Foodbook24 Study

What is this research about & Why are we doing it?

Dietary habits and food intake may differ between different ethnic groups. It is very important to find out exactly what people are eating and drinking in Ireland, in all population groups with different diets. Foodbook24 is an online web-based dietary assessment tool that has been designed to collect food and nutrient intake information for the Irish adult population. However, we have now developed this further to use in other population groups living in Ireland. The aim of this study is to examine how this dietary assessment tool collects food intake information in different population groups in Ireland. We have developed a web-based tool which will allow us to do this, but we need your help to see how well it works.

Can I take part?

If you are an adult aged 18 years or older, are in good health, and, if you are a Chinese, Polish, Brazilian or Irish person living in Ireland your participation would be greatly appreciated.

What are the benefits of taking part in this research study?

You will be contributing to an important piece of research; your input will help us develop a new dietary assessment tool that will hopefully improve the accuracy and collection of dietary intake data in the future. Also, at the end of the study you will receive some feedback on your diet.

What will happen if you decide to take part in this research study?

If you express interest in the study, you will be contacted by a researcher to make sure you are eligible to take part. If you are eligible to take part, we will explain the study further, and ask you to sign a consent form. We can do all of this through email or phone/web call. Your participation is entirely voluntary. Once these forms have been completed you will then tell us about your diet. We would like to find out everything you had to eat or drink in the previous 24 hours. We will do this in two ways: 1) using our Foodbook24 tool, and 2) through a more traditional interview. In the interview, a trained nutritionist will ask you questions about your diet, and this will be conducted using the web video calling app, Zoom. In addition, you will complete the same process using the online Foodbook24 diet recall tool, which you can complete using a computer or tablet. You will be required to complete your dietary recalls via Foodbook24 and interviews on two separate occasions. On day 1 you will complete an online recall using Foodbook24 and via an online interview. On day 2, two weeks later, you will complete both recalls again on the same day also but in the opposite order. Both recalls will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Finally, we will ask you to fill out two online questionnaires. One will be about your lifestyle habits (smoking etc.), socioeconomic status (education, work) and health history. The other will be an evaluation questionnaire and ask how you felt about the project and whether you preferred the interviewer-led recall or using the online version.

How will your data be used?

You will be assigned a study identification number, and this number will be used to input the data generated from the study, together in a secure password- protected database. The de-identified data (which means it has no link to your personal information) will be used in one or more scientific papers and reports. None of your details will be shared with any third parties.

How will your privacy be protected?

Any information collected will be kept completely confidential. All your information will be de-identified and stored using a study identification number. Some general findings from the project will be presented and published at a later date, but these will describe the study population as a whole and not refer to individual people. If you decide to leave the study, all your details will be removed immediately.

What are the risks of taking part in this research study?

There are no risks. Sometimes you might not like telling us about your diet, and/or you might not remember. This is all normal. To help with this, the interviews will be conducted by trained nutritionists who can help you with any difficulties you have. We will aim to make you feel as comfortable as possible but for any reason you no longer want to take part, you are free to opt out of the study at any time.

Can I change my mind at any stage and withdraw from the study?

Absolutely. You are free to withdraw from the study and ask questions at any time.

How will you find out what happens with this project?

On completion of the project the researchers involved in the study will put together a summary of the study results and will contact you with this information. If you wish, we would like to keep a record of your contact details and contact you about future studies using Foodbook24. At the end of the study, we will give you some brief details about your diet.

If you would like any further information on this study or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact: Dr. Laura Bardon, Ms. Grace Bennett or Ms. Shuhua Yang at foodbook24@ucd.ie

• Participant Information Sheet [Poster]
• Eligibility screening form
• Participant consent form