Utility of a Qualitative, Dietary ‘Self-Monitor Your Diet^®’ Diary to Improve Diet Quality and Compliance with Dietary Recommendations ^†

Abstract

Background/objectives: No matter how simple dietary recommendations are, many people find it difficult to follow them in the long run. This study tested the utility of a qualitative, dietary diary, entitled ‘Self-Monitor Your Diet^®’, in order to improve diet quality and compliance with dietary recommendations. Methods: The sample consisted of 84 university females (Poland), aged 20.4 ± 2.0 years. To monitor food consumption, the ‘Self-Monitor Your Diet^®’ was used. The diary contains eleven food items, including six items recommended for consumption and five items with limited consumption, along with the recommended consumption frequencies per day/week/month. The respondents completed the diary for two consecutive months (M1; M2). The average daily consumption frequency (times/day) of each food item was calculated. The respondents’ adherence to the dietary recommendations was expressed as an Adherence Score (AdhS) in points (range 0–12), with one point per compliance to each recommendation. More points were awarded for better compliance with dietary recommendations. Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHtR) were calculated on the basis of measurements taken twice (before the diary completion and after 2 months). Results: For the M1 diary, AdhS within 0–2 points were found in 9% of respondents, 2–4 points in 36%, 4–6 points in 42%, 6–8 points in 12%, and 8–10 points in 1%. For the M2 diary, more subjects fell in higher ranges of AdhS: 4%, 36%, 38%, 20%, 2%, respectively (p = 0.0009). AdhS for the M2 diary averaged at 4.1 points (SD 1.7), and, for the M1 diary, 3.8 points (SD 1.8) (p > 0.1). More subjects consumed fruit/vegetables ≥ 5 times/day in M2 than M1 (50% vs. 1%, respectively; p < 0.0001) and sweetened beverages/energy drinks ≤ once a week (61% vs. 42%, respectively; p = 0.0061). There were no differences in the average BMI or WHtR between the first and second data collections. Discussion/conclusions: The diary, based on the user’s own activity, can be useful in monitoring day-by-day dietary habits and promoting diet quality improvement, especially with respect to fruit and vegetables.