ClicPratinho: Development and validation of a Meal Quality Index based on photographic records for children between 6 and 10 years old and association with nutritional status, sociodemographic factors and lifestyle

• Grant number: 24/18626-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition - Nutritional Analysis of Population
• Principal Investigator: Josiane Steluti
• Grantee: Elizabete Alexandre dos Santos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Saúde e Sociedade (ISS). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Baixada Santista. Santos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Adequate nutrition is crucial for children's growth and development, but monitoring it, especially in the age group between 6 and 10 years, is challenging, as children often eat away from home due to school hours and have difficulty reporting what they have consumed. In Brazil, there are few tools to directly assess food consumption from children, especially those that integrate dimensions such as nutritional content and environmental sustainability, which are increasingly relevant in discussions about the interconnection between human health, ecosystems, and the planet. Mobile technologies, such as smartphones and tablets, emerge as precise tools for assessing food consumption in this age group. When used under supervision, these devices can effectively evaluate meal quality and support nutritional interventions carried out during childhood. Thus, this project aims to develop and validate the Meal Quality Index (MQI-photo kids), based on photographic records, considering the nutritional aspects and environmental sustainability of meals for children between 6 and 10 years old, in addition to evaluating the association with nutritional status, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. The study will be conducted in five phases: developing the IQR-foto kids based on scientific literature, validating it in a sample of students from public schools in São Paulo, building an image bank of meals consumed by children across Brazil, classifying the received images, and finally developing a mobile application, a phase that will not be included in this project. (AU)