Evaluation of the Ability of Diet-Tracking Mobile Applications to Estimate Energy and Nutrient Intake in Japan

We evaluated the energy and nutrient intake estimates of popular Japanese diet-tracking mobile applications (apps). We identified five diet-tracking apps in the iTunes store during August 2020. A researcher entered the dietary data from a one-day paper-based dietary record (DR) previously obtained from apparently healthy free-living adults (15 males and 15 females; 22–65 years) into each app. The energy and nutrient intakes estimated by the apps were compared with those calculated using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan based on the paper-based DR (reference method). The number of dietary variables available ranged from one (energy in Mogutan) to 17 (FiNC). Compared to the DR-based estimates, the median energy intake was significantly overestimated by MyFitnessPal, Asken, Calomiru, and Mogutan. Moreover, the intakes of many nutrients were overestimated by Asken and Calomiru and underestimated by MyFitnessPal. For energy intake, the Spearman correlation coefficient between the DR and the apps was lowest for Mogutan (0.76) and highest for FiNC (0.96). The median correlation coefficient for nutrient intakes was lower in MyFitnessPal (0.50) than in the other three apps (0.80 in Asken, 0.87 in FiNC, and 0.88 in Calomiru). These results suggest that intake calculations differ among apps. Further evaluation is needed in free-living settings, where users input their own food intake.     

中职学生手机依赖现状及影响因素分析

  目的  调查河南省安阳市大专院校学生手机依赖综合征情况,并分析其影响因素,为制定合理有效手机管理计划提供准确依据。  方法  于2017年12月,采用整群抽样法选取安阳市大专院校学生3 217人,分析不同特征下手机依赖综合征检出率,并应用多因素logistic回归对症状发生影响因素进行分析。  结果  大专院校学生每月话费主要集中在30～90元者占57.07 %,日均使用手机时间1～4 h占比最高,为46.16 %,手机使用最多功能中在线聊天占比最高（94.90 %）,玩游戏占比最低（44.67 %）;3 217人中检出有手机依赖综合征839人（26.08 %）;不同性别、专业类型、生源地、是否恋爱、学习成绩排名、是否有负性情绪、每周运动情况、寝室相处情况、月均消费学生比较,手机依赖情况差异具有统计学意义（P < 0.05）;经多因素logistic回归分析显示,专业类型、学习成绩排名、是否有负性情绪、月均消费是影响手机依赖综合征发生的危险因素（P < 0.05）。  结论  安阳市大专院校学生多存在手机依赖综合征,学校应加强合理使用手机宣传教育,提高学生自我管理能力,制定相关政策,营造良好手机使用氛围。     

Evaluation of a Mobile Phone Image-Based Dietary Assessment Method in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Image-based dietary records have limited evidence evaluating their performance and use among adults with a chronic disease. This study evaluated the performance of a 3-day mobile phone image-based dietary record, the Nutricam Dietary Assessment Method (NuDAM), in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Criterion validity was determined by comparing energy intake (EI) with total energy expenditure (TEE) measured by the doubly-labelled water technique. Relative validity was established by comparison to a weighed food record (WFR). Inter-rater reliability was assessed by comparing estimates of intake from three dietitians. Ten adults (6 males, age: 61.2 ± 6.9 years old, BMI: 31.0 ± 4.5 kg/m²) participated. Compared to TEE, mean EI (MJ/day) was significantly under-reported using both methods, with a mean ratio of EI:TEE 0.76 ± 0.20 for the NuDAM and 0.76 ± 0.17 for the WFR. Correlations between the NuDAM and WFR were mostly moderate for energy (r = 0.57), carbohydrate (g/day) (r = 0.63, p < 0.05), protein (g/day) (r = 0.78, p < 0.01) and alcohol (g/day) (r_s = 0.85, p < 0.01), with a weaker relationship for fat (g/day) (r = 0.24). Agreement between dietitians for nutrient intake for the 3-day NuDAM (Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) = 0.77–0.99) was lower when compared with the 3-day WFR (ICC = 0.82–0.99). These findings demonstrate the performance and feasibility of the NuDAM to assess energy and macronutrient intake in a small sample. Some modifications to the NuDAM could improve efficiency and an evaluation in a larger group of adults with T2DM is required.     

A Mobile Phone Based Method to Assess Energy and Food Intake in Young Children: A Validation Study against the Doubly Labelled Water Method and 24 h Dietary Recalls

Mobile phones are becoming important instruments for assessing diet and energy intake. We developed the Tool for Energy Balance in Children (TECH), which uses a mobile phone to assess energy and food intake in pre-school children. The aims of this study were: (a) to compare energy intake (EI) using TECH with total energy expenditure (TEE) measured via doubly labelled water (DLW); and (b) to compare intakes of fruits, vegetables, fruit juice, sweetened beverages, candy, ice cream, and bakery products using TECH with intakes acquired by 24 h dietary recalls. Participants were 39 healthy, Swedish children (5.5 ± 0.5 years) within the ongoing Mobile-based Intervention Intended to Stop Obesity in Preschoolers (MINISTOP) obesity prevention trial. Energy and food intakes were assessed during four days using TECH and 24 h telephone dietary recalls. Mean EI (TECH) was not statistically different from TEE (DLW) (5820 ± 820 kJ/24 h and 6040 ± 680kJ/24 h, respectively). No significant differences in the average food intakes using TECH and 24 h dietary recalls were found. All food intakes were correlated between TECH and the 24 h dietary recalls (ρ = 0.665–0.896, p < 0.001). In conclusion, TECH accurately estimated the average intakes of energy and selected foods and thus has the potential to be a useful tool for dietary studies in pre-school children, for example obesity prevention trials.     

Relationship between Dietary Fiber Intake and the Prognosis of Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Korea

The gut microbiota has been suggested as an important factor in the pathogenic mechanisms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This study aimed to investigate whether the intake of different kinds of dietary fiber was related to the disease progression rate (∆FS) and survival time. In total, 272 Korean sporadic ALS patients diagnosed according to the revised EI Escorial criteria were recruited starting in March 2011 and were followed until the occurrence of events or the end of September 2020. The events included percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, tracheostomy, and death. Dietary fiber intake was calculated based on a 24-h dietary recall and classified according to five major fiber-rich foods: vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, and nuts/seeds. Among the total participants, the group with ∆FS values lower than the mean ∆FS (0.75) was noted in the highest tertiles of total and vegetable fiber intake. Participants in the highest tertile for vegetable fiber intake showed longer survival in the Kaplan–Meier analysis (p = 0.033). Notably, vegetable fiber intake was negatively correlated with pro-inflammatory cytokine (interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1) levels in the cerebrospinal fluid. This study showed that vegetable fiber intake could influence the disease progression rate and survival time. Further clinical trials are needed to confirm whether dietary fiber supplementation improves the prognosis of ALS.     

基于手机的移动式热成像系统研究与初步应用

研究了一种基于手机的低成本热成像系统架构及其组成要素:热成像模块、手机与专属操作软件等.探讨了各种阵列热成像模块的设计理念与考虑因素,包含元器件成本与噪声等效温差等.软件中引入了场景变化侦测来改善非均匀修正算法的效率.该系统在积分时间大于16帧的情况下,其噪声等效温差(NETD)可低于150 mK.特别地,将该系统应用于人体运动健康评估中的体温监测上,试验证实了其在医学应用上的可靠性与便利性.     

膳食纤维在肠内营养中应用的系统评价

目的评价膳食纤维在临床肠内营养中对腹泻、感染及住院时间的影响。方法检索MEDLINE光盘数据库、EMBASE光盘数据库、Cochrane图书馆临床对照试验资料库、中国生物医学文献光盘数据库，查找有关膳食纤维在肠内营养应用中的随机对照试验，用RevMan4．1软件进行Meta-分析。结果7项随机对照试验共400例患者纳入研究。5篇文献报告了膳食纤维对腹泻的影响，合并分析显示差异无显著性，亚组分析发现对非危重患者可降低腹泻发生率。2篇文献报告了感染率和住院时间，合并分析显示膳食纤维缩短了住院时间，但尚不能肯定对降低感染率的价值。结论膳食纤维可改善非危重患者的腹泻，但尚缺乏证据说明对危重患者同样有效，也还不能证明有减少感染的作用，建议对膳食纤维在肠内营养中应用的价值作进一步研究。     

Association between Dietary Fiber Intake and Incidence of Depression and Anxiety in Patients with Essential Hypertension

(1) Background: Our previous study found that the dietary fiber supplement in patients with hypertension increased SCFA-producers, Bififidobacterium and Spirillum in the gut microbiota, which may be associated with improvement of depression and anxiety through the gut–brain axis. However, only a few studies have explored the association between dietary fiber intake (DFI) and the incidence of depression and anxiety in hypertensive patients. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in one comprehensive hospital and one community clinic aimed at understanding the status of DFI and the association between DFI and incidences of depression and anxiety in hypertensive patients. Levels of DFI were obtained through a two-24 h diet recall. According to the levels of DFI from low to high, the participants were divided into Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 groups. The Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System short form v1.0-Depression 8b and Anxiety 8a were used to assess patients’ levels of depression and anxiety. (3) Results: A total of 459 hypertensive patients were recruited and the daily DFI was 10.4 g. The incidences of hypertension combined with depression and anxiety were 19.6% and 18.5%, respectively. Regression analysis showed statistically significant associations between DFI and depression (B = −0.346, p = 0.001) and anxiety score (B = −0.565, p < 0.001). In logistic regression, after the covariates were adjusted, DFI was associated with the incidence of depression in Q3 (OR 2.641, 95% CI 1.050–6.640) and with that of anxiety in Q1 (OR 2.757, 95% CI 1.035–7.346), compared with Q4. (4) Conclusions: A higher consumption of DF was a protective factor for depression and anxiety in hypertensive patients.     

Therapeutic Benefits and Dietary Restrictions of Fiber Intake: A State of the Art Review

Throughout history, malnutrition and deficiency diseases have been a problem for our planet’s population. A balanced diet significantly influences everyone’s health, and fiber intake appears to play a more important role than previously thought. The natural dietary fibers are a category of carbohydrates in the constitution of plants that are not completely digested in the human intestine. High-fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, have consistently been highly beneficial to health and effectively reduced the risk of disease. Although the mode of action of dietary fiber in the consumer body is not fully understood, nutritionists and health professionals unanimously recognize the therapeutic benefits. This paper presents the fiber consumption in different countries, the metabolism of fiber and the range of health benefits associated with fiber intake. In addition, the influence of fiber intake on the intestinal microbiome, metabolic diseases (obesity and diabetes), neurological aspects, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases and cancer prevention are discussed. Finally, dietary restrictions and excess fiber are addressed, which can cause episodes of diarrhea and dehydration and increase the likelihood of bloating and flatulence or even bowel obstruction. However, extensive studies are needed regarding the composition and required amount of fiber in relation to the metabolism of saprotrophic microorganisms from the enteral level and the benefits of the various pathologies with which they can be correlated.     

Association between Mobile Phone Addiction Index and Sugar-Sweetened Food Intake in Medical College Students Stratified by Sex from Shanghai,China

This study’s objective was to depict sugar-sweetened food (SSF) consumption in medical college students stratified by sex from Shanghai, China, and to explore the association between the Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI) and SSF intake. The data were obtained from 1121 medical college students from the Fudan University, Shanghai, China, who took an online questionnaire investigation in December 2020. Data included demographics, the MPAI, the Nutrition Literacy Assessment Questionnaire (NLAQ), total and food expenditure per month, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and a food frequency questionnaire (carbonated beverages (CB), other sugar-based beverages (OSBB), sugar/chocolate). We evaluated the association between the MPAI and three types of SSF intake according to multivariate logistic regression analysis stratified by sex. The mean CB, OSBB, and sugar/chocolate intakes were, respectively, 65.66 mL/d, 74.20 mL/d, and 4.96 g/d in men and 30.42 mL/d, 71.48 mL/d, and 4.99 g/d in women. The MPAI was positively associated with SSF intake, regardless of sex. In men, the CB and OSBB odds ratios (ORs) were, respectively, 1.023 (95% CI: 1.004–1.042), 1.019 (95% CI: 1.001–1.038); and in women, the CB, OSBB, and sugar/chocolate ORs were, respectively, 1.026 (95% CI: 1.013–1.039), 1.020 (95% CI: 1.007–1.033), and 1.019 (95% CI: 1.006–1.032). Age, NLAQ, total expenditure, food expenditure, and total physical activity also were related to SSF intake. Age and the application capacity of the NLAQ were negatively associated with SSF intake, whereas comprehension capacity of the NLAQ, total and food expenditure, and total physical activity were positively associated with SSF intake. This study confirmed that SSF intake is widespread among medical college students from Shanghai, China, even if they have relatively high nutrition health literacy. From a public health perspective, it is necessary to reduce SSF intake in medical college students by decreasing the MPAI, controlling the total and food expenditure per month in high-consumption areas, and improving the application ability of the NLAQ. Further studies are needed to explore the MPAI and other potential factors that may influence SSF intake of college students by expanding the sample size of college students throughout China, and the causal association between them.     

膳食矿物质、能量、纤维素和植酸的每日摄入量研究

采用平行双份法，收集代表一般生活水平的三组男性居民（①组，城市居民；②组，北方农民；③组，南方农民）３天的膳食进行分析，并计算他们每人每日平均摄入的各种矿物质、能量、纤维素和植酸的含量。按目前的ＲＤＡ、ＥＳＡＤＤＩ和ＡＤＩ值进行评价，Ｚｎ普遍偏低；Ｃａ达到ＲＤＡ值的２／３以上；Ｐ达到８８％～１３３％；Ｆｅ充足，但应考虑其利用率；Ｓｅ、Ｉ各有高低，Ｓｅ摄入低的②组也达到最低需要量；在全民补Ｉ的今天，Ｉ不缺乏；Ｃｕ、Ｍｏ和Ｃｒ达到或高于ＥＳＡＤＤＩ的低限；Ｍｎ超过高限；但最高摄入仅为１０．５ｍｇ远未达中毒水平；高Ｎａ低Ｋ一直是我国膳食的缺陷；Ａｓ仅③组高出ＡＤＩ值２９％，Ｃｄ、Ｈｇ和Ｐｂ距中毒水平甚远；能量充足；纤维素适宜；北方农民植酸摄入较南方农民和城市居民高，但尚不致为害。     

Validation of a Smartphone Application for the Assessment of Dietary Compliance in an Intermittent Fasting Trial

Accurate dietary analysis of energy, nutrient intake, and meal timing in human studies using traditional dietary assessment methods (e.g., food records) is challenging and time-consuming. The widespread use of smartphones, tablets, and nutrition applications (apps) can overcome some of these problems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the validity of an FDDB smartphone app and food database compared with PRODI^®—a professional platform for nutritional counselling using the German Nutrient Database. Dietary records were collected from 10 subjects participating in the crossover intermittent fasting trial for 2 weeks at baseline and during the eating timeframe of 8 h (early or late in the course of the day). The FDDB app and database enabled a quicker and less sophisticated analysis of food composition and timing than the PRODI^® software. Good agreement between the methods was found for energy and macronutrient intakes, while the FDDB data on most micronutrients and saturated/unsaturated fat intake were unreliable. In contrast to PRODI^®, FDDB provided effective assessment of timely compliance, making it a promising tool for chrononutritional studies. Thus, the FDDB app is comparable to the traditional PRODI^® dietary assessment method, and can be effectively used in human dietary trials and medical practice for specific goals.     

手机助老助残技术的研究与进展

老年人与残疾人是现代社会中的弱势群体,由于自身存在的生理缺陷,在生活、工作和学习中常常面临诸多不便。随着现代技术的飞速发展,围绕手机的开发和应用不断推陈出新,使其日益成为人们生活中不可或缺的基本工具。可以预见,充分借助手机这种最为普及的电子功能媒介来更好地辅助残疾人和老年人的生活,改善其生活质量必将成为现代医疗健康技术发展的一个重要前沿。本文通过深入剖析残疾人的技术需求,归纳出手机在助老助残中的关键问题,评述了手机助残技术的发展现状,着重讨论了手机在助视、助听领域中的典型技术,最后对手机助残技术的研究与应用进行了展望。     

Serum Concentration of Antibodies to Mumps,but Not Measles,Rubella, or Varicella,Is Associated with Intake of Dietary Fiber in the NHANES, 1999–2004

Treatment with prebiotics, a type of dietary fiber, was recently shown to increase antibody concentrations following influenza vaccination in a meta-analysis of clinical trials. In observational epidemiologic studies it is not possible to estimate intake of prebiotics, but quantifying intake of dietary fiber is routine. Our objective was to investigate the potential effect of dietary fiber on immunogenicity. We examined serum antibody concentrations (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella) in relation to dietary fiber in more than 12,000 subjects in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the period 1999–2004. Data from one (1999–2002) or two (2003–2004) dietary recalls were used to calculate fiber intake. For Mumps the adjusted percentage difference in antibody concentration per interquartile range intake in energy-adjusted dietary fiber was 6.34% (95% confidence interval, 3.10, 9.68). Fiber from grain-based foods was more positively associated than fiber from other fiber-containing food groups. The association was slightly larger among subgroups with higher fiber intake, greater interquartile range in fiber intake, and less measurement error. Furthermore, based on the reliability of the diet recalls in 2003–2004, we calculated that the percentage difference per interquartile increment was substantially attenuated by measurement error. Dietary fiber may have a favorable influence on the immunogenicity of some vaccines or natural infections.     

膳食胡萝卜素摄入量与皮肤类胡萝卜素水平的关系

[目的]探讨人群中膳食胡萝卜素摄入量与皮肤类胡萝卜素水平的关系。[方法]选取上海某社区110名健康成年人作为研究对象,分别运用共振拉曼散射光谱法测定研究人群皮肤类胡萝卜素,观察皮肤类胡萝卜素水平,同时进行体格检查和膳食营养调查。[结果]①膳食胡萝卜素摄入量无性别差异;皮肤类胡萝卜素女性高于男性,差别有统计学意义(P<0．001)。②膳食中的胡萝卜素摄入量与皮肤类胡萝卜素水平呈正相关,控制年龄、性别和体质指数(BMI)后这种相关性仍然存在(P<0．05)。③多元回归分析显示男性皮肤类胡萝卜素水平受膳食纤维摄入量的影响(P<0．001);女性还受膳食中的维生素C、脂肪、能量等摄入量的影响(P<0．05)。[结论]食物中胡萝卜素、膳食纤维、脂肪、维生素C摄入量与皮肤类胡萝卜素水平有一定的关联。     

A Novel Dietary Assessment Method to Measure a Healthy and Sustainable Diet Using the Mobile Food Record: Protocol and Methodology

The world-wide rise in obesity parallels growing concerns of global warming and depleting natural resources. These issues are often considered separately but there may be considerable benefit to raising awareness of the impact of dietary behaviours and practices on the food supply. Australians have diets inconsistent with recommendations, typically low in fruit and vegetables and high in energy-dense nutrient-poor foods and beverages (EDNP). These EDNP foods are often highly processed and packaged, negatively influencing both health and the environment. This paper describes a proposed dietary assessment method to measure healthy and sustainable dietary behaviours using 4-days of food and beverage images from the mobile food record (mFR) application. The mFR images will be assessed for serves of fruit and vegetables (including seasonality), dairy, eggs and red meat, poultry and fish, ultra-processed EDNP foods, individually packaged foods, and plate waste. A prediction model for a Healthy and Sustainable Diet Index will be developed and tested for validity and reliability. The use of the mFR to assess adherence to a healthy and sustainable diet is a novel and innovative approach to dietary assessment and will have application in population monitoring, guiding intervention development, educating consumers, health professionals and policy makers, and influencing dietary recommendations.     

Problematic Mobile Phone Use and Big-Five Personality Domains

Background:

Although a mobile phone is useful and attractive as a tool for communication and interpersonal interaction, there exists the risk of its problematic or addictive use.

Objectives:

This study aims to investigate the correlation between the big-five personality domains and problematic mobile phone use.

Materials and Methods:

The Mobile Phone Problem Usage Scale and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) were employed in this study. Survey data were gathered from 504 university students for multiple regression analysis.

Results:

Problematic mobile phone use is a function of gender, extraversion, neuroticism, openness-to-experience; however, it is not a function of agreeableness or conscientiousness.

Conclusions:

The measurement of these predictors would enable the screening of and intervening in the potentially problematic behaviors of mobile phone users.     

Performance of the Digital Dietary Assessment Tool MyFoodRepo

Digital dietary assessment devices could help overcome the limitations of traditional tools to assess dietary intake in clinical and/or epidemiological studies. We evaluated the accuracy of the automated dietary app MyFoodRepo (MFR) against controlled reference values from weighted food diaries (WFD). MFR’s capability to identify, classify and analyze the content of 189 different records was assessed using Cohen and uniform kappa coefficients and linear regressions. MFR identified 98.0% ± 1.5 of all edible components and was not affected by increasing numbers of ingredients. Linear regression analysis showed wide limits of agreement between MFR and WFD methods to estimate energy, carbohydrates, fat, proteins, fiber and alcohol contents of all records and a constant overestimation of proteins, likely reflecting the overestimation of portion sizes for meat, fish and seafood. The MFR mean portion size error was 9.2% ± 48.1 with individual errors ranging between −88.5% and +242.5% compared to true values. Beverages were impacted by the app’s difficulty in correctly identifying the nature of liquids (41.9% ± 17.7 of composed beverages correctly classified). Fair estimations of portion size by MFR, along with its strong segmentation and classification capabilities, resulted in a generally good agreement between MFR and WFD which would be suited for the identification of dietary patterns, eating habits and regime types.     

Screening Measure for Assessing Dietary Fat Intake among Adolescents

BACKGROUND: Clinical preventive guidelines recommend that health care providers counsel adolescents on nutrition. Brief, accurate, and reproducible dietary assessments are needed. The purpose of the current pair of studies was to develop a dietary fat screening measure for use with adolescents. METHODS: Two measures were developed-a 21-item and a 4-category measure. The measures differed in the level at which fat consumption was assessed (food item vs food group). Study 1 (N = 231, age M = 15 years, 57% female, 41% Euro-American) evaluated reliability. Study 2 (N = 59, age M = 14 years, 63% female, 37% Euro-American) evaluated construct validity and correct classification rates. RESULTS: Internal consistencies (alpha > 0.70) and test-retest reliabilities (ICC > 0.60) were adequate for both measures. Neither measure correlated with total fat assessed by a 3-day food record (P > 0.05). The 21-item measure correlated significantly with percentage of calories from fat (r = 0.36, P <.01). Correct classification rate (71%) and sensitivity (81%) of the 21-item measure were good. Specificity (47%) was lower, indicating some subjects with a low-fat diet were misclassified by the screening measure. CONCLUSIONS: The 21-item measure is quick to complete and score, is inexpensive to reproduce, and has demonstrated reliability and validity. The measure could be clinically useful, but further improvements should be attempted to improve specificity.