scholarly journals Usability of Food Size Aids in Mobile Dietary Reporting Apps for Young Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial

10.2196/14543 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. e14543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying-Chieh Liu ◽  
Sheng-Tang Wu ◽  
Shan-Ju Lin ◽  
Chien-Hung Chen ◽  
Yu-Sheng Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
System Usability Scale ◽  
Realistic Interaction ◽  
Food Portion ◽  
Subjective Reaction

Background Young adults are more likely to use self-managed dietary reporting apps. However, there is scant research examining the user experience of different measurement approaches for mobile dietary reporting apps when dealing with a wide variety of food shapes and container sizes. Objective Field user experience testing was conducted under actual meal conditions to assess the accuracy, efficiency, and subjective reaction of three food portion measurement methods embedded in a developed mobile app. Key-in–based aid (KBA), commonly used in many current apps, relies on the user’s ability to key in volumes or weights. Photo-based aid (PBA) extends traditional assessment methods, allowing users to scroll, observe, and select a reduced-size image from a set of options. Gesture-based aid (GBA) is a new experimental approach in which the user makes finger movements on the screen to roughly describe food portion boundaries accompanied by a background reference. Methods A group of 124 young adults aged 19 to 26 years was recruited for a head-to-head randomized comparison and divided into 3 groups: a KBA (n=42) control group and PBA (n=41) and GBA (n=41) experimental groups. In total, 3 meals (ie, breakfast, lunch, and dinner) were served in a university cafeteria. Participants were provided with 25 dishes and beverages for selection, with a variety of food shapes and containers that reflect everyday life conditions. The accuracy of and time spent on realistic interaction during food portion estimation and the subjective reaction of each aid were recorded and analyzed. Results Participants in the KBA group provided the highest accuracy in terms of hash brown weight (P=.004) and outperformed PBA or GBA for many soft drinks in cups. PBA had the best results for a cylindrical hot dog (P<.001), irregularly shaped pork chop (P<.001), and green tea beverage (660 mL; P<.001). GBA outperformed PBA for most drinks, and GBA outperformed KBA for some vegetables. The GBA group spent significantly more time assessing food items than the KBA and PBA groups. For each aid, the overall subjective reaction based on the score of the System Usability Scale was not significantly different. Conclusions Experimental results show that each aid had some distinguishing advantages. In terms of user acceptance, participants considered all 3 aids to be usable. Furthermore, users’ subjective opinions regarding measurement accuracy contradicted the empirical findings. Future work will consider the use of each aid based on food or container shape and integrate the various advantages of the 3 different aids for better results. Our findings on the use of portion size aids are based on realistic and diverse food items, providing a useful reference for future app improvement of an effective, evidence-based, and acceptable feature. Trial Registration International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Registry ISRCTN36710750; http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN36710750.

scholarly journals Usability of Food Size Aids in Mobile Dietary Reporting Apps for Young Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying-Chieh Liu ◽  
Sheng-Tang Wu ◽  
Shan-Ju Lin ◽  
Chien-Hung Chen ◽  
Yu-Sheng Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
System Usability Scale ◽  
Realistic Interaction ◽  
Food Portion ◽  
Subjective Reaction

BACKGROUND Young adults are more likely to use self-managed dietary reporting apps. However, there is scant research examining the user experience of different measurement approaches for mobile dietary reporting apps when dealing with a wide variety of food shapes and container sizes. OBJECTIVE Field user experience testing was conducted under actual meal conditions to assess the accuracy, efficiency, and subjective reaction of three food portion measurement methods embedded in a developed mobile app. Key-in–based aid (KBA), commonly used in many current apps, relies on the user’s ability to key in volumes or weights. Photo-based aid (PBA) extends traditional assessment methods, allowing users to scroll, observe, and select a reduced-size image from a set of options. Gesture-based aid (GBA) is a new experimental approach in which the user makes finger movements on the screen to roughly describe food portion boundaries accompanied by a background reference. METHODS A group of 124 young adults aged 19 to 26 years was recruited for a head-to-head randomized comparison and divided into 3 groups: a KBA (n=42) control group and PBA (n=41) and GBA (n=41) experimental groups. In total, 3 meals (ie, breakfast, lunch, and dinner) were served in a university cafeteria. Participants were provided with 25 dishes and beverages for selection, with a variety of food shapes and containers that reflect everyday life conditions. The accuracy of and time spent on realistic interaction during food portion estimation and the subjective reaction of each aid were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS Participants in the KBA group provided the highest accuracy in terms of hash brown weight (<i>P</i>=.004) and outperformed PBA or GBA for many soft drinks in cups. PBA had the best results for a cylindrical hot dog (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), irregularly shaped pork chop (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), and green tea beverage (660 mL; <i>P</i>&lt;.001). GBA outperformed PBA for most drinks, and GBA outperformed KBA for some vegetables. The GBA group spent significantly more time assessing food items than the KBA and PBA groups. For each aid, the overall subjective reaction based on the score of the System Usability Scale was not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS Experimental results show that each aid had some distinguishing advantages. In terms of user acceptance, participants considered all 3 aids to be usable. Furthermore, users’ subjective opinions regarding measurement accuracy contradicted the empirical findings. Future work will consider the use of each aid based on food or container shape and integrate the various advantages of the 3 different aids for better results. Our findings on the use of portion size aids are based on realistic and diverse food items, providing a useful reference for future app improvement of an effective, evidence-based, and acceptable feature. CLINICALTRIAL International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Registry ISRCTN36710750; http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN36710750.

Efficacy and Impact of an mHealth Intervention to promote Mental Wellness for American Indian and Alaska Native Teens and Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the BRAVE Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Craig Rushing ◽  
Allyson Kelley ◽  
Sheana Bull ◽  
David Stephens ◽  
Julia Wrobel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Alaska Native ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Culturally Relevant ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Mental Wellness

BACKGROUND Culturally-relevant interventions are needed to help American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) teens and young adults navigate common risky situations involving family and friends, including drug and alcohol misuse, dating violence, and suicidality. We R Native – a multimedia health resource for Native teens and young adults – designed an intervention for Native youth, delivered via text message, that includes role model videos, mental wellness strategies, and links to culturally-relevant resources (hotlines, chat-lines, websites, etc.) and social support. OBJECTIVE This study aims to test the efficacy of BRAVE to improve participant’s physical, mental, and spiritual health, their use of mental wellness strategies, their help-seeking skills, and associated factors, including cultural resilience, identity, and cultural pride. METHODS The randomized controlled trial was carried out by the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board and the mHealth Impact Lab. The team recruited 2,334 AI/AN teens and young adults nationwide (15-24 years old) via social media channels and text message and enrolled 1,044 to participate. AI/AN teens and young adults enrolled in the study received either: 8 weeks of BRAVE text messages designed to improve mental health, help-seeking skills, and cultural resilience; or 8 weeks of STEM text messages, designed to elevate and re-affirm Native voices in science, technology, engineering, math and medicine (STEM); and then received the other set of messages. Primary and secondary outcomes were tested using linear mixed-effect models and linear regressions. RESULTS A total of 833 AI/AN teens and young adults were included in the analysis. Individuals in the BRAVE and STEM arms showed significant positive trends over the course of the study for all primary outcomes except cultural identity and help seeking behavior. Mean scores were significantly different for health (P<.001), resilience (P<.001), negative coping (P=.027), positive coping (P<.001), self-efficacy (P=.021), and self-esteem (P<.001). Changes in help-seeking self-efficacy were significant for those exhibiting risky behavior at baseline to exit (P=.01). Those who reported positive coping scores at baseline also reported better health on average, but no difference in risky drug and alcohol use (P<.001). The number of participants that used text messages to help themselves increased from 69% at 3-months (427/618) to 75% at 8-months (381/501) (P<.001). Similarly, the number of participants that used text messages to help a friend or family member increased from 22% at 3-months (138/616) to 55% at 8-months (272/498). CONCLUSIONS This is the first nationwide randomized controlled trial for AI/AN teens and young adults to test the efficacy of an mHealth intervention on mental wellness. The findings suggest that culturally-relevant multimedia, mHealth interventions can improve help-seeking behavior. Lessons learned from this study may help other AI/AN-serving organizations, prevention programs, policymakers, researchers, and educators as they support the next generation of AI/AN change-makers.

Sustained Effect of a Brief Video in Reducing Public Stigma Toward Individuals With Psychosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Young Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. appi.ajp.2020.2
Author(s):  
Doron Amsalem ◽  
John C. Markowitz ◽  
Samantha E. Jankowski ◽  
Lawrence H. Yang ◽  
Linda Valeri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Public Stigma ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Sustained Effect

scholarly journals Effects of the Amount and Frequency of Fluid Intake on Cognitive Performance and Mood among Young Adults in Baoding, Hebei, China: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (23) ◽  
pp. 8813
Author(s):  
Hairong He ◽  
Jianfen Zhang ◽  
Na Zhang ◽  
Songming Du ◽  
Shufang Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Fluid Intake ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Urine Osmolality ◽  
Memory Test ◽  
Hydration Status ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Time Point

Water is a critical nutrient that is important for the maintenance of the physiological function of the human body. This article aimed to investigate the effects of the amount and frequency of fluid intake on cognitive performance and mood. A double-blinded randomized controlled trial was designed and implemented on college students aged 18–23 years in Baoding, China. Participants were randomly assigned into one of three groups: the recommended behavior group (RB group) who drank 200 mL of water every 2 h, the half amount group (HA group) who drank 100 mL of water every 2 h, and the high frequency group (HF group) who drank 110 mL of water every 1 h. The intervention lasted 2 days. Urine osmolality, cognitive performance, and mood of participants in each group were compared using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). A total of 92 participants (46 females, 46 males) completed this study with a completion rate of 95.8%. The urine osmolality of the HA group was higher than that of the RB group and the HF group at two time points (p < 0.05). At time point 1, the scores in the portrait memory test and vigor were statistically different (F = 20.45, p < 0.001; F = 5.46, p = 0.006). It was found that the scores for the portrait memory test in the RB group were lower than those in the HA group and the HF group (p = 0.007; p < 0.001), while the scores of the HF group were higher than those of the HA group (p < 0.001). The scores for vigor in the RB group were significantly higher than those of the HA group (p = 0.006), and they were also significantly higher than those of the HF group (p = 0.004). At time point 2, only the scores for vigor were statistically different (F = 3.80, p = 0.026). It was found that the scores for vigor in the RB group were higher than those in the HA group and HF group (p = 0.018; p = 0.019). Both the amount and frequency of fluid intake may affect urine osmolality and vigor, but these factors have limited impacts on cognitive performance. Rational fluid intake behavior may be beneficial to improve the hydration status and mood of young adults. More research is needed, especially experimental research, to allow causal conclusions to be drawn.

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