Development and validation of an online tool for assessing dietary intake, diet quality, and environmental impact in Mexico.

Abstract

Background: Tools assessing diet composition, diet quality, and environmental impact are essential for promoting sustainable diets. However, no such tools currently exist in the Mexican context. The objective of this article was to develop and validate Nutriecology^®, an online software designed to assess dietary intake, automatically calculate diet quality, and evaluate environmental impact through water footprint (WF) analysis.

Methods: The software was developed using the waterfall life cycle methodology and a multi-stage process. It included a 24-hour recall, a validated and adapted Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and an automatic WF assessment. The Alternate Mexican Diet Quality Index (IACDMx) was also included to evaluate diet quality. The IACDMx was adapted from the Mexican Diet Quality Index (ICDMx) to reflect sustainable consumption patterns. The tool's accuracy was evaluated through two studies: (I) by comparing an FFQ and a 24-hour recall in 174 Mexican adults (18-74 years); (II) by comparing 2 FFQs and 24-hour recalls in a period of 6 months in 87 Mexican young adults (18-35 years). Validation was done through Spearman correlations and Bland-Altman analyses.

Results: Nutriecology^® provides a novel technology for assessing diet aspects and WF simultaneously, cooking and food-washing water, and applying correction factors. Correlations for energy and macronutrient intake ranged from 0.64 to 0.80 (P<0.0001), while micronutrient correlations ranged from 0.22 to 0.57 (P<0.0001). WF correlations for the three components ranged from 0.53 to 0.60 (P<0.0001). Bland-Altman plots showed high agreement between methods, confirming adequate validity. Study 2 showed high reproducibility regarding diet composition and quality, food group and sub-group intake, and WFs (rho ≥0.5; P<0.001).

Conclusions: Nutriecology^® is a reliable and valid tool for assessing dietary intake and its environmental impact in the Mexican context. Its use can facilitate the integration of nutritional and sustainability research, supporting efforts to promote sustainable diets.