Windus Janelle L, Stewart Samantha J, Adam Marc T P, Dodd Connor T, Burrows Tracy L, Collins Clare E, Rollo Megan E
School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
Food and Nutrition Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia.
Nutrients. 2025 Jan 20;17(2):360. doi: 10.3390/nu17020360.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: For low- and middle- income country (LMIC) settings, a global nutrition transition is rapidly emerging as diets shift, resulting in a dual burden of malnutrition. High quality dietary intake data for these populations is essential to understand dietary patterns contributing to these nutrition issues. New technology is emerging to address dietary assessment challenges; however, it is unknown how researchers conducting studies with LMIC populations or under-served groups in high-income countries adopt technology-assisted methods. This study aimed to describe the features of the dietary assessment methods used in these settings.
A cross-sectional survey of members of an online international nutrition network was conducted. Participants completed an online questionnaire collecting data on dietary assessment method use, populations studied, and factors influencing method selection.
Of 45 participants (ranging from 27 to 60 years) who completed the questionnaire, 67% conducted dietary assessments in children aged 1-5 years, 60% in pregnant women and 60% in female adults. Dietary assessment was conducted predominantly in countries classified as LMIC (n = 50), compared to the assessment of vulnerable groups in high-income countries (n = 3). All participants reported using 24-h recalls, 80% used food frequency questionnaires, while 22% used image-based and 22% used image-assisted methods. Predominant modes were interviewer-administered, paper questionnaires and manual analysis; however, digital survey platforms were used by nearly half of participants.
Although traditional dietary assessment methods continue to dominate in LMICs, evidence of technological-assisted method use is emerging. Technology-assisted methods, tailored to address challenges in collecting quality dietary intake data in LMICs, are becoming more accessible.
背景/目的：在低收入和中等收入国家（LMIC），随着饮食结构的转变，全球营养转型正在迅速显现，导致了营养不良的双重负担。了解导致这些营养问题的饮食模式，高质量的这些人群的饮食摄入数据至关重要。新技术正在涌现以应对饮食评估挑战；然而，尚不清楚在低收入和中等收入国家人群或高收入国家中服务不足群体中开展研究的研究人员如何采用技术辅助方法。本研究旨在描述这些环境中使用的饮食评估方法的特征。
对一个在线国际营养网络的成员进行了横断面调查。参与者完成了一份在线问卷，收集有关饮食评估方法使用、研究人群以及影响方法选择的因素的数据。
在完成问卷的45名参与者（年龄在27至60岁之间）中，67%对1至5岁儿童进行了饮食评估，60%对孕妇进行了评估，60%对成年女性进行了评估。饮食评估主要在被归类为低收入和中等收入国家的国家进行（n = 50），相比之下，高收入国家的弱势群体评估（n = 3）。所有参与者都报告使用了24小时回忆法，80%使用了食物频率问卷，而22%使用了基于图像的方法，22%使用了图像辅助方法。主要方式是由访谈员管理、纸质问卷和手工分析；然而，近一半的参与者使用了数字调查平台。
尽管传统饮食评估方法在低收入和中等收入国家仍然占主导地位，但技术辅助方法的使用证据正在出现。为应对在低收入和中等收入国家收集高质量饮食摄入数据方面的挑战而量身定制的技术辅助方法正变得更容易获得。
