Oral Presentation Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society Annual Scientific Conference 2023

A platform of evidence-based brief tools to measure food intake, diet and obesity-related behaviours across childhood (97638)

Lucinda Bell 1 , Samantha Morgillo 1 , Rebecca Golley 1
  1. Caring Futures Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia

Background: Quick and robust measurement of dietary intake is important for monitoring population trends and evaluating nutrition-promotion programs. Flinders’ Caring Futures Institute (CFI) researchers and collaborators, including CRE-EPOCH members, have developed a comprehensive suite of evidence-based brief tools that accurately measure diet, food intake, and obesity-related behaviours (e.g. movement, sleep) across childhood (6 months to <20 years).

Objective: To develop a user-friendly platform of accessible online resources (measurement tool plus data management and analytical protocols) to facilitate the use and adoption of the tool(s) in research, practice and policy.

Methods: In 2021, an online platform was developed, hosted on the Flinders University CFI webpage. The CFI Tools and Resources platform links to a database (REDCap1,2) and uses a streamlined process, whereby respondents complete an expression of interest form, reporting their demographic details (open responses) and selecting the tools (n=9) they would like access to and their intended purpose for use of the tool/s. Respondents receive the selected tools via email and a follow up survey approximately 12 months later asking if, and how, they have used the tool.

Results: As of August 9th 2023, the tools (n=1-9 of 9) had been requested from n=82 respondents (totalling n=364 individual tool requests) across six countries, for the purpose of research (n=51), practice (n=37) and other (n=10). Respondents held a range of practice, research, teaching, and/or policy positions within health care, university, government and non-government organisations. Six (of 10) respondents had utilised the tools for community research (n=3), clinical research (n=2) and clinical practice (n=1) in the previous 12 months.

Conclusion:  The CFI Tools and Resources platform supports routine and harmonised measurement of behavioural outcomes across research and practice, including the evaluation of scaled-up early obesity prevention programs and as screening tools within healthcare settings to facilitate referral and feedback to families.

 

  1. 1. Harris PA, Taylor R, Thielke R, Payne J, Gonzalez N, Conde JG. Research electronic data capture (REDCap)--a metadata-driven methodology and workflow process for providing translational research informatics support. J Biomed Inform. 2009;42(2):377-81.
  2. 2. Harris PA, Taylor R, Minor BL, Elliott V, Fernandez M, O'Neal L, et al. The REDCap consortium: Building an international community of software platform partners. J Biomed Inform. 2019;95:103208.