Abstract
Due to global advances in technology, image-based food record methods have emerged as an alternative to traditional assessment methods. The use of image-based food records in low and lower-middle income countries such as Tanzania is limited, with countries still using traditional methods. The current study aimed to determine the feasibility of using a new voice and image-based dietary assessment system (VISIDA) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This mixed-method study recruited 18 nutritionists as participants who collected image-based records of food and drinks they consumed using the VISIDA smartphone app. Participants viewed an online demonstration of the VISIDA web platform and the analysis process for intake data collected using the VISIDA app. Then, participants completed an online survey and were interviewed about the VISIDA app and web platform for food and nutrient intake analysis. The method was reported as being acceptable and was found to be easy to use, although technical challenges were experienced by some participants. Most participants indicated a willingness to use the VISIDA app again for one week or longer and were interested in using the VISIDA system in their current role. Participants acknowledged that the VISIDA web platform would simplify some aspects of their current job. Image-based food records could potentially be used in Tanzania to improve the assessment of dietary intake by nutritionists in urban areas. Participants recommended adding sound-on notifications, using the VISIDA app in both Apple and Android phones, enabling installation from the app store, and improving the quality of the fiducial markers.
Highlights
Diet has a significant connection to an individual’s health, and accurate assessment of dietary intake is very important to study the association between diet and health-related outcomes
Nutritionists were eligible for inclusion if they met the following criteria: aged ≥18 years; involved in the assessment of dietary intake in their current role; had access to a computer with the ability to connect to the internet; and owned an Android smartphone running an operating system (OS) of version 7.0 or above
Participants of this study reported usually conducting dietary assessments of their clients and agreed that it was essential to assess the dietary intake of their clients
Summary
Diet has a significant connection to an individual’s health, and accurate assessment of dietary intake is very important to study the association between diet and health-related outcomes. Image-based food records generally still depend on the subject to self-report, an advantage of this method is that food records are marked with time, noting exactly when the food item was about to be consumed [11]. This approach allows researchers or health care providers to assess the client’s diet, eliminating bias due to memory lapse [10], which is still a problem in other web-based methods (24-h recall and FFQ). Image-based food records are new methods of assessing dietary intake in low and lower-middle income countries (LLMICs) such as Tanzania, as most countries still use traditional methods. The current study aimed at investigating the feasibility of using a new image-based dietary assessment system, called VISIDA, with nutritionists in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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