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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05587816

Validity of the PortionSize App to Measure Children's Food Intake

The purpose of this study is to assess the validity of the PortionSize™ app to quantify children's own dietary intake and children's intake by parents or caregivers.

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Key information

Conditions

Nutritional Assessment

Age range

7 year–12 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70808, United States

About this study

The investigators will recruit 40 dyads (40 children aged 7-12 years old and 40 parents or caregivers) using a convenience sample for this pilot study. Children and their parents or caregivers will be trained to use the PortionSize app at Pennington Biomedical Research Center (PBRC). Children will use the PortionSize app and estimate food intake from pre-weighed meals (simulated meals) at PBRC clinic. Children will not consume the simulated meals. Children's parents or caregivers will also use the PortionSize app and estimate the food intake of their children (at least one meal and a snack each day) for two consecutive days at home.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Male or female
  • Children (7-12 years) and their parents or caregivers (18-62 years)
  • Parents who have Willingness to use the PortionSize app to estimate the intake of their child food intake (normal/regular diet) from at least a snack and a meal of child for two consecutive days
  • Have iPhone (version 6 or above) and an operable Apple ID, password, and email address, and able to use iPhone

Exclusion criteria

  • Any condition or circumstance that could impede study completion
  • Child who is a very choosy eater or has a very limited food choice

Treatment and study plan

Validation of the PortionSize app

Device

The investigators will recruit 40 dyads (40 children aged 7-12 years old and 40 parents or caregivers) using a convenience sample for this pilot study. Children and their parents or caregivers will be trained to use the PortionSize app at Pennington Biomedical Research Center (PBRC). Children will use the PortionSize app and estimate food intake from pre-weighed meals (simulated meals) at PBRC clinic. Children will not consume the simulated meals. Children's parents or caregivers will also use the PortionSize app and estimate the food intake of their children (at least one meal and a snack each day) for two consecutive days at home.

Primary outcomes

  1. Estimation of Energy Intake (kcal) by Children Using the PortionSize App

    Time frame: One study visit of ~ 2.5 hours

    Percent mean error and Bland-Altman analysis will be performed to determine errors in estimations of energy intake from the PortionSize app compared to estimations of energy intake from the weighed meals (the criterion measure).

  2. Estimation of Intake of Food Group Servings (Fruit) by Children Using the PortionSize App

    Time frame: One study visit of ~ 2.5 hours

    Percent mean error and Bland-Altman analysis will be performed to determine errors in estimations of intake of food group servings from the PortionSize app compared to estimations of food group servings from the weighed meals (the criterion measure).

  3. Estimation of Energy Intake (kcal/Day) by Parents or Caregivers Using the PortionSize App

    Time frame: Parents or caregivers will assess food intake of their child (at least one meal and a snack) for two consecutive days at home

    Percent mean error and Bland-Altman analysis will be performed to assess errors in estimating energy intake using the PortionSize app compared to estimations of energy measured by expert raters via food photography analysis.

  4. Estimation of Intake of Food Group Servings (Fruit) by Parents or Caregivers Using the PortionSize App

    Time frame: Parents or caregivers will assess food intake of their child (at least one meal and a snack) for two consecutive days at home

    Percent mean error and Bland-Altman analysis will be performed to assess errors in intake of food group servings using the PortionSize app compared to estimations of food group servings measured by expert raters via food photography analysis.

Secondary outcomes

  1. User Satisfaction of the PortionSize App for Recording Food Intake by Children

    Time frame: One study visit of ~ 2.5 hours

    After completing assessment of food at clinic, children will complete a Likert scale-based survey questionnaire (User Satisfaction questionnaire). The investigators updated a 10-question user satisfaction survey that has been administered in prior studies to quantify satisfaction, ease of use, and adequacy of training for mobile app. The minimum score is 1 and the maximum score is 6 for each question and higher scores indicate a higher outcome.

  2. User Satisfaction of the PortionSize App for Recording Food Intake by Parents or Caregivers

    Time frame: Parents or caregivers will assess food intake of their child (at least one meal and a snack) for two consecutive days at home

    After completing assessment of child's food intake, parents or caregivers will complete a Likert scale-based survey questionnaire (User Satisfaction questionnaire). . The investigators updated a 10-question user satisfaction survey that has been administered in prior studies to quantify satisfaction, ease of use, and adequacy of training for mobile app. The minimum score is 1 and the maximum score is 6 for each question and higher scores indicate a higher outcome.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Other

Collaborators

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield

Registry information

Official study title

Evaluating the Validity of a Novel Tool to Measure Children's Food Intake and Improve Health

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2023
Study completion
2023
First posted
Oct 20, 2022
Registry last updated
Apr 15, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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