat™ on average underestimated the intake of energy by 8 %, of macronutrients by 10 % and of micronutrients by 13 % as compared with telephone recalls. The agreement between both methods, estimated using Lin's concordance coefficients (LCC), ranged from 0·15 for vitamin B1 to 0·70 for alcohol intake (mean LCC 0·38). The lower estimations by Compl-eat™ can be explained by a lower number of total reported foods and lower estimated intakes of the food groups, fats, oils and savoury sauces, sugar and confectionery, dairy and cheese. The performance of the tool may be improved by, for example, adding an option to automatically select frequently used foods and including more recall cues. We conclude that Compl-eat™ may be a useful tool in large-scale Dutch studies after suggested improvements have been implemented and evaluated.

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Challenges Associated With the Design and Deployment of Food Intake Urine Biomarker Technology for Assessment of Habitual Diet in Free-Living Individuals and Populations—A Perspective

Frontiers in Nutrition ◽

10.3389/fnut.2020.602515 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Author(s):

Manfred Beckmann ◽

Thomas Wilson ◽

Amanda J. Lloyd ◽

Duarte Torres ◽

Ana Goios ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Intake ◽

Dietary Intake ◽

Large Scale ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Population Level ◽

Eating Patterns ◽

Food Groups ◽

Free Living ◽

Wide Range ◽

Urine Biomarker

Improvement of diet at the population level is a cornerstone of national and international strategies for reducing chronic disease burden. A critical challenge in generating robust data on habitual dietary intake is accurate exposure assessment. Self-reporting instruments (e.g., food frequency questionnaires, dietary recall) are subject to reporting bias and serving size perceptions, while weighed dietary assessments are unfeasible in large-scale studies. However, secondary metabolites derived from individual foods/food groups and present in urine provide an opportunity to develop potential biomarkers of food intake (BFIs). Habitual dietary intake assessment in population surveys using biomarkers presents several challenges, including the need to develop affordable biofluid collection methods, acceptable to participants that allow collection of informative samples. Monitoring diet comprehensively using biomarkers requires analytical methods to quantify the structurally diverse mixture of target biomarkers, at a range of concentrations within urine. The present article provides a perspective on the challenges associated with the development of urine biomarker technology for monitoring diet exposure in free-living individuals with a view to its future deployment in “real world” situations. An observational study (n = 95), as part of a national survey on eating habits, provided an opportunity to explore biomarker measurement in a free-living population. In a second food intervention study (n = 15), individuals consumed a wide range of foods as a series of menus designed specifically to achieve exposure reflecting a diversity of foods commonly consumed in the UK, emulating normal eating patterns. First Morning Void urines were shown to be suitable samples for biomarker measurement. Triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, coupled with liquid chromatography, was used to assess simultaneously the behavior of a panel of 54 potential BFIs. This panel of chemically diverse biomarkers, reporting intake of a wide range of commonly-consumed foods, can be extended successfully as new biomarker leads are discovered. Towards validation, we demonstrate excellent discrimination of eating patterns and quantitative relationships between biomarker concentrations in urine and the intake of several foods. In conclusion, we believe that the integration of information from BFI technology and dietary self-reporting tools will expedite research on the complex interactions between dietary choices and health.

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Development and evaluation of the Oxford WebQ, a low-cost, web-based method for assessment of previous 24 h dietary intakes in large-scale prospective studies

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980011000942 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 14 (11) ◽

pp. 1998-2005 ◽

Cited By ~ 103

Author(s):

Bette Liu ◽

Heather Young ◽

Francesca L Crowe ◽

Victoria S Benson ◽

Elizabeth A Spencer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dietary Intake ◽

Prospective Studies ◽

Large Scale ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Low Cost ◽

Dietary Intakes ◽

Nutrient Intakes ◽

Web Based ◽

Dietary Recall ◽

The Mean

AbstractObjectivesTo describe the development of the Oxford WebQ, a web-based 24 h dietary assessment tool developed for repeated administration in large prospective studies; and to report the preliminary assessment of its performance for estimating nutrient intakes.DesignWe developed the Oxford WebQ by repeated testing until it was sufficiently comprehensive and easy to use. For the latest version, we compared nutrient intakes from volunteers who completed both the Oxford WebQ and an interviewer-administered 24 h dietary recall on the same day.SettingOxford, UK.SubjectsA total of 116 men and women.ResultsThe WebQ took a median of 12·5 (interquartile range: 10·8–16·3) min to self-complete and nutrient intakes were estimated automatically. By contrast, the interviewer-administered 24 h dietary recall took 30 min to complete and 30 min to code. Compared with the 24 h dietary recall, the mean Spearman's correlation for the 21 nutrients obtained from the WebQ was 0·6, with the majority between 0·5 and 0·9. The mean differences in intake were less than ±10 % for all nutrients except for carotene and vitamins B12 and D. On rare occasions a food item was reported in only one assessment method, but this was not more frequent or systematically different between the methods.ConclusionsCompared with an interviewer-based 24 h dietary recall, the WebQ captures similar food items and estimates similar nutrient intakes for a single day's dietary intake. The WebQ is self-administered and nutrients are estimated automatically, providing a low-cost method for measuring dietary intake in large-scale studies.

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Informing the Development of an E-Platform for Monitoring Wellbeing in Schools: Involving Young People in a Co-Design Process.

10.21203/rs.2.24217/v3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Claire Grant ◽

Emily Widnall ◽

Lauren Cross ◽

Emily Simonoff ◽

Johnny Downs

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Young People ◽

Large Scale ◽

Development Process ◽

New Technologies ◽

Mental Health Field ◽

Advisory Group ◽

Web Based ◽

Health Technologies ◽

Health Field

Abstract Background: The use of new technologies and methodologies in young people’s mental health research is needed to allow more frequent and reliable sampling. Mobile applications and e-platforms create exciting potential for the collection of large-scale cohort data, however there are various feasibility and ethical issues to consider. Consultation with young people is needed to inform the research agenda, and ensure these technologies are engaging, useful and safe. This article describes the process of Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) with a sample of young people in London, with the aim of i) informing the development of a mood-monitoring e-platform, and ii) providing feedback and advice for researchers developing web-based technologies in the mental health field. Methods: A total of 26 young people were consulted across four advisory group co-design sessions. All young people were students enrolled at one of the participating London based sixth form colleges, and voluntarily attended a workshop session. Audio recordings of the sessions were analysed using a thematic analysis framework. Results: We found that young people were engaged in discussions around mobile health technologies and valued the opportunity to collaborate throughout the early stages of the development process The advisory groups identified key considerations for future web-development work to encourage engagement and prolonged use, including, the promotion of trust and transparency, consideration of accessibility, provision of support, production of engaging and functional design, and acknowledgment of specific contextual influences surrounding young people’s wellbeing. Conclusions: Involving young people in the development process of e-health technologies contributes to optimising the successful adoption and prolonged usage of new methodologies. The thematic map and informant examples can be used to guide researchers interested in developing web-based technologies in the mental health field and will be directly applicable to the development of a mood-monitoring e-platform.

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Demographic, spatial and temporal dietary intake patterns among 526 774 23andMe research participants

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980020001251 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Janie F Shelton ◽

Briana Cameron ◽

Stella Aslibekyan ◽

Robert Gentleman ◽

Keyword(s):

Dietary Intake ◽

Spatial Patterns ◽

Large Scale ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Processed Meat ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Web Based ◽

Weighted Estimates ◽

Research Participants ◽

The Usa

Abstract Objective: To characterise dietary habits, their temporal and spatial patterns and associations with BMI in the 23andMe study population. Design: We present a large-scale cross-sectional analysis of self-reported dietary intake data derived from the web-based National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009–2010 dietary screener. Survey-weighted estimates for each food item were characterised by age, sex, race/ethnicity, education and BMI. Temporal patterns were plotted over a 2-year time period, and average consumption for select food items was mapped by state. Finally, dietary intake variables were tested for association with BMI. Setting: US-based adults 20–85 years of age participating in the 23andMe research programme. Participants: Participants were 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research (n 526 774) and completed web-based surveys on demographic and dietary habits. Results: Survey-weighted estimates show very few participants met federal recommendations for fruit: 2·6 %, vegetables: 5·9 % and dairy intake: 2·8 %. Between 2017 and 2019, fruit, vegetables and milk intake frequency declined, while total dairy remained stable and added sugars increased. Seasonal patterns in reporting were most pronounced for ice cream, chocolate, fruits and vegetables. Dietary habits varied across the USA, with higher intake of sugar and energy dense foods characterising areas with higher average BMI. In multivariate-adjusted models, BMI was directly associated with the intake of processed meat, red meat, dairy and inversely associated with consumption of fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Conclusions: 23andMe research participants have created an opportunity for rapid, large-scale, real-time nutritional data collection, informing demographic, seasonal and spatial patterns with broad geographical coverage across the USA.

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Informing the Development of an E-Platform for Monitoring Wellbeing in Schools: Involving Young People in a Co-Design Process.

10.21203/rs.2.24217/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Claire Grant ◽

Emily Widnall ◽

Lauren Cross ◽

Emily Simonoff ◽

Johnny Downs

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Young People ◽

Large Scale ◽

Development Process ◽

New Technologies ◽

Mental Health Field ◽

Advisory Group ◽

Web Based ◽

Health Technologies ◽

Health Field

Abstract Background: The use of new technologies and methodologies in young people’s mental health research is needed to allow more frequent and reliable sampling. Mobile applications and e-platforms create exciting potential for the collection of large-scale cohort data, however there are various feasibility and ethical issues to consider. Consultation with young people is needed to inform the research agenda, and ensure these technologies are engaging, useful and safe. This article describes the process of Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) with a sample of young people in London, with the aim of i) informing the development of a mood-monitoring e-platform, and ii) providing feedback and advice for researchers developing web-based technologies in the mental health field. Methods: A total of 26 young people were consulted across four advisory group co-design sessions. All young people were students enrolled at one of the participating London based sixth form colleges, and voluntarily attended a workshop session. Audio recordings of the sessions were analysed using a thematic analysis framework. Results: Young people were generally receptive to e-health technologies and valued the opportunity to collaborate throughout the development process. The advisory groups identified key considerations for future web-development work to encourage engagement and prolonged use, including, the promotion of trust and transparency, consideration of accessibility, provision of support, production of engaging and functional design, and acknowledgment of specific contextual influences surrounding young people’s wellbeing. Conclusions: Involving young people in the development process of e-health technologies contributes to optimising the successful adoption and prolonged usage of new methodologies. The thematic map and informant examples can be used to guide researchers interested in developing web-based technologies in the mental health field and will be directly applicable to the development of a mood-monitoring e-platform.

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Performance of statistical methods to correct food intake distribution: comparison between observed and estimated usual intake

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114516002725 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 116 (5) ◽

pp. 897-903 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Eliseu Verly-Jr ◽

Dayan C. R. S. Oliveira ◽

Regina M. Fisberg ◽

Dirce Maria L. Marchioni

Keyword(s):

Food Intake ◽

Statistical Methods ◽

Statistical Models ◽

Average Length ◽

Data Sets ◽

Usual Intake ◽

Study Population ◽

Using Data ◽

Parameter Distributions

AbstractThere are statistical methods that remove the within-person random error and estimate the usual intake when there is a second 24-h recall (24HR) for at least a subsample of the study population. We aimed to compare the distribution of usual food intake estimated by statistical models with the distribution of observed usual intake. A total of 302 individuals from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) answered twenty, non-consecutive 24HR; the average length of follow-up was 3 months. The usual food intake was considered as the average of the 20 collection days of food intake. Using data sets with a pair of 2 collection days, usual percentiles of intake of the selected foods using two methods were estimated (National Cancer Institute (NCI) method and Multiple Source Method (MSM)). These estimates were compared with the percentiles of the observed usual intake. Selected foods comprised a range of parameter distributions: skewness, percentage of zero intakes and within- and between-person intakes. Both methods performed well but failed in some situations. In most cases, NCI and MSM produced similar percentiles between each other and values very close to the true intake, and they better represented the usual intake compared with 2-d mean. The smallest precision was observed in the upper tail of the distribution. In spite of the underestimation and overestimation of percentiles of intake, from a public health standpoint, these biases appear not to be of major concern.

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Demographic, spatial, and temporal dietary intake patterns among 526,774 23andMe research participants

10.1101/2020.04.14.20058263 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Janie F. Shelton ◽

Briana Cameron ◽

Stella Aslibekyan ◽

Robert Gentleman ◽

Keyword(s):

Dietary Intake ◽

Spatial Patterns ◽

Large Scale ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Processed Meat ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Web Based ◽

Weighted Estimates ◽

Research Participants ◽

The U.S

AbstractObjectiveTo characterize dietary habits, their temporal and spatial patterns, and associations with body mass index (BMI) in the 23andMe study population.DesignWe present a large-scale cross-sectional analysis of self-reported dietary intake data derived from the web-based NHANES 2009-2010 dietary screener. Survey-weighted estimates for each food item were characterized by age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, and BMI. Temporal patterns were plotted over a 2-year time period, and average consumption for select food items was mapped by state. Finally, dietary intake variables were tested for association with BMI.SettingU.S. based adults 20-85 years of age participating in the 23andMe research program.ParticipantsParticipants were 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research (n=526,774) and completed web-based surveys on demographic and dietary habits.ResultsSurvey-weighted estimates show very few participants met federal recommendations for fruit: 2.6%, vegetables: 5.9%, and dairy intake: 2.8%. Between 2017-2019, fruit, vegetables, and milk intake frequency declined, while total dairy remained stable and added sugars increased. Seasonal patterns in reporting were most pronounced for ice cream, chocolate, fruits, and vegetables. Dietary habits varied across the U.S., with higher intake of sugar and calorie dense foods characterizing areas with higher average BMI. In multivariate-adjusted models, BMI was directly associated with intake of processed meat, red meat, dairy, and inversely associated with consumption of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains.Conclusions23andMe research participants have created an opportunity for rapid, large scale, real time nutritional data collection, informing demographic, seasonal and spatial patterns with broad geographical coverage across the U.S.

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A Web-Based 24-H Dietary Recall Could Be a Valid Tool for the Indicative Assessment of Dietary Intake in Older Adults Living in Slovenia

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11092234 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 2234

Author(s):

Matej Gregorič ◽

Katja Zdešar Kotnik ◽

Igor Pigac ◽

Mojca Gabrijelčič Blenkuš

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Dietary Intake ◽

Population Studies ◽

Residential Home ◽

Dietary Intakes ◽

Web Based ◽

Dietary Recall ◽

Food Records ◽

Dietary Reference Values ◽

Dietary Intake Assessment

The methodology used in dietary surveys could, to a large extent, follow the instructions of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), where 24-h dietary recall (24HDR) is recommended for (sub) population studies. However, it is necessary to examine the suitability of 24HDR for indicative dietary intake in older adults. This study aimed to compare participants’ dietary intakes with the recommendations and to compare dietary intakes derived from a 24HDR using an OPEN web-based application to those obtained from reference weighed food records (WFRs). Forty-nine Slovenian residential home residents completed both assessments, and a comparison with dietary reference values was performed. Estimates from these two methods were compared and the correlations between them were assessed. The findings revealed that dietary intakes derived from the WFR method mostly differed from the recommended intakes. The 24HDR underestimated dietary intake compared to the WFR for 66% of monitored parameters, while 75% of these parameters were correlated, mostly at a moderate level (0.3–0.69). In conclusion, the diets of residential home residents in this study mostly differed from recommendations. Both methods for dietary intake assessment provided comparable results for most of the monitored parameters in expected deviations. A web-based 24HDR could be a valid tool for the indicative assessment of dietary intake in older adults. However, further validations are required.

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Comparison between an interactive web-based self-administered 24 h dietary record and an interview by a dietitian for large-scale epidemiological studies

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114510004617 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 105 (7) ◽

pp. 1055-1064 ◽

Cited By ~ 163

Author(s):

Mathilde Touvier ◽

Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot ◽

Caroline Méjean ◽

Clothilde Pollet ◽

Aurélie Malon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Large Population ◽

Intraclass Correlation ◽

Data Entry ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Web Based ◽

Dietary Record ◽

The Mean ◽

The Web

Online self-administered data collection, by reducing the logistic burden and cost, could advantageously replace classical methods based on dietitian's interviews when assessing dietary intake in large epidemiological studies. Studies comparing such new instruments with traditional methods are necessary. Our objective was to compare one NutriNet-Santé web-based self-administered 24 h dietary record with one 24 h recall carried out by a dietitian. Subjects completed the web-based record, which was followed the next day by a dietitian-conducted 24 h recall by telephone (corresponding to the same day and using the same computerised interface for data entry). The subjects were 147 volunteers aged 48–75 years (women 59·2 %). The study was conducted in February 2009 in France. Agreement was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for foods and energy-adjusted Pearson's correlations for nutrients. Agreement between the two methods was high, although it may have been overestimated because the two assessments were consecutive to one another. Among consumers only, the median of ICC for foods was 0·8 in men and 0·7 in women (range 0·5–0·9). The median of energy-adjusted Pearson's correlations for nutrients was 0·8 in both sexes (range 0·6–0·9). The mean Pearson correlation was higher in subjects ≤ 60 years (P = 0·02) and in those who declared being ‘experienced/expert’ with computers (P = 0·0003), but no difference was observed according to educational level (P = 0·12). The mean completion time was similar between the two methods (median for both methods: 25 min). The web-based method was preferred by 66·1 % of users. Our web-based dietary assessment, permitting considerable logistic simplification and cost savings, may be highly advantageous for large population-based surveys.

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