Development of myfood24
Published academic papers detailing the development and validation of myfood24
Sustainability metrics of the UK diet using myfood24
Williams et al., 2024
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Promotion of sustainable healthy diets requires comprehensive metrics to assess environmental impact of foods consumed1. Existing food systems are failing to meet the needs of current and future generations, by operating outside several planetary boundaries. Promoting healthy diets from sustainable food systems is central to realizing the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Standard food composition tables do not include sustainability metrics. The aim of this work was to add UK focussed sustainability metrics to the food composition table used in myfood24.
Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), land and water use were added to each food item in the myfood24 UK generic and branded databases. This is recorded as per 100g of product. The values for GHGE2 takes account of factors including production method, land use management, feed used, soil and climate, processing and transport of both the product and aspects of its production e.g., fertiliser and feed. Values were weighted for UK trade statistics to reflect values for the UK food supply. Land use and freshwater withdrawals were also added.
Exploration of the sustainability metrics in the myfood24 database by food category show, as expected, that meat (1.5 kg CO2eq, SD 1.4), fish (1.8 kg CO2eq, SD 1.0) and dairy (1.3 kg CO2eq, SD 0.8) plus dried herbs/spices (1.4 kg CO2eq, SD 1.2) have the highest GHGE per 100g. In the meat category, beef and lamb had GHGE ∼3.8 kg CO2eq with pork and chicken having lower values ∼1.0 kg CO2eq. Plant based protein sources had much lower GHGE per 100g, with pulses at 0.3 CO2eq (SD 0.2) and nuts at 0.2 CO2eq (SD 0.2). Land use was by far the highest per 100g for lamb (63 m2year/day, SD 18) with beef next at 8 m2year/day (SD 4). Chocolate (5 m2year/day, SD 2) was the sixth highest food category for land use. Drinks, vegetables, fruit and potatoes had the lowest land use values. Regarding water use, seafood per 100g had high values at 484l/day (SD 167), followed by nuts (218l/day, SD 172), lamb (171l/day, SD 36) and rice (164l/day SD 42). Drinks, potatoes and breads had the lowest land use values per 100g.
Through addition of sustainability metrics to food and nutrient composition databases we can measure the impact of food intake in relation to both nutrients and sustainability. This linked data will help us to understand how to adapt our diets to be healthier and better for the planet.
Development and Pilot Study of myfood24 West Africa—An Online Tool for Dietary Assessment in Nigeria
Uzokwe et al., 2024
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Background and objective: Tools to accurately and efficiently measure dietary intake in Nigeria are lacking. We aimed to develop and assess the usability of a new online dietary assessment tool for Nigeria—myfood24 West Africa.
Methods: We developed the myfood24 West Africa database using data from existing food composition tables, packaged foods labels and research articles. The development followed seven steps: identified data sources, selected foods, processed/cleaned the data, calculated the nutrient content of recipes, created and allocated portion sizes, quality-checked the database and developed food accompaniments. To pilot the tool, we recruited 179 university staff in Nigeria using a cross-sectional design. Usability was assessed using a questionnaire that included the System Usability Scale (SUS) and a feedback session.
Results: The database included 924 foods, with up to 54 nutrients and 35 portion-size images allocated to foods. Sixty percent of the data were sourced from the 2019 West Africa Food Composition Table, 17% from back-of-pack labels of packaged foods, 14% from the 2017 Nigerian Food Composition Table, 5% from generated recipes and 4% from the published literature. Of the participants, 30% (n = 53) self-recorded their food intake, with a total of 1345 food and drink entries from both self- and interviewer-collected data. The mean SUS score of 74 (95% CI: 68,79) indicated good usability. The feedback showed that the tool was user-friendly, educational and included a variety of local foods.
Conclusions: This new tool will enhance the dietary assessment of the Nigerian population. More work will expand coverage to include more foods from the region.
Comparison of online food composition databases including those in nutritional assessment tools
Williams et al., 2024
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Measuring dietary intake accurately is essential in establishing relationships between food consumption patterns and non-communicable diseases. Researchers are now using online tools to replace traditional methods1. New technologies provide a more flexible approach and are generally preferred by study participants. However, it is not known whether the underlying databases are reliable. Weight loss app energy calculations vary considerably compared to weighed food records2. The aim of this work was to review the quality and compare the content of online food composition tables including those linked to assessment tools.
We undertook a Google search supplemented by expert knowledge to identify online food composition tables in the English language. Databases were either stand-alone online food and drink databases or associated with dietary assessment tools. Databases found were accessed; and we conducted a review of their features. Information on numbers and types of foods, their origin, nutrients and completeness of datasets were extracted using a standardised approach.
Twenty-two online food composition databases were reviewed from around the world. 12 (55%) of the databases were associated with dietary assessment software and 9 (41%) solely used an API to link with other systems. Numbers of food items included in the databases ranged from 18 million (‘myfitnesspal’) to 600 (‘FoodDB’). The largest databases generally used crowd sourced data.
‘myfood24’ had the largest total number of variables (n = 326) and ‘Carbs and Cals’ and ‘Nutracheck’ only had 8 nutrient variables. The source of food composition data is not clear for all of the datasets. 7 of the databases explicitly include the UK and 3 the US generic food tables, often in addition to branded data. Most databases do not state how they are checked for accuracy or completeness. Where databases state how missing data is infilled only ‘myfood24’ considers both macro and micronutrients. Eight of the databases were only relevant for one country, and 13 tools reported having food data for a range of countries. In addition to nutrients some databases also include non-nutrient phytochemicals, allergens or sustainability metrics. Food images were often used to assist with portion size estimation, although some tools only used general pictures or pictures that did not reflect the food. Searching for food items varied in accuracy and some systems allowed barcode scanning.
Online food composition databases allow for much greater differentiation of foods, including branded items compared to traditional tables. They range considerably in size and quality. Care should be taken to ensure databases underlying online assessment tools are reliable with limited missing data to ensure the application of such databases to research does not produce misleading results.
Assessing diet more accurately in Nigeria – development of myfood24 West Africa
Uzokwe et al., 2023
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This abstract was presented as the Novel nutrition research methodologies and technologies Theme highlight.
Adapting the online dietary assessment tool ( myfood24 ) for Indigenous communities in the peruvian amazon to research food biodiversity and climate change resilience
Zavaleta-Cortijo et al., 2021
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Background Over the past ten years Amazon region has experienced multiple environmental changes including high rates of deforestation, and more frequent ‘once in a century’ extreme weather events. Despite this it is still not clear how these events effect food biodiversity, local diets and nutrition of Amazon Indigenous people. Information on food consumption is urgently needed, especially to identify key Amazonian Indigenous foods which may increase nutritional resilience to extreme climate events. Technological tools represent a potential feasible solution to measure diet for population studies. We have partnered with International researchers, local nutritionist, Indigenous leaders and community members to adapt a digital tool to support dietary measurement in Amazonian Indigenous communities.
Methods The adaptation had three stages. First working with an international multidisciplinary committee, we identified and compiled existing food composition databases to create a database for the Peruvian myfood24 version to use with communities of Shawi ethnicity. Seven food composition tables were identified, and permission was requested for two cases where information was not public. Six food composition tables, one academic publication and one peruvian report about amazon food species, were used for generating a food composition database. Second, using myfood24 guidelines, we completed a data base using Access software. This process involved cleaning and removing duplicate food items, including conversion values (from raw to cooked foods) and calculations for potential nutrient losses on cooking. We used a series of six online focus groups meetings with three peruvian nutritionists, including one nutritionist expert on the Shawi diet, to identify portions, and combinations. Finally, during a workshop with five local community members, a list of Shawi foods were validated, and food preparation was characterised to develop recipes and to take pictures for use in the online tool.
Results The peruvian food composition database to be used with the Shawi communities included a total of 1042 food items, with information for 14 key nutrients. These foods were split into fourteen food categories. Seventy-six possible options on how food is eaten together, and 43 portion measurements were validated in the focus groups. 114 food items were identified in the workshop as commonly consumed by Shawi, with five forest animal foods proving the highest level of iron per 100 g: palm larvae (3.6mg), armadillo (3.5mg), deer (3.5mg), paca (3.4mg) and agouti (3.4mg).
Conclusion A comprehensive Peruvian Food Composition Database with a focus on Shawi diet has been created. This data has been incorporated within the online dietary assessment tool, myfood24. A photo Album and recipes will be completed over the next weeks. The new tool with be useful to understand how food and nutrient intakes in this vulnerable population are affected by climate change events.
Development of an Innovative Online Dietary Assessment Tool for France: Adaptation of myfood24
Hasenböhler et al., 2022
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myfood24 is an innovative dietary assessment tool originally developed in English for use in the United Kingdom. This online 24 h recall, a tool commonly used in nutritional epidemiology, has been developed into different international versions. This paper aims to describe the creation of its French version. We used a consistent approach to development, aligned with other international versions, using similar methodologies. A nutritional database (food item codes, portion groups and accompaniments, etc.) was developed based on commonly used French food composition tables (CIQUAL 2017). Portion sizes were adapted to French dietary habits (estimation, photographs of French portion sizes, assessment of the photograph series and their angle (aerial vs. 45 degrees)). We evaluated the new tool, which contained nearly 3000 food items with 34 individuals using the System Usability Scale. We validated the French food portion picture series using EFSA criteria for bias and agreement. The results of the picture evaluation showed that the angle with which photos are taken had limited impact on the ability to judge portion size. Estimating food intake is a challenging task. Evaluation showed “good” usability of the system in its French version. myfood24 France will be a useful addition to nutritional epidemiology research in France.
Usability of myfood24 Healthcare and Mathematical Diet Optimisation in Clinical Populations: A Pilot Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial
Threapleton et al., 2022
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Monitoring nutritional intake is of clinical value, but few existing tools offer electronic dietary recording, instant nutritional analysis, and a platform connecting healthcare teams with patients that provides timely, personalised support. This feasibility randomised controlled trial tests the usability of ‘myfood24 Healthcare’, a dietary assessment app and healthcare professional website, in two clinical populations. Patients were recruited from a weight management programme (n21) and from a group of gastroenterology surgery outpatients (n = 27). They were randomised into three groups: standard care, myfood24, or myfood24 + diet optimisation (automated suggestions for dietary improvement). The participants were asked to record their diet at least four times over eight weeks. During the study, healthcare professionals viewed recorded dietary information to facilitate discussions about diet and nutritional targets. The participants provided feedback on usability and acceptability. A total of 48 patients were recruited, and 16 were randomised to each of the three groups. Compliance among app users (n = 32) was reasonable, with 25 (78%) using it at least once and 16 (50%) recording intake for four days or more. Among users, the mean (standard deviation) number of days used was 14.0 (17.5), and the median (interquartile range) was six (2.5–17.0) over 2 months. Feedback questionnaires were completed by only 23 of 46 participants (50%). The mean System Usability Score (n = 16) was 59 (95% confidence interval, 48–70). Patient and healthcare professional feedback indicates a need for more user training and the improvement of some key app features such as the food search function. This feasibility study shows that myfood24 Healthcare is acceptable for patients and healthcare professionals. These data will inform app refinements and its application in a larger clinical effectiveness trial.
Evaluation of a Web-Based Dietary Assessment Tool (myfood24) in Norwegian Women and Men Aged 60-74 Years: Usability Study
Hopstock et al., 2022
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Background: A healthy diet throughout the life course improves health and reduces the risk of disease. There is a need for new knowledge of the relation between diet and health, but existing methods to collect information on food and nutrient intake have their limitations. Evaluations of new tools to assess dietary intake are needed, especially in old people, where the introduction of new technology might impose challenges.
Objective: We aimed to examine the usability of a new web-based dietary assessment tool in older adult women and men.
Methods: A total of 60 women and men (participation 83%, 57% women) aged 60-74 years recruited by convenience and snowball sampling completed a 24-hour web-based dietary recall using the newly developed Norwegian version of Measure Your Food On One Day (myfood24). Total energy and nutrient intakes were calculated in myfood24, primarily on the basis of the Norwegian Food Composition Table. No guidance or support was provided to complete the recall. Usability was assessed using the system usability scale (SUS), where an SUS score of ≥68 was considered satisfactory. We examined the responses to single SUS items and the mean (SD) SUS score in groups stratified by sex, age, educational level, and device used to complete the recall (smartphone, tablet device, or computer).
Results: The mean total energy intake was 5815 (SD 3093) kJ. A total of 14% of participants had an energy intake of <2100 kJ (ie, 500 kilocalories) and none had an intake of >16,800 kJ (ie, 4000 kilocalories). Mean energy proportions from carbohydrates, fat, protein, alcohol, and fiber was within the national recommendations. The mean SUS score was 55.5 (SD 18.6), and 27% of participants had SUS scores above the satisfactory product cut-off. Higher SUS scores were associated with younger age and lower education, but not with the type of device used.
Conclusions: We found the overall usability of a new web-based dietary assessment tool to be less than satisfactory in accordance with standard usability criteria in a sample of 60-74–year-old Norwegians. The observed total energy intakes suggest that several of the participants underreported their intake during the completion of the dietary recall. Implementing web-based dietary assessment tools in older adults is feasible, but guidance and support might be needed to ensure valid completion.
Development of an Arabic food composition database for use in an Arabic online dietary assessment tool (myfood24)
Areej Bawajeeh et al., 2021
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A comprehensive food composition database (FCDB) is essential for assessing dietary intake of nutrients. However, currently available food composition data for Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC) is limited. The aim was to develop an Arabic FCDB of foods commonly available in the GCC (initial focus on Saudi Arabia and Kuwait), which will be integrated into an Arabic version of an online dietary assessment tool, myfood24. The Arabic FCDB was built using a standardized approach identifying currently available foods from existing food composition tables (FCTs), research articles, back-of-pack (BOP) nutrient labels on food products, with additional generic food items from the UK Composition of Foods Integrated Database (CoFID). The development of the FCDB used a 6-step approach: food identification, cleaning, mapping, translation, allocating portion sizes, and quality checking. The database includes a total of 2016 food items, 30 % of which have standard portion size images in addition to other options for portion size estimation. The database and myfood24 have been translated into Arabic to be suitable for Arabic users. These tools will help to assess dietary intake for 51 million people in the GCC. Future work will cover more foods from other Middle Eastern countries to serve over 400 million Arabic speakers in the region.
Validation of the web-based self-administered 24-h dietary recall myfood24-Germany: comparison with a weighed dietary record and biomarkers
Stefenie A. J. Koch et al., 2021
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Purpose: We aimed to validate myfood24-Germany, a web-based 24-h dietary recall (24HDR), by comparing its performance with a weighed dietary record (WDR) and biomarkers.
Methods: 97 adults (77% female) completed a 3-day WDR with a 24-h urine collection on day 3, followed by at least one 24HDR with myfood24-Germany (corresponding to day 3 of the WDR). Intake of energy and 32 nutrients assessed by myfood24-Germany and the WDR for the same day were compared (method comparison). Intakes of protein and potassium assessed by myfood24-Germany/WDR were compared with intake estimated from urinary biomarkers for protein and potassium (biomarker comparison).
Results: In the method comparison, significant correlations were found for energy and all tested nutrients (range 0.45-0.87). There was no significant difference between both methods in the assessed mean energy and macronutrient intake. However, myfood24-Germany underestimated mean intake of 15 nutrients. In the biomarker comparison, protein intake reported by myfood24-Germany/WDR was on average 10%/8% lower than estimated by biomarker. There was no significant difference in mean potassium intake assessed by myfood24-Germany/WDR and biomarker. However, a shared bias in the assessment of potassium intake was observed for both instruments. Concordance correlation coefficients (pc) and weighted Kappa coefficients (κ) confirmed good agreement with the biomarker estimates for myfood24-Germany/WDR in case of protein (pc = 0.58/0.66, κ = 0.51/0.53) and moderate agreement in case of potassium (pc = 0.44/0.51; κ = 0.30/0.33).
Conclusion: Our results suggest that myfood24-Germany is of comparable validity to traditional dietary assessment methods.
Development and evaluation of image-series for portion size estimation in dietary assessment among adults
Lorentz Salvesen et al., 2021
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Portion size images are advantageous in dietary assessment. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate new culturally specific image-series for portion size estimation to be used in a new Norwegian version of a British web-based dietary assessment tool (myfood24). Twenty-three image-series of different foods, each containing seven portion size images, were created and validated in a group of adults (n 41, 58 % female) aged 19–44 (median 23), out of which 63 % had higher (tertiary) education. The participants compared 46 portions of pre-weighed foods to the portion size images (1886 comparisons in total). Portion size estimations were either classified as correct, adjacent or misclassified. The weight discrepancy in percentage between the chosen and the correct portion size image was also calculated. Mann–Whitney U tests were used to explore if portion size estimation accuracy differed across sample characteristics, or if it depended on how the foods were presented. For thirty-eight of the forty-six presented food items, the participants selected the correct or adjacent portion size image 98 % on average. The remaining eight food items were on average misclassified by 27 % of the participants. Overall, a mean weight discrepancy of 2⋅5 % was observed between the chosen and the correct portion size images. Females estimated portion size more accurately than males (P = 0⋅019). No other significant differences in estimation accuracy were observed. In conclusion, the new image-series performed satisfactorily, except for the image-series depicting bread, caviar spread and marzipan cake, which will be altered. The present study demonstrates the importance of validating portion size estimation tools.
Developing an online food composition database for an Indigenous population in south-western Uganda
Giulia Scarpa et al., 2021
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Objective:
To develop an online food composition database of locally consumed foods among an Indigenous population in south-western Uganda.
Design:
Using a community-based approach and collaboration with local nutritionists, we collected a list of foods for inclusion in the database through focus group discussions, an individual dietary survey and markets and shops assessment. The food database was then created using seven steps: identification of foods for inclusion in the database; initial data cleaning and removal of duplicate items; linkage of foods to existing generic food composition tables; mapping and calculation of the nutrient content of recipes and foods; allocating portion sizes and accompanying foods; quality checks with local and international nutritionists; and translation into relevant local languages.
Setting:
Kanungu District, south-western Uganda.
Participants:
Seventy-four participants, 36 Indigenous Batwa and 38 Bakiga, were randomly selected and interviewed to inform the development of a food list prior the construction of the food database.
Results:
We developed an online food database for south-western Uganda including 148 commonly consumed foods complete with values for 120 micronutrients and macronutrients. This was for use with the online dietary assessment tool myfood24. Of the locally reported foods included, 56 % (n 82 items) of the items were already available in the myfood24 database, while 25 % (n 37 items) were found in existing Ugandan and Tanzanian food databases, 18 % (n 27 items) came from generated recipes and 1 % (n 2 items) from food packaging labels.
Conclusion:
Locally relevant food databases are sparse for African Indigenous communities. Here, we created a tool that can be used for assessing food intake and for tracking undernutrition among the communities living in Kanungu District. This will help to develop locally relevant food and nutrition policies.
Adaptation and Evaluation of myfood24-Germany: A Web-Based Self-Administered 24-h Dietary Recall for the German Adult Population
Stefenie A. J. Koch et al., 2020
The aim of this paper was to develop and evaluate the German adaptation of myfood24. The amin adaptation was the development of an appropriate German food database. myfood24 was successfully adapted for the use by German adults and is now the first fully automated online system for self-administered 24HDRs in Germany.
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Our aim was to develop and evaluate a German adaptation of myfood24, a fully automated, web-based 24-h dietary recall (24HDR). To complete a self-administered 24HDR with myfood24, users have to search and enter consumed foods within the underlying database by a free text search. The adaptation process thus mainly consisted of the development of an appropriate food database. myfood24-Germany was evaluated in 92 adults aged 17–78 years (study 1). Participants completed four non-consecutive 24HDRs and answered an evaluation questionnaire after the final recall. The System Usability Scale Score (SUS Score, 0–100) was calculated. Users’ search behavior was examined with screen recordings in 15 adults aged 20–60 years (study 2). Participants had to enter three sample meals presented as food packaging or pictures. The final database included 11,501 food items (7203 generic and 4298 branded items) with up to 131 nutrients. In study 1, the median completion time for a 24HDR was 15 min. The median SUS score of 78 indicated good usability. The majority of participants considered the overall user-friendliness as good (46%) or very good (21%), and 75% were willing to use myfood24-Germany regularly. Both studies showed that finding and choosing an appropriate item within the database was a major challenge. A German version of myfood24 was successfully developed. The user evaluation indicated a short completion time, good usability and acceptability of the tool, and confirmed its feasibility for repeated short-term application.
Validity of an online 24-h recall tool (myfood24) for dietary assessment in population studies: comparison with biomarkers and standard interviews
Petra Wark et al., 2018
The study aimed to compare myfood24 with interviewer-administered 24hr recalls and both of these against nutrient biomarkers. Results between myfood24 with the more time consuming and costly interviewer-led 24hr recall results were similar, suggesting myfood24 could be a more efficient way to analyse diet, particularly when looking on a large scale.
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Online dietary assessment tools can reduce administrative costs and facilitate repeated dietary assessment during follow-up in large-scale studies. However, information on bias due to measurement error of such tools is limited. We developed an online 24-h recall (myfood24) and compared its performance with a traditional interviewer-administered multiple-pass 24-h recall, assessing both against biomarkers. Metabolically stable adults were recruited and completed the new online dietary recall, an interviewer-based multiple pass recall and a suite of reference measures. Longer-term dietary intake was estimated from up to 3 × 24-h recalls taken 2 weeks apart. Estimated intakes of protein, potassium and sodium were compared with urinary biomarker concentrations. Estimated total sugar intake was compared with a predictive biomarker and estimated energy intake compared with energy expenditure measured by accelerometry and calorimetry. Nutrient intakes were also compared to those derived from an interviewer-administered multiple-pass 24-h recall. Biomarker samples were received from 212 participants on at least one occasion. Both self-reported dietary assessment tools led to attenuation compared to biomarkers. The online tools resulted in attenuation factors of around 0.2–0.3 and partial correlation coefficients, reflecting ranking intakes, of approximately 0.3–0.4. This was broadly similar to the more administratively burdensome interviewer-based tool. Other nutrient estimates derived from myfood24 were around 10–20% lower than those from the interviewer-based tool, with wide limits of agreement. Intraclass correlation coefficients were approximately 0.4–0.5, indicating consistent moderate agreement. Our findings show that, whilst results from both measures of self-reported diet are attenuated compared to biomarker measures, the myfood24 online 24-h recall is comparable to the more time-consuming and costly interviewer-based 24-h recall across a range of measures.
Development of a New Branded UK Food Composition Database for an Online Dietary Assessment Tool
Michelle Carter et al., 2016
The study aimed to create a new UK food database that reflected the wide range of food products available in supermarkets. To do this, a semi-automated process was used to map micronutrient data from food composition tables to ‘Back of Pack’ nutrient data for branded items. Version 1 of the database contained data on 120 macro- and micronutrients for 40,274 food and drinks items.
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The current UK food composition tables are limited, containing ~3300 mostly generic food and drink items. To reflect the wide range of food products available to British consumers and to potentially improve accuracy of dietary assessment, a large UK specific electronic food composition database (FCDB) has been developed. A mapping exercise has been conducted that matched micronutrient data from generic food codes to “Back of Pack” data from branded food products using a semi-automated process. After cleaning and processing, version 1.0 of the new FCDB contains 40,274 generic and branded items with associated 120 macronutrient and micronutrient data and 5669 items with portion images. Over 50% of food and drink items were individually mapped to within 10% agreement with the generic food item for energy. Several quality checking procedures were applied after mapping including; identifying foods above and below the expected range for a particular nutrient within that food group and cross-checking the mapping of items such as concentrated and raw/dried products. The new electronic FCDB has substantially increased the size of the current, publically available, UK food tables. The FCDB has been incorporated into myfood24, a new fully automated online dietary assessment tool and, a smartphone application for weight loss.
Agreement between an online dietary assessment tool (myfood24) and an interviewer-administered 24-h dietary recall in British adolescents aged 11–18 years
Salwa Albar et al., 2016
The study aimed to validate myfood24 against an interviewer-administered 24hr recall among children aged 11-18 years old. The study found that the data collected using the 2 methods were similar suggesting that myfood24 could be used to more efficiently assess dietary intake in comparison to the more costly and time consuming interviewer-led 24hr recall.
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myfood24 Is an online 24-h dietary assessment tool developed for use among British adolescents and adults. Limited information is available regarding the validity of using new technology in assessing nutritional intake among adolescents. Thus, a relative validation of myfood24 against a face-to-face interviewer-administered 24-h multiple-pass recall (MPR) was conducted among seventy-five British adolescents aged 11–18 years. Participants were asked to complete myfood24 and an interviewer-administered MPR on the same day for 2 non-consecutive days at school. Total energy intake (EI) and nutrients recorded by the two methods were compared using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), Bland–Altman plots (using between and within-individual information) and weighted κ to assess the agreement. Energy, macronutrients and other reported nutrients from myfood24 demonstrated strong agreement with the interview MPR data, and ICC ranged from 0·46 for Na to 0·88 for EI. There was no significant bias between the two methods for EI, macronutrients and most reported nutrients. The mean difference between myfood24 and the interviewer-administered MPR for EI was −230 kJ (−55 kcal) (95 % CI −490, 30 kJ (−117, 7 kcal); P=0·4) with limits of agreement ranging between 39 % (3336 kJ (−797 kcal)) lower and 34 % (2874 kJ (687 kcal)) higher than the interviewer-administered MPR. There was good agreement in terms of classifying adolescents into tertiles of EI (κ w =0·64). The agreement between day 1 and day 2 was as good for myfood24 as for the interviewer-administered MPR, reflecting the reliability of myfood24. myfood24 Has the potential to collect dietary data of comparable quality with that of an interviewer-administered MPR.
Formative evaluation of the usability and acceptability of myfood24 among adolescents: a UK online dietary assessments tool
Salwa Albar et al., 2015
The study aimed to gain feedback on the usability and acceptability of myfood24 and use this to improve the system. After making alterations to myfood24 based on the initial round of feedback, the study found that the usability of myfood24 was deemed to be ‘good’.
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myfood24 is a new online 24 h dietary assessment tool developed for use among the UK population. Limited information is available on the usability and acceptability of such tools. Hence this study aims to determine the usability and acceptability of myfood24 among British adolescents (11-18y) before and after making the improvements. A total of 84 adolescents were involved in two stages. In stage-I (beta-version of myfood24), 14 adolescents were recruited, 7 of whom (group-1) were asked to enter standardized tasks in a testing room with screen capture software. The remaining 7-adolescents (group-2) were asked to report their previous food intake using myfood24 at home. All participants then completed a usability and acceptability questionnaire. Stage-II was carried out after making amendments to the live-version of myfood24 in which 70 adolescents were asked to enter their food intake for two days and then complete the same questionnaire. Thematic analysis was conducted of observer comments and open-ended questions. Navigation, presentation errors and failure to find functions were the main usability issues identified in the beta-version. Significant improvements were found in the usability and acceptability of most functions after implementing certain features like a spell checker, auto-fill option, and adding ‘mouse hover’ to help with the use of some functions. Adolescents’ perceptions of searching food items, selecting food portion sizes and making a list function were significantly improved in the live-version. The mean completion time of myfood24 reduced from 31 (SD = 6) minutes in the beta-version to 16 (SD = 5) minutes in the live-version. The mean system usability score (SUS) of myfood24 improved from 66/100 (95 % CI 60, 73) in the beta-version to 74/100 (95 % CI 71, 77) in the live-version, which is considered as ‘good’. Of the adolescents in stage-II, 41 % preferred using myfood24 to the interviewer-administered 24 h recall because myfood24 was quicker, easier to use and provided the adolescents with privacy when reporting dietary intake. Considering adolescents’ feedback has helped in improving the usability and acceptability of the final-version of myfood24. myfood24 appears to support adolescents’ need in reporting their dietary intake, which may potentially improve the overall quality of adolescents’ self-reported dietary information.
Development of a UK Online 24-h Dietary Assessment Tool: myfood24
Michelle Carter et al. , 2015
The study aimed to create a flexible system that could assess dietary intake in order to reduce researcher burden. myfood24 was developed with input from a range of age groups: adolescents, adults and older adults and was usability tested.
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Assessment of diet in large epidemiological studies can be costly and time consuming. An automated dietary assessment system could potentially reduce researcher burden by automatically coding food records. myfood24 (Measure Your Food on One Day) an online 24-h dietary assessment tool (with the flexibility to be used for multiple 24 h-dietary recalls or as a food diary), has been developed for use in the UK population. Development of myfood24 was a multi-stage process. Focus groups conducted with three age groups, adolescents (11–18 years) (n = 28), adults (19–64 years) (n = 24) and older adults (≥65 years) (n = 5) informed the development of the tool, and usability testing was conducted with beta (adolescents n = 14, adults n = 8, older adults n = 1) and live (adolescents n = 70, adults n = 20, older adults n = 4) versions. Median system usability scale (SUS) scores (measured on a scale of 0–100) in adolescents and adults were marginal for the beta version (adolescents median SUS = 66, interquartile range (IQR) = 20; adults median SUS = 68, IQR = 40) and good for the live version (adolescents median SUS = 73, IQR = 22; adults median SUS = 80, IQR = 25). Myfood24 is the first online 24-h dietary recall tool for use with different age groups in the UK. Usability testing indicates that myfood24 is suitable for use in UK adolescents and adults.
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