Digital Photography-Assisted Weighing to Conduct Plate Waste Audits in Elementary Schools: Research Assistants'...

The Good Food for Learning Population Health Intervention Research Project piloted a universal school lunch program in select Saskatoon elementary schools. Digital photography-assisted weighing (DPAW) was used to conduct plate waste audits to determine student food consumption. DPAW is a novel method, thought to be too labour-intensive to be used in schools. The purpose of the study was to determine the practicalities of using DPAW plate waste audits in elementary schools from research assistants' (RAs') viewpoint. Semi-structured, 30-45-minute virtual interviews were conducted with former RAs and research supervisors involved in data collection during the 2021 and 2023 phases of the Good Food for Learning Project. Ultimately, 11 of 16 prospective participants were interviewed. A hybrid approach of deductive and inductive data coding was used for thematic analysis. We found that although most of the RAs wanted to improve in-person training and coordination with school staff, most reported that they would recommend this method to other researchers carrying out studies under similar settings. This study shows that RAs support the feasibility of DPAW plate waste audits in elementary schools, though some challenges need to be addressed to improve implementation.