An interventional study of Ecological Momentary Assessment and Traditional 24-hour dietary recall in Dietary Assessment, sponsored by The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 2 Years to 5 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-08.
Sponsored by The University of Tennessee, Knoxville · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
The goal of this crossover randomized controlled trial is to develop a proxy reporting protocol for a traditional 24-hour dietary recall (24HR) and an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) assisted 24-HR for use among children between the ages of 2 and 5 years. The main aims are to:
During the research study, participants will:
This crossover, randomized controlled trial compares two proxy-reported dietary assessment protocols among caregivers with a child between the ages of 2 and 5 years. It also examines the dietary misreporting captured in each protocol and the accuracy of energy intake estimation from each methodology compared to objectively measured food intake. Caregivers with a child between the ages of 2 and 5 years and randomly assigned to one of two starting conditions: 1) traditional 24-hour dietary recall (24HR) or 2) Ecological momentary assessment (EMA)-assisted 24HR (EMA+24HR). Caregivers will complete the first assessment condition, and then, following a two-week washout period, will complete the other condition. In both conditions, caregivers will receive one meal and two snacks to provide to their child on three consecutive days. In addition to providing food, caregivers will identify a second caregiver (i.e., another parent, adult sibling, outside family member, or childcare worker) who will provide at least two eating occasions with study-provided foods over the three days. Including a caregiver outside of the primary proxy reporter will help assess the ability to accurately capture foods consumed away from the primary reporter, which has been identified as a challenge in dietary assessment among young children. The day after the child consumes study-provided foods, the caregiver will complete a 24HR via telephone with a trained research assistant following the United States Department of Agriculture five-step multiple pass method. After completing each dietary assessment condition, caregivers will complete an electronic survey that assesses the usability and acceptability of each proxy reporting protocol and dietary assessment condition.
The primary aims of this study are to:
A secondary aim of the study will be to explore the accuracy, via determining agreement, of the 24 and EMA+24HR methods compared to objectively measured food intake, specifically in regard to energy intake.
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is the lead sponsor of 95 studies on the registry; 6 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Caregivers will be asked to provide study-provided foods to their child and complete a traditional 24-hour dietary recall using the USDA five-step multiple-pass method.
Other: Traditional 24-hour dietary recall
In the EMA+24HR condition, caregivers will receive study-provided foods for one meal and two snacks for three consecutive days. Caregivers will receive information on accessing an online EMA platform, and will be asked to upload pre- and post-photographs of the foods that their child eats over the three days. Additionally, any caregiver with whom the child consumes food outside of the primary proxy reporter will be trained by the primary caregiver and will be given access to upload photographs to the EMA site. The day following consumption of study-provided food, the caregiver will complete a 24HR using the USDA 5-step multiple-pass method by a trained research assistant. The research assistant will have access to all pre- and post-photographs and will prompt the caregiver for misreporting related to the photographs uploaded (i.e., time misreporting, omissions, intrusions, description, and amount misreporting).
Other: Ecological Momentary Assessment
The EMA platform will allow for the primary caregiver (or any other adult with whom the child eats foods with) to upload pre- and post-photographs of all eating occasions. The photographs will be time-stamped and will be used by trained research assistants during the 24HR to aid in collection of accurate information about what the child consumed. The research assistant will be trained on how to prompt the caregiver for inaccuracies in reporting as needed.
Participants will complete a traditional 24-hour dietary recall via telephone, following the USDA five-step multiple pass method. Participants will receive a standardized food amounts booklet (FAB) to help with quantifying portion sizes consumed.
Usability - EMA+24HR Proxy-Reporting Protocol
Usability of the proxy-reporting protocol for the EMA+24HR condition will be assessed using a self-reported questionnaire. Survey items will focus on adequacy of training and support received, experience communicating with other caregivers regarding what children consumed when they weren't with them, and experience completing the proxy-reported 24HR.
Time frame: Upon completion of the EMA+24HR condition
Acceptability - EMA+24HR Proxy-Reporting Protocol
Acceptability of the proxy-reporting protocol for the EMA+24HR condition will be assessed using a self-reported questionnaire. Survey items will focus on caregivers' satisfaction with training and support received, their experience communicating with other caregivers regarding what children consumed when they weren't with them, their experience completing the proxy-reported 24HR, and overall satisfaction.
Time frame: Upon completion of the EMA+24HR condition
Usability of EMA Online Platform
Usability of the online EMA platform will be assessed by comparing the number of pre- and post-photos collected to the self-reported eating occasions captured in the proxy-reported 24HR.
Time frame: Upon completion of the EMA+24HR condition
Usability - Interface of EMA Platform
The usability of the online EMA interface will be assessed using a self-report questionnaire by using the usefulness and interface quality subscales from the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire.
Time frame: Upon completion of the EMA+24HR condition
Acceptability - Online EMA Platform
Four items from the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA) measure will be used to assess acceptability of the EMA platform, focusing on four constructs 1) affective attitudes, 2) burden, 3) self-efficacy, and 4) general acceptability.
Time frame: Upon completion of the EMA+24HR condition
Usability - Traditional 24HR Proxy-Reporting Protocol
Usability of proxy-reporting protocols for the traditional 24HR condition will be assessed using a self-reported questionnaire. Survey items will focus on adequacy of training and support received, experience communicating with other caregivers regarding what children consumed when they weren't with them, and experience completing the proxy-reported 24HR.
Time frame: Upon completion of the traditional 24HR condition
Acceptability - Traditional 24HR Proxy Reporting Protocol
Acceptability of the proxy-reporting protocol for the traditional 24HR condition will be assessed using a self-reported questionnaire. Survey items will focus on caregivers' satisfaction with training and support received, their experience communicating with other caregivers regarding what children consumed when they weren't with them, their experience completing the proxy-reported 24HR, and overall satisfaction.
Time frame: Upon completion of the traditional 24HR condition
Dietary Misreporting - EMA+24HR Condition
Frequency of dietary misreporting (i.e., time-misreporting, omissions, intrusions, description and amount misreporting) will be assessed in the EMA+24HR by comparison of self-reported dietary assessment to photos uploaded to the EMA platform.
Time frame: Upon completion of the EMA+24HR condition
Dietary Misreporting - Traditional 24HR Condition
Frequency of omissions will be assessed in the traditional 24HR condition using pre-post food weights to proxy-reported intake from the primary caregiver.
Time frame: Upon completion of the traditional 24HR condition.
Accuracy of Energy Intake Estimation - EMA+24HR Condition
The accuracy of the EMA+24HR condition will be assessed by comparing self-reported estimation of study-provided foods obtained from proxy-reporters with objectively measured food intake (pre-post food weights).
Time frame: Upon completion of EMA+24HR Condition
Accuracy of Energy Intake Estimation - Traditional Condition
The accuracy of the traditional condition will be assessed by comparing self-reported estimation of study-provided foods obtained from proxy-reporters with objectively measured food intake (pre-post food weights).
Time frame: Upon completion of the Traditional 24HR condition
Plan to share: No
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The University of Tennessee, Knoxville