An observational study in Dietary Habits, sponsored by Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 70 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-01-27.
Sponsored by Pennington Biomedical Research Center · Observational
The objective is to test the accuracy and user satisfaction of the PortionSize™ app and the MyFitnessPal© app during laboratory controlled test meals.
Accurately quantifying food intake is vital to promoting health and reducing chronic disease risk. Food intake encompasses energy intake, nutrient intake (macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins, minerals), and intake of various food groups (e.g., fruits, vegetables), and thus reflects the nutritional status of individuals. Nutrition affects disease risk, including risk of developing obesity, diabetes, and cancer, all of which negatively affect the United States (U.S). Nonetheless, accurate assessment of food and nutrient intake has remained challenging, despite an improvement in methods. Self report methods, namely food records, are a mainstay of nutritional epidemiology research, with food recall being another popular method. These methods rely on the participant to accurately estimate portion size and, for food recall, remember what was consumed. The accuracy of these methods have been questioned and the problems with human recall have been comprehensively outlined. As a result, there remains a significant need for methods that are sufficiently accurate to provide researchers with good outcome data and to guide health promotion efforts.
The PortionSize™ app was designed by our laboratory to overcome the limitations outlined above, and to guide users to follow specific diets. PortionSize relies on users capturing images of their food selection and waste. Food intake data are immediately provided since the user relies on built in tools, including templates, to estimate portion size. However, despite promising early indications, the PortionSize app's validity has yet to be extensively tested. Determining the accuracy of PortionSize is vital before users can utilize the app to obtain immediate feedback about their food intake. We accordingly aim to test the validity of PortionSize in a controlled laboratory setting. We will also test the validity of the MyFitnessPal© app, which is similar to an electronic food record.
Pennington Biomedical Research Center is the lead sponsor of 277 studies on the registry; 29 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Healthy participants ages 18 to 70 in the Baton Rouge, LA area.
Exclusion Criteria:
Difference in Simulated Energy (kcal) Intake Between the Criterion Measure (Weighed Food) and Two Smartphone Apps (PortionSize and MyFitness Pal).
The outcome variable was the difference between the criterion measure (directly weighed foods from a simulated lunch meal) and two apps: PortionSize and MyFitnessPal. The outcome measure for the PortionSize app was calculated as: energy intake values from PortionSize minus energy intake values from weighed foods. The outcome measure for the MyFitnessPal app was calculated as: energy intake values from MyFitnessPal minus energy intake values from weighed foods.
Time frame: 2.5 hours
| Milestone | MyFitnessPal (V1) PortionSize (V2) | PortionSize (V1) MyFitnessPal (V2) |
|---|---|---|
| Started | 21 | 22 |
| Completed | 21 | 21 |
| Not completed | 0 | 1 |
The outcome variable was the difference between the criterion measure (directly weighed foods from a simulated lunch meal) and two apps: PortionSize and MyFitnessPal. The outcome measure for the PortionSize app was calculated as: energy intake values from PortionSize minus energy intake values from weighed foods. The outcome measure for the MyFitnessPal app was calculated as: energy intake values from MyFitnessPal minus energy intake values from weighed foods.
| kcal | PortionSize App | MyFitnessPal App |
|---|---|---|
| Difference in Simulated Energy (kcal) Intake Between the Criterion Measure (Weighed Food) and Two Smartphone Apps (PortionSize and MyFitness Pal). | -150.1 ± 489.5 | 79.8 ± 583.3 |
Collected over 9 months. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.
| Group | Deaths | Serious | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Participants | 0/44 (0%) | 0/44 (0%) | 0/44 (0%) |
all 42 participants who completed the study
| Age, Continuous(years) | All Participants |
|---|---|
| Mean | 36.3 ± 16.6 |
| Sex: Female, Male(Participants) | All Participants |
|---|---|
| Female | 23 |
| Male | 19 |
| Race (NIH/OMB)(Participants) | All Participants |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 |
| Asian | 2 |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 |
| Black or African American | 10 |
| White | 28 |
| More than one race | 0 |
| Unknown or Not Reported | 2 |
| Weight(kg) | All Participants |
|---|---|
| Mean | 81.5 ± 22.0 |
| BMI(kg/m^2) | All Participants |
|---|---|
| Mean | 28.2 ± 6.9 |
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Pennington Biomedical Research Center