Feasibility of an Assessment and Feedback Tool to Improve Dietary Intake in Childcare

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National childhood obesity prevention interventions have focused on improving children’s dietary intake in childcare, but challenges in accurately measuring children’s dietary intake and providing feedback to caregivers undermine the effectiveness of these interventions. In response, we have developed a multilevel (parent, teacher, child) technology titled the SensiTray, a child dietary intake assessment and caregiver (parent and teacher) feedback method designed for the childcare setting. The SensiTray includes hardware technology with four sensors embedded in the base of the tray to discretely and automatically measure the quantity of each food consumed during mealtime. The SensiTray also includes software, where the SensiTray provides personalized feedback to caregivers through a connected mobile application. The SensiTray passes valid statistical measures for reliability and accuracy within the laboratory setting, but its accuracy, feasibility and acceptability in a real-world childcare setting is unknown. The goal of the proposed project is to conduct a pilot feasibility study of the SensiTray in the childcare setting and optimize the technology and methodology. Specific aims of the project include 1) Determine the validity of SensiTray in childcare setting 2) Refine and optimize the technology based on focus group feedback from childcare administrators, teachers and parents, and 3) Determine the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effects of SensiTray on caregiver knowledge, practices and child dietary intake. The pilot testing of SensiTray will provide critical groundwork to pave the way for submitting an NIH R01 application for a full-scale cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) for determining the effectiveness of SensiTray in improving caregivers’ use of evidence-based feeding practices and children’s dietary intake.