A review of the use of information and communication technologies for dietary assessment

Presently used dietary-assessment methods often present difficulties for researchers and respondents, and misreporting errors are common. Methods using information and communication technologies (ICT) may improve quality and accuracy. The present paper presents a systematic literature review describing studies applying ICT to dietary assessment. Eligible papers published between January 1995 and February 2008 were classified into four assessment categories: computerised assessment; personal digital assistants (PDA); digital photography; smart cards. Computerised assessments comprise frequency questionnaires, 24 h recalls (24HR) and diet history assessments. Self-administered computerised assessments, which can include audio support, may reduce literacy problems, be translated and are useful for younger age groups, but less so for those unfamiliar with computers. Self-administered 24HR utilising computers yielded comparable results as standard methods, but needed supervision if used in children. Computer-assisted interviewer-administered recall results were similar to conventional recalls, and reduced inter-interviewer variability. PDA showed some advantages but did not reduce underreporting. Mobile phone meal photos did not improve PDA accuracy. Digital photography for assessing individual food intake in dining facilities was accurate for adults and children, although validity was slightly higher with direct visual observation. Smart cards in dining facilities were useful for measuring food choice but not total dietary intake. In conclusion, computerised assessments and PDA are promising, and could improve dietary assessment quality in some vulnerable groups and decrease researcher workload. Both still need comprehensive evaluation for micronutrient intake assessment. Further work is necessary for improving ICT tools in established and new methods and for their rigorous evaluatio

Conflictos de Interés en la Investigación en Nutrición: ¿Mucho ruido o muchas nueces? = Conflicts of Interest in Nutrition Research: Empty Pots Make the Most Noise

Resumen: En los últimos años ha crecido el interés y la preocupación sobre el potencial de los conflictos de interés que pueden afectar la credibilidad de resultados científicos. Los eventuales conflictos de intereses deben manejarse de un modo riguroso declarando las fuentes de financiación de la investigación nutricional; separando a la fuente financiadora privada de la planificación, análisis y divulgación de la investigación; evaluando la calidad de la investigación; salvaguardando el honor y la credibilidad de los investigadores; incentivando la búsqueda de recursos privados para la investigación nutricional, de forma transparente; reconociendo la insuficiencia de la financiación pública y siendo muy escrupuloso con los conflictos de intereses identificados que han dado lugar a sesgos o fraude de forma probada, entre otras medidas.  Una cuestión de ética, responsabilidad y buenas prácticas. Palabras clave: Conflicto de intereses; Financiación de la investigación; Asociaciones entre el Sector Público y el Privado, Ética Abstract: In recent years increasing interest and concern has focused on the potential conflicts of interest that can affect the credibility of scientific results. Possible conflicts of interest should be managed in a rigorous way by declaring the sources of funding for nutrition research; separating the private funding sources from the process of planning, analysis and dissemination of research; evaluating the quality of research; safeguarding the honor and credibility of researchers; encouraging the transparent search for private resources for nutritional research; recognizing the lack of public funding and facing severely against the identified conflicts of interest that have led to proven bias or fraud, among other measures. A matter of ethics, responsibility and good practice. Key words: Conflicts of interest; Research funding; Public-Private Sector Partnerships; Ethics doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.20318/recs.2016.313

How does the quality of surveys for nutrient intake adequacy assessment compare across Europe? A scoring system to rate the quality of data in such surveys

Research was conducted within the EURopean micronutrient RECommendations Aligned (EURRECA) Network of Excellence, to find the best practice in assessing nutrient intakes. Objectives include: to search for and use data on individual nutrient intake adequacy (NIA) assessment collected in twenty-eight European countries and the four European Free Trade Association countries: to design and test innovative tools for data quality analysis. The information was obtained using the method described by Blanquer et al. in the present issue. The best-practice criteria were devised to select the most appropriate survey in each country. Then a survey quality scoring system was developed in consultation with experts and tested on these surveys. Weights were allocated according to a variable priority order agreed by consultation. The thirty-two Countries yielded twenty-four national surveys (eight countries excluded). Data collection techniques: eleven countries/surveys used personal interviews only; six used combinations of techniques. Dietary assessment methods: two used repeated 24h recalls only: eleven used combinations. NIA assessment methods: two used probabilistic approach and SD/Z-scores only; eleven used comparison with estimated average requirements/RDA only. Countries were ranked according to the survey quality scoring, but careful interpretation is needed because of incomplete data from some surveys bearing this in mind, the information quality is high in 37.5% countries, medium in 50.0% and low in 12.5%. Although there is room for improvement and caution should be taken when drawing conclusions and recommendations from these results, the lessons learned and tools developed at this first attempt form the basis for future work within the EURRECA framework for aligning European micronutrient recommendations

Dietary assessment methods for micronutrient intake in elderly people: a systematic review

The European micronutrient recommendations aligned (EURRECA) Network of Excellence seeks to establish clear guidelines for assessing the validity of reported micronutrient intakes among vulnerable population groups. A systematic literature review identified studies validating the methodology used in elderly people for measuring usual dietary micronutrient intake. The quality of each validation study selected was assessed using a EURRECA-developed scoring system. The validation studies were categorised according to whether the reference method applied reflected short-term intake ( <7 d), long-term intake ( = 7 d) or used biomarkers (BM). A correlation coefficient for each micronutrient was calculated from the mean of the correlation coefficients from each study weighted by the quality of the study. Thirty-three papers were selected, which included the validation of twenty-five different FFQ, six diet histories (DH), one 24-h recall (24HR) and a videotaped dietary assessment method. A total of five publications analysed BM, which were used to validate four FFQ, and one 24HR, presenting very good correlations only for vitamin E. The analysis of weighted correlation coefficients classified by FFQ or DH showed that most of the micronutrients had higher correlations when the DH was used as the dietary method. Comparing only FFQ results showed very good correlations for measuring short-term intakes of riboflavin and thiamin and long-term intakes of P and Mg. When frequency methods are used for assessing micronutrient intake, the inclusion of dietary supplements improves their reliability for most micronutrients

Effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in the elderly

The Mediterranean diet is known to be one of the healthiest dietary patterns in the world due to its relation with a low morbidity and mortality for some chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to review literature regarding the relationship between Mediterranean diet and healthy aging. A MEDLINE search was conducted looking for literature regarding the relationship between Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular disease (or risk factors for cardiovascular disease), cancer, mental health and longevity and quality of life in the elderly population (65 years or older). A selection of 36 articles met the criteria of selection. Twenty of the studies were about Mediterranean diets and cardiovascular disease, 2 about Mediterranean diets and cancer, 3 about Mediterranean diets and mental health and 11 about longevity (overall survival) or mental health. The results showed that Mediterranean diets had benefits on risks factors for cardiovascular disease such as lipoprotein levels, endothelium vasodilatation, insulin resistance, the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, antioxidant capacity, the incidence of acute myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular mortality. Some positive associations with quality of life and inverse associations with the risk of certain cancers and with overall mortality were also reported

How dietary intake methodology is adapted for use in European immigrant population groups - a review

Immigrants comprise a noteworthy segment of the European Population whose numbers are increasing. Research on the dietary habits of immigrants is critical for correctly providing diet counselling and implementing effective interventions. The aim of the present study was to identify the presently used methods and adaptations required for measuring dietary intake in European immigrant groups. A comprehensive review strategy included a structured MEDLINE search, related references and key expert Consultations. The review targeted adults from non-European union (European union-15 countries) ethnic groups having the largest populations in Europe. As Studies evaluating nutrient intake were scarce, papers evaluating intake at the level of foods were included. Forty-six papers were selected. Although Eastern Europe, Turkey, Africa (North, Sub-Saharan and Afro-Caribbean), Asia and Latin America represented the most numerous immigrant groups, papers on dietary intake were not available for all populations. Interview-administered FFQ and repeated 24 hour recalls were the most frequently applied instruments. Inclusion of ethnic foods and quantification of specific portion sizes of traditional foods and dishes in assessment tools as well as food composition databases were commonly identified problems. For FFQ, food list elaboration required particular consideration to reflect key ethnic foods and relative contribution to nutrient intake. Extra efforts were observed to overcome Cultural barriers to Study participation. Evaluation-dietary intake of immigrant populations requires special attention to various methodological aspects (sampling, recruiting, instruments used, method of administration, food composition database, acculturation, etc.) so as to adequately address the range of socio-cultural factors inherent in these nutritionally at risk target groups