Advancing the art and science of dietary assessment through technology

Authors: McCabe Sellers, Beverly

Submitted to: Journal Of The American Dietetic Association
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2009
Publication Date: 1/1/2010
Citation: McCabe Sellers, B.J. 2010. Advancing the art and science of dietary assessment through technology. Journal Of The American Dietetic Association. 110(1):52-54.

Interpretive Summary: Increased application of technology to activities carried out by researchers and clinicians is important to meet health research and health care time constraints. A collaboration among scientists from the USHHS, National Institute for Health, National Cancer Institute USDA, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Baylor College of Medicine, and a private graphic engineering firm is producing a new dietary assessment method that will allow individuals to go online and self-administer a 24-hour dietary recall for themselves and allow researchers of health care professionals to collect this data for research studies or for clinical care plans. This method allows distance dietary assessments and frees travel times and cost for the client and interview time for the clinician or researcher.

Technical Abstract: This research editorial presents the background against which dietitians may consider the benefits of new technology being incorporated into the art and science of dietary assessment. The background provides past changes that have increased the need for computer applications being developed for individuals to self-administer 24-hour recalls to provide the benefit of freeing up time for the dietitian or researcher to focus on synthesizing individual care plans or interpreting research data. This advance is particularly welcome as dietetics begin the move toward the future of individualizing healthy eating recommendations based not only on population data but also potentially on personal genotyping. The new technology being reported is on the Automated Self Administered 24-hour Recall being developed by Amy Subar in collaboration with research scientists at the National Cancer Institute, USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, at the Baylor College of Medicine, and private contractors. The title is "Assessment of the accuracy of portion size reports using computer-based food photography aids in the development of an automated self-administered 24-hour recall (ASA24).