JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

More than one in four people in the United States aged 65 years and older have diabetes. For diabetes care, medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is recommended as a clinically effective intervention. Prior researchers have developed and validated dietary assessment methods using images of food items for improving the accuracy of self-reporting over traditional methods. Nevertheless, little is known about the usability of image-assisted dietary assessment methods for older adults with diabetes.

Objective:

The aims of this study were: a) to create a food record app for dietary assessments (FRADA) that would support image-assisted dietary assessments, and b) to evaluate the usability of FRADA for older adults with diabetes.

Methods:

For the development of FRADA, we identified design principles that address the needs of older adults and implemented three fundamental tasks required for image-assisted dietary assessments: capturing, viewing, and transmitting images of food based on the design principles. For the usability assessment of FRADA, older adults aged 65 to 80 (11 females and 3 males) were assigned to interact with FRADA in a lab-based setting. Participants’ opinions of FRADA and its usability were determined by a follow-up survey and interview. As an evaluation indicator of usability, the responses to the survey including an After-Scenario Questionnaire were analyzed. Qualitative data from the interviews confirmed the responses to the survey.

Results:

We developed a smartphone application that enables older adults with diabetes to capture, view, and transmit images of food items they consumed. The findings of this study showed that FRADA and its instructions for capturing, viewing, and transmitting images of food items were usable for older adults with diabetes. The survey showed that FRADA was easy to use, and study participants would consider using FRADA daily. The analysis of the qualitative data from interviews revealed multiple themes, such as the usability of FRADA, potential benefits and features of FRADA, and concerns of older adults with diabetes when interacting with FRADA.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrates in a lab-based setting, not only the usability of FRADA with older adults who have diabetes, but it also demonstrates potential opportunities using FRADA in real-life settings. The findings suggest implications for creating a smartphone application for an image-assisted dietary assessment. Future work still remains to evaluate the feasibility and validity of FRADA with multiple stakeholders involving older adults with diabetes and dietitians.