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Updated: Sep 26, 2026
'Boden Food Plate': Novel Interactive Web-based Method for the Assessment of Dietary Intake
Published on: September 18, 2018
Dietary behaviors, nutrition-monitoring technology use, and their socio-demographic determinants among Moroccan
Morad Kaddouri1, Salah Chaji2, Omar Ait El Alia1
1Laboratory of the Engineering and Applied Technologies, Higher School of Technology, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni Mellal, Morocco.
Problem Considered:
In our sample of urban, educated Moroccan adults, we observed dietary patterns suggestive of a nutrition transition, characterized by high consumption of both traditional healthy foods and processed, energy-dense items. This study assessed dietary practices, dieting habits, and use of nutrition-monitoring technologies among Moroccan adults, and examined socio-demographic associated factors.
Methods:
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from October 2024 to January 2025 among 1,035 Moroccan adults. A structured questionnaire collected data on socio-demographics, dietary behaviors, dieting history, and use of nutrition monitoring technologies. BMI was calculated from self-reported weight and height. Associations were tested using chi-square analysis with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons; multivariable multinomial logistic regression was also performed to assess independent associations.
Results:
Participants were predominantly urban (82.9%) and university-educated (79.8%). Overweight/obesity prevalence was 60.9%. Fresh fruit (89.7%) and vegetable (89.0%) consumption was high, but high-fat foods (76.6%) and sweetened beverages (49.1%) were also widely consumed. Half (49.6%) had previously dieted, mainly sugar-free or low-calorie, yet only 9.5% used digital tools for dietary monitoring. After Bonferroni correction, significant associations remained for adding salt after cooking with education (p < 0.001) and consuming fried foods with education (p < 0.001), and trying to reduce sugar intake with age (p < 0.001). In multivariable multinomial regression, gender was the most consistent independent predictor of dietary behaviors; age, education, and income showed select independent associations. No association was found between BMI and dietary habits.
Conclusion:
In our sample of urban, educated Moroccan adults, we observed dietary patterns that suggest a co-existence of traditional healthy foods with unhealthy items. Overweight/obesity is highly prevalent in this population subgroup. Despite interest in dieting, use of nutrition-monitoring technology remains very low in our sample. Hypothesis-generating suggestions include culturally adapted digital tools and targeted interventions, but confirmatory studies using probability sampling are needed.