DietMatePro Validation:

• Validated in two on-site studies: A 39-person trial with weighed intake of a meal (1) and a 174 person randomized, controlled trial comparing DietMatePro to paper-based records (2).
• Used and reported in literature by behavioral researchers (3-5).
• Presented at scientific conferences (27th National Nutrient Databank Conference. Washington D.C., Spring 2003., 25th Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions. Washington DC., Spring 2004, 2004 Annual Meeting of the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Washington DC).
• Accuracy of a PDA-Based Dietary Assessment Program, Nutrition 21, November 10, 2004.
• DietMatePro was developed with a grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R43HL67613) and a grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research (R44NR08442).

Pictorial Diet History Questionnaire:

• Validated in a 217-person trial compared to the paper-based version.
• To be presented at Society for Behavioral Medicine Conference 2007.
• Pictorial Diet History Questionnaire was developed from a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R43DK61079).

Food Portions:

• FoodPortions was developed from a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R43DK61079).
• Effectiveness evaluated in two 60-person trials and published in the Journal of nutrition education and behavior (6).  The abstract follows:

Riley WT, Beasley J, Sowell A, Behar A. Effects of a Web-based Food Portion Training Program on Food Portion Estimation. Journal of Nutrition Education Behavior. 2007 Mar-Apr;39(2):70-6.

OBJECTIVE: Assess the effects of a prototype computerized food portion tutorial (CFPT). DESIGN: Participants were randomly assigned to estimate portion sizes for selected food items either prior to or following CFPT training (between groups), and those estimating before CFPT training re-estimated portions after training (within groups). SETTING: Research offices. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-six adult participants without dietary restrictions. INTERVENTION: The CFPT is a Web-based food portion training program that displays varied portions of 23 food items with user-controllable reference objects and viewing angles. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Estimated vs. weighed portions of food items selected for a meal. ANALYSIS: Nonparametric tests were performed on estimated vs. weighed portion differences and on accuracy ratios between and within groups. RESULTS: A significant difference was found between conditions, both within and between groups, on the discrepancy between estimated and weighed portions for a number of the food items. Training exposure, however, resulted primarily in a shift from underestimation to overestimation, not more accurate estimation. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND PRACTICE: The CFPT produced a significant impact on food portion estimation but appeared to sensitize participants to underestimation errors, leading to overestimation errors. Computerization of food portion training programs holds promise for providing cost-efficient portion estimation training but requires further development and evaluation before being considered for clinical use. PMID: 17346654 [PubMed - in process].

References:

1. Beasley J, Riley WT, Jean-Mary J. Accuracy of a PDA-based dietary assessment program. Nutrition 2005 Jun;21(6):672-677.
2. Beasley JM, Riley WT, Davis A, Singh J. Evaluation of a PDA-based dietary assessment and intervention program: a randomized controlled trial. J.Am.Coll.Nutr. in press.
3. Burke LE, Warziski M, Starrett T, Choo J, Music E, Sereika S, et al. Self-monitoring dietary intake: current and future practices. J.Ren.Nutr. 2005 Jul;15(3):281-290.
4. Sevick MA, Piraino B, Sereika S, Starrett T, Bender C, Bernardini J, et al. A preliminary study of PDA-based dietary self-monitoring in hemodialysis patients. J.Ren.Nutr. 2005 Jul;15(3):304-311.
5. Dowell SA, Welch JL. Use of electronic self-monitoring for food and fluid intake: A pilot study. Nephrol.Nurs.J. 2006 May-Jun;33(3):271-277.
6. Riley WT, Beasley J, Sowell A, Behar A. Effects of a Web-based Food Portion Training on Serving Size Estimation. J. Nutr. Educ. Behav. 2007 Mar-Apr;39(2):70-6.