Cristina Palacios, Michelle Torres, Desiree López, Maria A Trak-Fellermeier, Catherine Coccia, Cynthia M Pérez
Journal: Nutrients 2019;10(12):1967
PMID: 30545125
Diet-mediated chronic conditions affect half of the US adult population. Thus, authors developed the “MyNutriCart” app to help individuals make smart and healthy choices when purchasing foods at grocery stores. The aim of this study was to report on the pilot test of this app for improving household food purchase behaviour and for improving individual dietary behaviours. A secondary analysis was to examine the potential effect of the intervention on weight control. The study is a pilot randomised clinical trial that recruited 75 overweight or obese individuals. The recruited participants were randomly assigned to into two groups; the App group or the Traditional group for 8 weeks. Results did not show any differences at baseline between intervention groups. Within groups, there was a significant increase in the frequency of purchase of vegetables and wholegrains in the App group (p<0.05) from baseline to post-intervention. Furthermore, no changes in weight control were observed in any of the groups. Authors conclude that the “MyNutriCart” app is as good as the traditional method for improving household food purchase and individual food intake behaviours.
OBJECTIVE
To pilot test the effectiveness of "MyNutriCart", a smartphone application (app) that generates healthy grocery lists, on diet and weight.
METHODS
A pilot randomized trial was conducted to test the efficacy of using the "MyNutriCart" app compared to one face-to-face counseling session (Traditional group) in Hispanic overweight and obese adults. Household food purchasing behavior, three 24-h food recalls, Tucker's semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and weight were assessed at baseline and after 8 weeks. Statistical analyses included tests, a Poisson regression model, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) using STATA.
RESULTS
24 participants in the Traditional group and 27 in the App group completed the study. Most participants were women (>88%), with a mean age of 35.3 years, more than a high school education (>80%), a family composition of at least three members, and a mean baseline body mass index (BMI) of 34.5 kg/m². There were significant improvements in household purchasing of vegetables and whole grains, in individual intakes of refined grains, healthy proteins, whole-fat dairies, legumes, 100% fruit juices, and sweets and snacks; and in the individual frequency of intake of fruits and cold cuts/cured meats within the intervention group ( < 0.05). However, no significant differences were found between groups. No changes were detected in weight.
CONCLUSIONS
"MyNutriCart" app use led to significant improvements in food-related behaviors compared to baseline, with no significant differences when compared to the Traditional group. Cost and resource savings of using the app compared to face-to-face counseling may make it a good option for interventionists.
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