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Mobile Ecological Momentary Diet Assessment: A Low Burden, Ecologically-Valid Approach to Measuring Dietary Intake in Near-Real Time

Award Number: R01CA244404
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2022
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2026

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Mobile Ecological Momentary Diet Assessment: A Low Burden, Ecologically-Valid Approach to Measuring Dietary Intake in Near-Real Time - ABSTRACT The excessive intake of saturated fat and added sugars has been identified as a leading cause of premature mortality among adults in the U.S. contributing to approximately 700,000 deaths each year. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting these nutrients to <10% total energy intake to prevent disease. Achieving these public health recommendations will require understanding the patterns of saturated fat and added sugar intake so more effective dietary interventions can be developed. Traditionally, estimates of saturated fat and added sugar intake are measured using food frequency questionnaires or 24-hr dietary recalls (24HR). These methods are time-intensive and cognitively taxing for users and costly for researchers. They are also highly prone to recall bias and misreporting related due, in part, to the reliance on a person’s memory over long recall intervals and errors in portion size estimation. The proposed dietary assessment method aims to address these limitations with ecological momentary assessment (EMA). EMA uses updated technology and sampling methods that can update and improve upon traditional assessment methods. EMA studies often use mobile phone apps to assess events with brief, automated surveys delivered periodically throughout the day. EMA can, thereby, shorten recall intervals to improve reporting errors and reduce user and researcher burden while maximizing the ecological validity. To date, mobile EMA methods for diet assessment (mEMDA) used in research have been study specific. They have not been systematically developed nor optimized for widespread use in research. This project would represent the first research-quality and fully automated, EMA-based mobile dietary assessment research tool. In recent pilot work, we demonstrated the potential utility of mEMDA. A brief mobile survey performed as well as web-assisted 24HR to estimate the intake of predefined snack foods. Here, the goal of the proposed project is to systematically develop and test a mEMDA app and sampling approach to accurately estimate the intake of saturated fat and added sugars in a diverse population. To do this we will derive a culturally- and demographically representative list of foods and beverages that contribute a majority (>70%) of the saturated fat and added sugars in the American diet using recent NHANES data (Aim 1); develop with a user-centered design the mEMDA app and analysis platform with visual food images for portion size estimation and nutrient analysis capabilities (Aim 2); determine the best mEMDA sampling approach (event-contingent vs. interval-contingent sampling) (Aim 3); and compare the accuracy of estimating energy intake from saturated fat and added sugars using the optimized mEMDA app and sampling approach vs. interviewer-assisted 24HR in a controlled-feeding study. Future applications of the mEMDA app include: (1) reliably assessing momentary intakes of other foods or nutrients (e.g., fruit and vegetable intake, sodium), (2) integration with mobile intervention platforms to give real-time, dietary feedback to participants (3) concurrent-capturing meal context variables (e.g., social, environmental, and psycho-social variables) for future, just-in-time dietary interventions.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $636,713 )
2025	2025	GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY	MAIN CAMPUS	WASHINGTON	DC	20057	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	001	6	5/22/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$63,670
2025	2025	GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY	MAIN CAMPUS	WASHINGTON	DC	20057	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	000	6	3/12/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$573,043
														Subtotal = $636,713

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $616,731 )
2024	2024	GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY	MAIN CAMPUS	WASHINGTON	DC	20057	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	002	5	8/9/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2024	2024	GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY	MAIN CAMPUS	WASHINGTON	DC	20057	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	000	5	3/18/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$584,270
2024	2024	GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY	MAIN CAMPUS	WASHINGTON	DC	20057	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	001	5	4/17/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$32,461
														Subtotal = $616,731

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $652,326 )
2023	2023	GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY	MAIN CAMPUS	WASHINGTON	DC	20057	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	000	4	3/31/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$652,326
														Subtotal = $652,326

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $716,118 )
2022	2022	GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY	MAIN CAMPUS	WASHINGTON	DC	20057	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	005	3	8/2/2022	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$212,366
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA	888 N EUCLID AVE RM 510	TUCSON	AZ	85719	PIMA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	001	2	7/12/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$604,901
2022	2022	GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY	MAIN CAMPUS	WASHINGTON	DC	20057	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	002	3	7/12/2022	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$716,117
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA	888 N EUCLID AVE RM 510	TUCSON	AZ	85719	PIMA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	000	2	1/13/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$604,902
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA	888 N EUCLID AVE RM 510	TUCSON	AZ	85719	PIMA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	004	2	8/2/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$1
2022	2021	UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA	888 N EUCLID AVE RM 510	TUCSON	AZ	85719	PIMA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	003	1	8/2/2022	NEW	-$212,365
														Subtotal = $716,118

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $705,426 )
2021	2021	UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA	888 N EUCLID AVE RM 510	TUCSON	AZ	85719	PIMA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	000	1	1/25/2021	NEW	$705,426
														Subtotal = $705,426

Grand Total All Awards = $3,327,314

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Mobile Ecological Momentary Diet Assessment: A Low Burden, Ecologically-Valid Approach to Measuring Dietary Intake in Near-Real Time

Award Number: R01CA244404

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2022

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2026

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