Table 4 Methodological considerations of included studiesa which applied ESM for quantitative dietary assessment
From: Experience Sampling as a dietary assessment method: a scoping review towards implementation
Author | ESM Sampling scheme | ESM questionnaire design | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Signaling techniqueb | ESM duration | Frequency and timing of prompts | Dietary variable assessed | Questions | Respond options | Rationale for questionnaire design | Respond window | |
SR | 7 days | Between 7h30-22h30: 10 times per day, start-of-the day and end-of the day questionnaire | Snack consumption | Start-of-the day and end-of the day questionnaire: 37 item questionnaire (5 min). Random prompts: “Did you eat or drink anything between meals since the last beep?” | Yes/no respond option, if yes every product and quantity needed to be specified by a built-in search function based on the Dutch Food Composition Database. For every reported snack, participants chose between two quantity options: standardised quantities (i.e. one apple, one Mars candy bar) or in grams/milliliters. Products with undetermined quantities such as yoghurt and tea could be reported in relevant household measurements (i.e. a bowl or a cup) or in grams/milliliters. Products which were not available in the search function could be added manually | Not specified | Not specified | |
[51] | F | 7 days | 5 times per day: 10h00; 13 h; 16 h; 19 h; 22 h | Chocolate snack consumption | Number of consumed snacks since the last prompt and indication of the type of snack they had consumed in a text box | Possibility to register number of snacks consumed with open text field to indicate type of snack | Not specified | Not specified |
[58] | F | 6 days | 6 times per day, every 2.5 h between 9h30-22h00 | Food consumption | Participants indicated whether or not they had eaten in last 2.5 h | If participants reported they had eaten, they were prompted to provide a detailed list of foods eaten and the amount in a text box with no word limit. At the study’s in-person information session, participants were instructed to be as detailed as possible regarding what they ate and the amount | Not specified | 30 min |
Actual intake: SR; habitual inake: R | 4 weeks | Actual intake: 2 week days & 1 weekend day spread over 4 weeks: every 2-h and one morning question on previous night, habitual intake: 7 times per week during 4 weeks | Quantitative dietary intake, meal time (breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack) | Food intake during last 2 h | Subjects could choose from an extensive food list, based on the Dutch Food Composition Database; Amount was reported in household measures (e.g., cups, spoons), standard portion size (e.g., small, large) or amount in gram | Not specified | 60 min. In reality, the 2hRs remained open until the end of the day | |
[56] | F | 7 days | 4 times per day: 8h00, 12h00, 16h00, 20h00 | Quantitative dietary intake | Food consumed since last assessment | If participants endorsed food consumption since the last assessment, they were asked to indicate the largest quantity of food consumed during this period (snack, small meal, medium meal, or large meal) | Not specified | 30 min |