Developing a system to passively monitor dietary intake

Development of a Passive Dietary Monitoring System to Estimate an Individual's Dietary Intake in Households in Low and Middle-income Countries

Observational Imperial College London · NCT03723460

This study is testing a new, low-cost system to help people in Ghana and Kenya accurately track what they eat to see if it works better than current methods.

Quick facts

Study typeObservational
Enrollment264 (estimated)
SexAll
SponsorImperial College London Academic / other
Locations1 site (London)
Trial IDNCT03723460 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This study aims to create and validate a low-cost system for accurately measuring dietary intake in households in low and middle-income countries, specifically Ghana and Kenya. The approach involves preliminary testing of dietary monitoring devices in a controlled lab environment, followed by field trials to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the system in real-world settings. The final phase will involve validating the system's effectiveness by comparing its data with traditional dietary assessment methods. This innovative technology seeks to address the significant inaccuracies in current dietary intake assessment methods.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this study are households with both parents and at least one child under 5 years of age or an adolescent, who share meals together.

Not a fit: Households that do not meet the inclusion criteria, such as those without both parents or children under 5, will not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this system could provide accurate dietary intake data, improving nutritional health monitoring and informing public health interventions.

How similar studies have performed: While there have been various dietary assessment methods, this approach is innovative and aims to address significant gaps in accuracy, making it a novel undertaking.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Household comprising of both parents (mother and father) and at least a child/children under 5 years of age and/or an adolescent child
2. Members of the household eat the same prepared meal
3. Willingness to use a camera/video recording device to capture household food preparation and consumption.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Households not meeting the above inclusion criteria will not be recruited

Where this trial is running

London

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Dietary Intake AssessmentPassive Dietary MonitoringMalnutrition
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.