Automation of Food Questionnaires in Medical Studies: A state-of-the-art review and future prospects

Applications for automating the most commonly used dietary surveys in nutritional research, Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) and 24 h Dietary Recalls (24HDRs), are reviewed in this paper. A comprehensive search of electronic databases was carried out and findings were classified by a group of experts in nutrition and computer science into: (i) Computerized Questionnaires and Web-based Questionnaires; (ii) FFQs and 24HDRs and combinations of both; and (iii) interviewer-administered or self-administered questionnaires. A discussion on the classification made and the works reported is included. Finally, works that apply innovative technologies are outlined and the future trends for automating questionnaires in nutrition are identified. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.