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Nutrition in the Digital Age—Innovation and Trends in Dietary Patterns and Healthy Lifestyle

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2022) | Viewed by 22905

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Margaret Allman-Farinelli

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Medicine and Health, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
Interests: nutrition; obesity; diet; dietary patterns; physical activity; behaviour change; m-health

Dr. Juliana Chen

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Guest Editor

Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
Interests: nutrition; dietetics; diet; obesity; weight management; behaviour change; m-health; Pacific Islands
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Dear Colleagues,

We are excited to invite you to submit research manuscripts utilising the new digital dietary assessment technologies to collect food and beverage data from populations. The types of tools might be automated recalls, image capture for assessing food intake, apps for prospective recording of food intake or digital food frequency instruments. We are interested to see how they have been used to further the study of dietary intake patterns across time, throughout the lifecycle and in different countries. The use of tools in low- and middle-income countries is of special interest in addition to their use in higher-income countries. With this Special Issue, we hope to assemble data from across the world to understand dietary patterns and how they are influencing global health outcomes. We welcome original research articles, systematic and scoping reviews and meta-analyses. Research in both healthy populations and various subgroups with disease states is of interest.

Prof. Dr. Margaret Allman-Farinelli
Dr. Juliana Chen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

dietary assessment technology
dietary surveillance
dietary patterns
digital technology
chronic diseases
nutritional epidemiology

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 1675 KiB

Open AccessArticle

by Juliana Chen, Amanda Grech and Margaret Allman-Farinelli

Nutrients 2022, 14(22), 4822; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14224822 - 14 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1598

Abstract

Knowing the type and quality of the most popular foods consumed by a population can be useful in the design of technologies for monitoring food intake and interventions. The aim of this research was to determine the most frequently consumed foods and beverages among the Australian population and provide recommendations for progressing the design of dietary assessment technologies. Analysis of the first 24 h recall of the most recent Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey was conducted. The most popular foods and beverages consumed by energy (kJ) and by frequency were calculated. There were 4515 separate foods and beverages reported by 12,153 people. Overall, the top 10 foods that contributed most energy included full fat milk, beer, white rice, white bread, red wine, cola soft drinks, bananas, red apples, wholewheat breakfast cereal and white sugar. The five most frequently reported foods and beverages were tap water, black tea, full fat milk, instant coffee, and sugar. Understanding the most popular foods and beverages consumed can support innovations in the design of digital tools for dietary surveillance and to reduce under-reporting and food omissions. These findings could also guide the development of more tailored and relevant food databases that underpin these technologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition in the Digital Age—Innovation and Trends in Dietary Patterns and Healthy Lifestyle)

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15 pages, 314 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Using Online 24-h Dietary Methodology to Validate the Psychometric Properties of a Dietary Scoring Tool with an International Sample of Adults Living with Multiple Sclerosis

by Vivienne Guan, Steve Simpson-Yap, Nupur Nag, George Jelinek, Sandra Neate and Yasmine Probst

Nutrients 2022, 14(21), 4568; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14214568 - 31 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1547

Abstract

Understanding the dietary characteristics of people living with multiple sclerosis (plwMS) may assist in the planning of nutrition interventions for multiple sclerosis; yet dietary assessment methods in existing studies are not well established. The aim of this study was to validate the psychometric properties (construct validity and internal consistency) of the Dietary Habits Questionnaire (DHQ) against repeated online 24-h recall dietary assessments. The DHQ is a 24-item tool that is scored using ten dietary sub-scores. Total DHQ scores can range from 20–100 and are considered indicative of the quality of dietary intake with higher scores reflecting increased quality. People living with a relapsing-remitting MS phenotype who had completed a modified DHQ were recruited from the international Health Outcomes and Lifestyle In a Sample of people with Multiple sclerosis (HOLISM) cohort. Repeated 24-h recall via the online Automated Self-administered Assessment-24 (ASA-24) tool were modelled to reflect usual dietary intakes using the Multiple Source Method. DHQ scores of eight sub-scores: three key nutrients, three food groups and two food preparation practices, were calculated and statistically compared with ASA-24 usual intake data. Principal component analysis of the ASA-24 data was undertaken to understand dietary patterns of the sample. Of the 105 participants, valid 24-h recall data were available for 96 plwMS (n = 66 1 day, n = 30 ≥ 2 day). The median total DHQ score was 84.50 (IQR: 77.04, 91.83) points. The highest absolute correlations were between the DHQ scores and ASA-24 data for cereal (r = 0.395, p < 0.001), fruit and vegetables (r = 0.436, p < 0.001), and total dietary fiber (r = 0.482, p < 0.001). Five dietary patterns emerged from the data explaining 42.12% variance and reflecting exposure of plwMS to the influence of ‘MS diets’. The DHQ appears to be appropriate for screening participants with relapsing-remitting MS. Evidence-based dietary models focusing on food are required to monitor the quality of an overall dietary pattern and set priorities for the planning nutrition interventions for plwMS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition in the Digital Age—Innovation and Trends in Dietary Patterns and Healthy Lifestyle)

20 pages, 1023 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Unhealthy Food at Your Fingertips: Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Nutritional Quality of Restaurants and Takeaway Outlets on an Online Food Delivery Platform in New Zealand

by Nisha Mahawar, Si Si Jia, Andriana Korai, Celina Wang, Margaret Allman-Farinelli, Virginia Chan, Rebecca Raeside, Philayrath Phongsavan, Julie Redfern, Alice A. Gibson, Stephanie R. Partridge and Rajshri Roy

Nutrients 2022, 14(21), 4567; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14214567 - 30 Oct 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3918

Abstract

Online food delivery (OFD) platforms have become increasingly popular due to advanced technology, which is changing the way consumers purchase food prepared outside of the home. There is limited research investigating the healthiness of the digital food environment and its influence on consumer choice and dietary behaviours. This study is the first to examine the nutritional quality and marketing attributes of menu items from popular independent and franchise restaurants and takeaway outlets on New Zealand’s market leading OFD platform (UberEATS^®). A total of 374 popular independent and franchise restaurants and takeaway outlets were identified to form a database of complete menus and marketing attributes. All 25,877 menu items were classified into 38 food and beverage categories based on the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Of complete menus, 73.3% (18,955/25,877) were discretionary. Thirty-six percent (9419/25,877) were discretionary cereal-based mixed meals, the largest of the 38 categories. Discretionary menu items were more likely to be categorized as most popular (OR: 2.0, 95% CI 1.7–2.2), accompanied by a photo (OR: 1.7, 95% CI 1.6–1.8), and offered as a value bundle (OR: 4.6, 95% CI 3.2–6.8). Two of the three discretionary mixed meal categories were significantly less expensive than their healthier counterparts (p < 0.001). The overwhelming availability and promotion of discretionary choices offered by restaurants and takeaway outlets on OFD platforms have implications for public health policy. Further research to explore direct associations between nutritional quality and consumers’ dietary choices is required. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition in the Digital Age—Innovation and Trends in Dietary Patterns and Healthy Lifestyle)

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14 pages, 1002 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Wearable Cameras Reveal Large Intra-Individual Variability in Timing of Eating among Young Adults

by Leanne Wang, Virginia Chan, Margaret Allman-Farinelli, Alyse Davies, Lyndal Wellard-Cole and Anna Rangan

Nutrients 2022, 14(20), 4349; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14204349 - 17 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1867

Abstract

Studies have shown that young adults follow less structured eating patterns compared with older cohorts. This may have implications for dietary assessment methods which rely on memory and structured meal patterns. Our aim was to describe the intra-individual variation of eating times in young adults aged 18–30 years. Participants (n = 41) wore an Autographer camera that captured first-person perspective images every 30 s for three consecutive days. All images were timestamped and those showing food consumption were used to extract data such as the timing of the first and last eating occasions (EOs), number of EOs per day, and length of eating window. Intra-individual variability was calculated from these data using composite phase deviation (CPD) and coefficient of variation (CV). The number of individuals with high or very high variability was 28 and 18 for timing of first and last EOs, respectively (CPD > 1.70), and 27 and 17 for number of EOs and eating window, respectively (CV > 20%). In this sample of young adults, the lack of regularity in eating patterns should be considered when selecting a dietary assessment method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition in the Digital Age—Innovation and Trends in Dietary Patterns and Healthy Lifestyle)

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16 pages, 332 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Predicting Perceived Problems in Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Recalls: A Quantitative Think-Aloud Study Comparing Automated Self-Assisted 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24^®) and INTAKE24© in University Students

by Katlyn M. Mackenzie, Deborah A. Kerr, Clare Whitton, Zenobia Talati, Tracy A. McCaffrey and Barbara A. Mullan

Nutrients 2022, 14(20), 4281; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14204281 - 13 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2517

Abstract

Demographic and psychosocial factors concerning dietary assessment error have been explored, but few studies have investigated the perceived problems experienced when completing dietary recalls. The aim of this research was to (i) compare the perceived problems encountered in two commonly used self-administered 24-hour dietary recall (24HR) programs (INTAKE24© and ASA24^®) and (ii) explore whether mindful and habitual eating are associated with perceived problems during dietary recall. A randomised quantitative crossover design and think-aloud methodology were employed. Undergraduate university students (N = 55, M_age = 25.5, SD = 8.2, 75% female) completed a food habits and mindfulness questions pre-program, one 24HR (whilst thinking aloud), and a systems usability scale post-program. A week later, they completed the other 24HR (whilst thinking aloud). During a pilot, a coding frame of perceived problems was devised to quantify participants’ perceived problems. INTAKE24© generated significantly fewer perceived problems across all categories compared to ASA24^® (17.2 vs. 33.1, p < 0.001). Of the participants, 68% reported a preference for INTAKE24© over ASA24^®. Hierarchical multiple regression showed that habits and systems usability were significant predictors of perceived problems for INTAKE24© only. No significant predictors were found for ASA24^®. The results provide insight into perceived problems people may encounter when using 24HR tools. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition in the Digital Age—Innovation and Trends in Dietary Patterns and Healthy Lifestyle)

12 pages, 467 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diet Quality of Adolescents and Adults Who Completed the Australian Healthy Eating Quiz: An Analysis of Data over Six Years (2016–2022)

by Megan Whatnall, Erin D. Clarke, Marc T. P. Adam, Lee M. Ashton, Tracy Burrows, Melinda Hutchesson and Clare E. Collins

Nutrients 2022, 14(19), 4072; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14194072 - 30 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2122

Abstract

Diet quality is influenced by demographics and can change over time. This study aimed to (1) compare diet quality among adolescents/adults who completed the online Healthy Eating Quiz (HEQ) by demographic characteristics, and (2) to evaluate change in score over time for repeat completers. HEQ data collected between July 2016 and May 2022 were analysed, including demographics (age, gender, vegetarian status, socio-economic status, number of people main meals are shared with, country), and diet quality calculated using the Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS) (range 0–73) for respondents aged ≥ 16 years. Differences in ARFS by demographic characteristics and change in score over time, adjusted for age, gender and vegetarian status, were tested by linear regression. The participants (n = 176,075) were predominantly female (70.4%), Australian (62.8%), and aged 18–24 years (27.7%), with 4.0% (n = 7087) repeat completers. Mean ± SD ARFS was 33.9 ± 9.4/73. Results indicate that ARFS was significantly lower among males and significantly higher with increasing age group, higher socio-economic status, in vegetarians, those who shared main meals with others, and those living in Australia (p-values < 0.001). Mean change in ARFS over time (2.3 ± 6.9) was significantly higher for those with lower baseline scores (p < 0.001). Publicly available, brief dietary assessment tools have the potential to improve diet quality at the population level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition in the Digital Age—Innovation and Trends in Dietary Patterns and Healthy Lifestyle)

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16 pages, 567 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Healthy and Sustainable Diet Index: Development, Application and Evaluation Using Image-Based Food Records

by Amelia J. Harray, Carol J. Boushey, Christina M. Pollard, Satvinder S. Dhaliwal, Syed Aqif Mukhtar, Edward J. Delp and Deborah A. Kerr

Nutrients 2022, 14(18), 3838; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14183838 - 16 Sep 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2607

Abstract

There are limited methods to assess how dietary patterns adhere to a healthy and sustainable diet. The aim of this study was to develop a theoretically derived Healthy and Sustainable Diet Index (HSDI). The HSDI uses 12 components within five categories related to environmental sustainability: animal-based foods, seasonal fruits and vegetables, ultra-processed energy-dense nutrient-poor foods, packaged foods and food waste. A maximum of 90 points indicates the highest adherence. The HSDI was applied to 4-day mobile food records (mFR^TM) from 247 adults (18–30 years). The mean HSDI score was 42.7 (SD 9.3). Participants who ate meat were less likely to eat vegetables (p < 0.001) and those who ate non-animal protein foods were more likely to eat more fruit (p < 0.001), vegetables (p < 0.05), and milk, yoghurt and cheese (p < 0.05). After adjusting for age, sex and body mass index, multivariable regression found the strongest predictor of the likelihood of being in the lowest total HSDI score tertile were people who only took a bit of notice [OR (95%CI) 5.276 (1.775, 15.681) p < 0.005] or did not pay much/any attention to the health aspects of their diet [OR (95%CI) 8.308 (2.572, 26.836) p < 0.0001]. HSDI provides a new reference standard to assess adherence to a healthy and sustainable diet. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition in the Digital Age—Innovation and Trends in Dietary Patterns and Healthy Lifestyle)

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10 pages, 647 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Contribution of Nutrients of Concern to the Diets of 18-to-30-Year-Old Australians from Food Prepared Outside Home Differs by Food Outlet Types: The MYMeals Cross-Sectional Study

by Emma Nassif, Alyse Davies, Kim B. Bente, Lyndal Wellard-Cole, Jisu Jung, Judy Kay, Clare Hughes, Irena Koprinska, Wendy L. Watson, Kalina Yacef, Kathy Chapman, Anna Rangan, Adrian Bauman, Cliona Ni Mhurchu and Margaret Allman-Farinelli

Nutrients 2022, 14(18), 3751; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14183751 - 11 Sep 2022

Viewed by 2121

Abstract

Young adults are frequent consumers of food prepared outside the home (FOH). In a cross-sectional survey, the MYMeals study, we showed FOH provided one-third of meals and snacks for young Australian adults, yet it contributed higher proportions of energy and nutrients of concern, such as saturated fat and sodium. This study aimed to determine the detailed proportional contribution of nutrients of concern from the nine food outlet types captured in the MYMeals study. Young adults residing in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, (n = 1001) used a validated smartphone app to report all types and amounts of food and beverages consumed for three consecutive days, as well as their preparation location. The proportions of daily energy, macronutrients, sodium, total sugars, and saturated fat were calculated for each of the nine following outlet types: bakeries or patisseries, coffee chains, cold-drink chains, fast-food chains, ice creamery or frozen yoghurt outlets, independent cafes or restaurants, pubs (hotels) and clubs, service stations or convenience stores, and others not fitting the above categories. Of all FOH outlet types, independent cafes or restaurants contributed the most energy (17.5%), sodium (20.0%) and saturated fat (17.8%) to the total diet, followed by fast-food chains (12.0% energy, 15.8% sodium, and 12.0% saturated fat) and other outlets, with smaller proportions. For males, the proportion of energy and nutrients contributed by fast-food outlets was higher than for females (14.8% versus 9.8% energy). Menu labelling at independent cafes and restaurants is recommended, comprising, in addition to the energy labels already in use in fast-food restaurants, the labelling of nutrients of concern. The feasibility of this recommendation warrants further exploration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition in the Digital Age—Innovation and Trends in Dietary Patterns and Healthy Lifestyle)

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17 pages, 698 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Usability of myfood24 Healthcare and Mathematical Diet Optimisation in Clinical Populations: A Pilot Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial

by Diane E. Threapleton, Sarah L. Beer, Dustin J. Foley, Lauren E. Gibson, Sarah Trevillion, Dermot Burke, Pete Wheatstone, Jacqui Gath, Nick Hex, Jo Setters, Darren C. Greenwood and Janet E. Cade

Nutrients 2022, 14(9), 1768; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14091768 - 23 Apr 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3194

Abstract

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. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition in the Digital Age—Innovation and Trends in Dietary Patterns and Healthy Lifestyle)

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