Mobile Apps for Dietary and Food Timing Assessment: Evaluation for Use in Clinical Research

Over the last decade, health mobile apps have become an increasingly popular tool used by clinicians and researchers to track food consumption and exercise. However, many consumer apps lack the technological features for facilitating the capture of critical food timing details.

This study aimed to introduce users to 11 apps from US app stores that recorded both dietary intake and food timing to establish which one would be the most appropriate for clinical research.

To determine a viable app that recorded both dietary intake and food timing for use in a food timing-related clinical study, we evaluated the time stamp data, usability, privacy policies, the accuracy of nutrient estimates, and general features of 11 mobile apps for dietary assessment that were available on US app stores. The following apps were selected using a keyword search of related terms and reviewed: text entry apps-Cronometer, DiaryNutrition, DietDiary, FoodDiary, Macros, and MyPlate; image entry apps-FoodView and MealLogger; and text plus image entry apps-Bitesnap, myCircadianClock, and MyFitnessPal.

Our primary goal was to identify apps that recorded food time stamps, which 8 (73%) of the 11 reviewed apps did. Of the 11 apps, only 4 (36%) allowed users to edit the time stamps. Next, we sought to evaluate the usability of the apps using the System Usability Scale across 2 days, and 82% (9/11) of the apps received favorable scores for usability. To enable use in research and clinical settings, the privacy policies of each app were systematically reviewed using common criteria, with 1 (9%) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant app (Cronometer). Furthermore, protected health information was collected by 9 (82%) of the 11 apps. Finally, to assess the accuracy of the nutrient estimates generated by these apps, we selected 4 sample food items and a 3-day dietary record to input into each app. The caloric and macronutrient estimates of the apps were compared with the nutrient estimates provided by a registered dietitian using the Nutrition Data System for Research database. In terms of the 3-day food record, the apps were found to consistently underestimate daily calories and macronutrients compared with the Nutrition Data System for Research output.

Overall, we found that the Bitesnap app provided flexible dietary and food timing functionality capable of being used in research and clinical settings, whereas most other apps lacked in the necessary food timing functionality or user privacy.