Using community-based participatory research to create a web-based, community-specific food log

Food logs are important tools for assessing eating habits. Traditionally, people handwrite what, when, and how much they eat, after which nutritionists use the results for developing revised eating plans. Personal web-based food logs have recently become popular; however, for both methods, barriers exist including cost, length of completion time, and lack of customization and cultural, economic considerations.

We sought to understand barriers to food logs for an urban population beset by high rates of diabetes and obesity, in order to create a novel, effective health promotion tool as part of a community-specific health website.

Through focus groups conducted in Harlem, NYC, we determined the need for a web-based food log that is user-friendly, solutions-based, customizable, and culturally-relevant. Based on the expressed needs of the community, we found that members want a food log that is visual, interactive and personalized to individual trouble zones (e.g. portion size, night-time eating). Further, we found that solutions must consider contextual factors such as economics, family, and lifestyle. Through this community-based research, we have also identified critical barriers to health such as mindless eating, impact of social relationships, and myths around snacking and fast food.

Our unique and systematic approach to the development of this interactive health promotion tool indicates the importance of community involvement at each stage of the process. By understanding the social, economic and cultural factors that hinder or promote the use of web-based tools, we are creating an interactive platform that provides useful and customizable advice around healthy behaviors.