Dietary Habits
Conditions
Brief summary
The objective is to examine the preliminary validity, reliability and perceived participant satisfaction of the PortionSize app.
Detailed description
Overweight and obesity are a burgeoning public health concern, yet only a small minority of smartphone apps that claim to facilitate healthy eating and weight loss incorporate evidence-based principles. Such innovations are important as humans fundamentally cannot accurately estimate portion size. Indeed, portion size estimation errors account for \ 50% of the error in self-reported food intake, and data from our laboratory has demonstrated that extensive training results in only modest improvements in portion size estimation accuracy and that portion size estimates remain inaccurate. Our long-term goal is to create simple and accessible interventions that assist individuals with weight control. In particular, we aim to provide easy-to-use phone apps that allow participants to monitor the portion sizes of the foods they consume. These apps guide participants on appropriate portion sizes and provide recommendations of food groups that should be consumed. To that end, we have developed the PortionSize app. We propose to improve the accuracy of portion size measurement, as it is poorly determined by self-report measures. This will occur via the development of the PortionSize smartphone app and this pilot study will test the usability as well as preliminary validity and reliability of the app functionality.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Study design
Observational model
CASE_ONLY
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Inclusion criteria
* BMI 18.5-45 kg/m2 based upon self-reported height and weight * Have an iPhone and an operable Apple ID, password, and email address and is willing to use these to collect data during the study, acknowledging that data usage, and associated charges, are a result of study participation
Exclusion criteria
* For females, pregnancy or breast feeding * Currently diagnosed with an eating disorder * Disease that severely affects metabolism, including diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, or dyslipidemia * Has gained or lost more than 10 lbs in the last 3 months * PBRC faculty/staff member * Has suffered serious mental illness that has resulted in serious functional impairment and has substantially interfered with one's life activities within the last 5 years * Any other medical, psychiatric, or behavioral factors in the judgment of the Principle Investigator that may interfere with study participation or the ability to follow the protocol
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Validity of Portion Size at Estimating Energy Intake in Laboratory Conditions | 1 simulated meal collected on one day | Compared measurements from PortionSize to weighed values in the laboratory, which is the criterion measure. |
| Validity of Portion Size at Estimating Energy Intake in Free-living Conditions | Mean kcal intake over 3 days | Quantify the validity of the app measurements in free-living conditions compared to digital photography (the criterion measure). |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Study Cohort The validity, reliability, and satisfaction of the PortionSize app under controlled and free-living conditions were quantified. | 15 |
| Total | 15 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Study Cohort |
|---|---|
| Age, Categorical <=18 years | NA Participants |
| Age, Categorical >=65 years | NA Participants |
| Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years | 15 Participants |
| Age, Continuous | 28 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.2 |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Hispanic or Latino | 0 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Not Hispanic or Latino | 15 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Asian | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American | 1 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) White | 14 Participants |
| Region of Enrollment United States | 15 participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 11 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 4 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk |
|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 15 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 15 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 15 |
Outcome results
Primary
Validity of Portion Size at Estimating Energy Intake in Free-living Conditions
Quantify the validity of the app measurements in free-living conditions compared to digital photography (the criterion measure).
Time frame: Mean kcal intake over 3 days
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Cohort | Validity of Portion Size at Estimating Energy Intake in Free-living Conditions | Mean energy intake estimated with the PortionSize app | 1560.6 kcal | Standard Deviation 446.8 |
| Study Cohort | Validity of Portion Size at Estimating Energy Intake in Free-living Conditions | Mean energy intake estimated with rater analysis of food photos | 1349.7 kcal | Standard Deviation 389.2 |
Primary
Validity of Portion Size at Estimating Energy Intake in Laboratory Conditions
Compared measurements from PortionSize to weighed values in the laboratory, which is the criterion measure.
Time frame: 1 simulated meal collected on one day
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Cohort | Validity of Portion Size at Estimating Energy Intake in Laboratory Conditions | Mean energy intake estimated with the PortionSize app | 742.9 kcal | Standard Deviation 328 |
| Study Cohort | Validity of Portion Size at Estimating Energy Intake in Laboratory Conditions | Mean energy intake estimated with the directly weighed food portions | 659.3 kcal | Standard Deviation 190.7 |