WebDASC: a web-based dietary assessment software for 8-11-year-old Danish children

Comparison of estimated energy intake using Web-based Dietary Assessment Software with accelerometer-determined energy expenditure in children

BACKGROUND

The OPUS (Optimal well-being, development and health for Danish children through a healthy New Nordic Diet) project carried out a school meal study to assess the impact of a New Nordic Diet (NND). The random controlled trial involved 834 children aged 8-11 in nine local authority schools in Denmark. Dietary assessment was carried out using a program known as WebDASC (Web-based Dietary Assessment Software for Children) to collect data from the children.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the energy intake (EI) of schoolchildren aged 8-11 estimated using the WebDASC system against the total energy expenditure (TEE) as derived from accelerometers worn by the children during the same period. A second objective was to evaluate the WebDASC's usability.

DESIGN

Eighty-one schoolchildren took part in what was the pilot study for the OPUS project, and they recorded their total diet using WebDASC and wore an accelerometer for two periods of seven consecutive days: at baseline, when they ate their usual packed lunches and at intervention when they were served the NND. EI was estimated using WebDASC, and TEE was calculated from accelerometer-derived activity energy expenditure, basal metabolic rate, and diet-induced thermogenesis. WebDASC's usability was assessed using a questionnaire. Parents could help their children record their diet and answer the questionnaire.

RESULTS

Evaluated against TEE as derived from the accelerometers worn at the same time, the WebDASC performed just as well as other traditional methods of collecting dietary data and proved both effective and acceptable with children aged 8-11, even with perhaps less familiar foods of the NND.

CONCLUSIONS

WebDASC is a useful method that provided a reasonably accurate measure of EI at group level when compared to TEE derived from accelerometer-determined physical activity in children. WebDASC will benefit future research in this area.

Assessment of diet and physical activity of brazilian schoolchildren: usability testing of a web-based questionnaire

Background

Information and communication technology (ICT) has been used with increasing frequency for the assessment of diet and physical activity in health surveys. A number of Web-based questionnaires have been developed for children and adolescents. However, their usability characteristics have scarcely been reported, despite their potential importance for improving the feasibility and validity of ICT-based methods.

Objective

The objective of this study was to describe the usability evaluation of the Consumo Alimentar e Atividade Física de Escolares (CAAFE) questionnaire (Food Consumption and Physical Activity Questionnaire for schoolchildren), a new Web-based survey tool for the self-assessment of diet and physical activity by schoolchildren.

Methods

A total of 114 schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years took part in questionnaire usability testing carried out in computer classrooms at five elementary schools in the city of Florianopolis, Brazil. Schoolchildren used a personal computer (PC) equipped with software for recording what is on the computer screen and the children’s speech during usability testing. Quantitative and qualitative analyses took into account objective usability metrics such as error counts and time to complete a task. Data on the main difficulties in accomplishing the task and the level of satisfaction expressed by the children were assessed by the observers using a standardized form and interviews with the children. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to summarize both the quantitative and the qualitative aspects of the data obtained.

Results

The mean time for completing the questionnaire was 13.7 minutes (SD 3.68). Compared to the children in 2nd or 3rd grades, those in 4th or 5th grades spent less time completing the questionnaire (median 12.4 vs 13.3 minutes, P=.022), asked for help less frequently (median 0 vs 1.0 count, P=.005), had a lower error count (median 2.0 vs 8.0 count, P<.001), and obtained a higher overall performance score (median 73.0 vs 68.0, P=.005). Children with a PC at home spent less time completing the questionnaire (median 12.3 vs 14.9 minutes, P<.001), had a lower overall error count (median 2.0 vs 9.0 count, P=.03), and had a higher performance score (median 72.0 vs 64.0, P=.005) compared to the children without a PC at home. The most common difficulty in completing the questionnaire was in using the scroll bar. The majority of children reported a positive evaluation (liked a lot or liked) for the four design elements, which were evaluated.

Conclusions

The results of the present study provided feedback to improve the final version of the CAAFE questionnaire. Quantitative data showed minor errors and system failures, while qualitative data indicated that, overall, the children enjoyed the CAAFE questionnaire. Grade levels and PC use must be taken into account in Web-based tools designed for children.

Short sleep duration and large variability in sleep duration are independently associated with dietary risk factors for obesity in Danish school children

BACKGROUND

Lack of sleep and increased consumption of energy-dense foods and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) have all been suggested as factors contributing to the increased prevalence of overweight and obesity.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether objectively measured sleep duration (average and day-to-day variability) as well as parent-reported sleep problems are independently associated with proposed dietary risk factors for overweight and obesity in 8-11-year-old children.

DESIGN

In this cross-sectional study, data on sleep duration and day-to-day variability in sleep duration were measured in 676 Danish, apparently healthy children by an objective measure (actigraphy) for 8 nights, and the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) was filled out by the parents. Diet was recorded using a web-based food record for 7 consecutive days. Fasting blood samples were obtained for measurements of plasma leptin and ghrelin levels.

RESULTS

Sleep duration (h per night) was negatively associated with energy density (ED) of the diet (β = -0.32 kJ g(-1)), added sugar (β = -1.50 E%) and SSBs (β = -1.07 E%) (all P ≤ 0.003). Furthermore, variability in sleep duration (10-min per night) was positively associated with SSBs (β = 0.20 E%, P = 0.03), independent of sleep duration, and CSHQ score was positively associated with ED (β = 0.16 kJ g(-1), P = 0.04). All of these associations were independent of potential confounders (age, sex, pubertal status, height, weight, screen time, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and parental education and ethnicity).

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that short sleep duration, high sleep duration variability and experiencing sleep problems are all associated with a poor, obesity-promoting diet in children.

Food composition databases for effective quality nutritional care

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The main aim of this study was to validate a nutrient-estimation method applied using OPEN, a Slovenian platform for clinical nutrition. As the most desirable validation is a direct comparison of the calculated values with the values obtained from a chemical analysis of the same food, we performed a chemical analysis and a calculation for a representative set of daily meals (n=20) and compared the data. The secondary aim was to evaluate the usability of the OPEN for dietary assessment.

METHODS

We used a Student's t test to observe any differences between the analysed and calculated nutrient-content data, considering the 0.01 significance level.

RESULTS

No statistically significant differences were observed in the mean contents of energy, total dietary fibre, water, macro-nutrients, and selected essential minerals: Ca, Fe, Mg, Zn, Na, P, Cu and I. We notice statistically significant difference in the mean calculated and analytical values of selenium.

CONCLUSIONS

We noticed remarkable, but not statistically significant, difference in the mean values of iodine (-11%). The present study also indicates that the OPEN is a useful and cost-effective tool for both dieticians and patients.