A Monash University is working on a project to collect food consumption data in Malaysia in order to inform and improve public health and nutrition policy.
Intake24, an open-source online tool used for recording dietary intake information.
The diet tracking system was originally developed in the UK for Food Standards Scotland by human-computer interaction expert Professor Patrick Olivier and nutrition researcher Dr Emma Foster from Monash University.
Professor Olivier, Director of Monash University’s Action Lab says Intake24 is a technology-based alternative to capture food consumption data from participants.
“The web-based dietary recall tool includes a comprehensive food list which is linked to food composition data and food portion size images.” says Proessor Olivier.
The whole recording procedure takes around 20 minutes to finish, and the participant’s dietary intake can be immediately downloaded once the data has been submitted.
According to Dr Emma Foster the project will develop Intake24 for use in Malaysia including translation to Malay, Mandarin and Tamil, addition of foods to the database to cover the diverse range of ingredients and dishes consumed in the region.
The Monash University Malaysia (MUM) and University of Cambridge’s MRC Epidemiology Unit are collaborating on the Intake24 Malaysia project.
Nutrition scientist and Project Lead Dr Amutha Ramadas from MUM says the country is experiencing an increasing trend in diet-related non-communicable diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular and cardio-metabolic diseases.
“The development of effective interventions for these conditions requires us to understand the diet of a specific population. Intake24 will allow for a more accurate capture of dietary data and help to better inform public health policies in Malaysia,” says Dr Ramadas.
The researchers plan to develop Intake24 Malaysia by 2023 and start capturing participant data in Malaysia by 2024.
MUM Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Matthew Nicholson says Intake24 Malaysia will collect data to improve public health through better surveillance, as well as develop research measures and systems that compare the dietary intakes of Malaysians against the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines.
“In doing so, Monash University Malaysia will be establishing the foundation for future research in diet and nutrition in Malaysia and the region.” says Nicholson.
Intake24 is currently used by the UK Department of Health in their National Diet and Nutrition Survey and has been adapted and developed for several other countries including:
- United Arab Emirates
- Portugal
- Denmark
- South Asia.
It will also be used in Australia for the upcoming National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey in January 2023.
Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology’s Action Lab is a cross-disciplinary research group that aims to collaborate with communities and NGOs to develop digital innovation with significant impact.
