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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
Iterative Development of an Innovative Smartphone-Based Dietary Assessment Tool: Traqq
Published on: March 19, 2021
Adaptation and Evaluation of Traqq-Spain: An Ecological Momentary Dietary Assessment Smartphone App for the Spanish
Mar Nafría1, Hanne Bt de Jong2, Alice Chaplin1,3
1Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), University Hospital Son Espases (HUSE), Balearic Islands, Spain.
Background:
Diet is a key modifiable risk factor for chronic diseases, yet reliable assessment remains challenging. Ecological momentary dietary assessment applications, such as Traqq, enable real-time reporting, reducing recall errors and respondent burden compared with traditional methods. Originally developed in the Netherlands, Traqq requires cultural and linguistic adaptation before its use in other countries.
Objectives:
This study aimed to adapt Traqq to the Spanish context and evaluate its usability and accuracy for assessing habitual food group intake using random 2-h recalls (2hRs) compared with a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in Spanish adults.
Methods:
Traqq was adapted using a standardized approach, including the development of a country-specific food list linked to local food composition data (Base de Datos Española de Composición de Alimentos, US Department of Agriculture, local dishes), portion sizes (Centro de Enseñanza Superior de Nutrición y Dietética), interface translation, and pilot testing with refinement. The Spanish version was evaluated in 112 students at the University of the Balearic Islands. Participants completed repeated random 2hRs over 4 wk and an adapted FFQ. Agreement between methods was assessed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, Spearman correlations, quartile cross-classification, and Bland-Altman plots. Usability was evaluated using the System Usability Scale (SUS).
Results:
Seventy-nine participants were included in the analysis (mean age 24.9 ± 6.7 y; 73% female; 77% healthy body mass index; 67% not following a specific diet). Correlations between methods were good for most food groups (r = 0.52-0.65), except whole grains (r = 0.04). Mean intake of "Fruits and vegetables," "Whole grains," and "Fast and processed savory foods" was lower with 2hRs than FFQ. Traqq-Spain showed above-average usability (mean SUS = 78.9 ± 11.7).
Conclusions:
Traqq was successfully adapted for Spanish younger adults, demonstrating good agreement with a validated FFQ and high usability, supporting its use for real-time dietary assessment in this population.
