Experience Sampling as a dietary assessment method: a scoping review towards implementation.

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Methodology
• Public Health

Background:

• Accurate dietary intake assessment is crucial but challenging for research and healthcare.
• Experience Sampling Methodology (ESM) is a real-time data capture method with low burden and high feasibility.
• ESM's potential as an alternative dietary assessment method is underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the implementation of ESM as an alternative to traditional dietary assessment methods.
• To map methodological considerations for applying ESM in dietary assessment.
• To formulate recommendations for developing an Experience Sampling-based Dietary Assessment Method (ESDAM).

Main Methods:

• A scoping review was conducted searching PubMed and Web of Science from 2012 to 2024.
• The review followed a scoping review methodology framework.
• 39 articles describing 24 studies were included after screening 646 articles.

Main Results:

• ESM was primarily used for qualitative (n=12) and semi-quantitative (n=7) dietary assessment, with fewer studies on quantitative assessment (n=5).
• Most studies assessed intake of selected foods; two studies quantitatively assessed total dietary intake.
• ESM durations typically ranged from 4-30 days (most commonly 7 days), with fixed or semi-random sampling during waking hours and 2-hour recall periods.

Conclusions:

• ESM can be developed into an ESDAM using food record or food frequency questionnaire approaches.
• Actual dietary intake measurement via ESDAM requires short, intensive sampling; habitual intake measurement allows longer, less frequent sampling.
• Careful development of ESM sampling protocols is essential to optimize feasibility and accuracy of dietary data.