Development and Validation of a Digital Photographic Atlas of Argentine Foods

MANGIALAVORI, GUADALUPE; LÓPEZ, MARÍA VICTORIA; DEFUSTO, SERGIO; PANAGGIO, CAMILA B.; BOBADILLA, YENI; GÓMEZ, LARA; GIMENEZ, FERNANDA; SANDONATO, SELVA; ARECES, GRACIELA; ELORRIAGA, NATALIA

Revista Española de Nutrición Humana y Dietética

Academia Española Nutrición y Dietética

Año: 2023 vol. 27

2173-1292

Introduction. Before the Second National Health and Nutrition Survey in Argentina, it was necessary to create a digital visual tool to help participants in the quantification of intake. This study describes the development of a Digital Photographic Atlas of Argentinean Foods (AFDAA) and evaluates its accuracy invisually estimatingthe amounts of foods consumed in Argentina.Methods. A total of 292 photographs of food/dishes were taken in standardized conditions and classified into103 series according to food group. Thirty series were selected for validation. Adults ≥ 18 years of age were invited to participate in three validation sessions that were conducted at “blinded” between 2016 and 2018. During each session, the participant ́sability to visually relate a real amount of food presented on a plate to an amount depicted in a photograph series was assessed. The differencebetween the participant’sperception of the weight of foods/dishes in photographs and the real weight was expressed as a percentage. The average percentage difference was estimated,and 95% confidence intervals were used. When ≥ 50% of the differences were outside the ±30% range, the set of pictures was removed from the final version.Results. This free-to-use digital Atlas is a valuable tool that can be employed in future dietary surveys to quantify the consumption of foods similar to those depicted in the images.