An Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Smartphone Application for Improving Dietary Quality Among Frail Older Adults: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Background/

Objectives

Although information and communication technology (ICT) offers opportunities to address challenges, evidence among frail populations is limited. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of an ICT-based intervention incorporating an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted smartphone dietary application and group communication tools to improve dietary quality and social connection among community-dwelling older adults with frailty.

Methods

A non-randomized, quasi-experimental study was conducted among 29 older adults (≥65 years) in Tokyo, Japan. Participants were assigned to the intervention (n = 11) or control (n = 18) group. The 3-month intervention included weekly photo uploads of meals via an AI-based dietary application providing automated image analysis and personalized feedback, supervised by registered dietitians, along with peer communication through a group chat. The primary outcome was dietary quality. The secondary outcomes included body weight, body mass index (BMI), skin carotenoid score, and loneliness.

Results

The adjusted Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top Score at 3-month follow-up was 49.0 (standard error [SE] = 2.6) and 39.5 (SE = 2.0) in the intervention and control groups, respectively. The adjusted mean difference between groups was +9.5 (95% confidence interval: 2.3 to 16.7, p = 0.01). After using analysis of covariance for adjusting for respective baseline values, age, education status, and antihypertension drug use, no statistically significant between-group differences were observed at 3-month follow-up for any secondary outcomes.

Conclusions

AI-based dietary intervention and peer communication effectively improved dietary quality among older adults, highlighting the potential of such an intervention to promote healthier eating habits in this population.