Turkish Research Dietitians Prioritize Strengthening Traditional Methods Before Digital Transition: A Qualitative...

Dietary assessment underpins nutrition research and practice. Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) are used in epidemiology yet have limitations. Digital technologies are reshaping dietary assessment, with potential to improve scalability and standardization. Understanding how dietitians appraise traditional and emerging approaches is critical for guiding context-appropriate innovation.

This study explored research-focused Turkish dietitians' perspectives on (i) the strengths and limitations of FFQs, (ii) opportunities and barriers in transitioning to web-based FFQs, and (iii) the potential and challenges of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and biosensors, in dietary assessment, with Türkiye-specific considerations where relevant.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten PhD-qualified, research-focused dietitians in Türkiye, purposively sampled for dietary assessment expertise. Interviews were conducted online, transcribed, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Sample size was guided by thematic saturation; recruitment continued until no substantively new themes emerged across successive interviews.

Participants valued FFQs as scalable tools for capturing habitual intake but noted limits in person-level detail, portion accuracy, and recall reliability. Culturally adapted food lists and portion imagery were perceived as priorities to improve validity. Web-based FFQs were viewed as a credible evolution offering efficiency and visual supports, though concerns centered on digital literacy, device access, and user guidance. Emerging tools such as AI-assisted image capture and wearable biosensors were considered promising for reducing memory bias and improving objectivity, but adoption was tempered by concerns over cost, usability, cultural fit, privacy, and governance.

The perspectives of the Turkish research-focused dietitians interviewed in this study point to a staged pathway for innovation: first to strengthen FFQ content with cultural adaptation and visual supports; then digitize with safeguards for accessibility and data integrity; and finally pilot advanced technologies cautiously, under robust validation and ethical oversight. This phased approach could offer an acceptable pathway to modernizing dietary assessment while safeguarding credibility and equity.