NutriPeer : design and implementation to help reduce nutrient misconsumption

Abstract

Generally, users of mobile health applications, only use these applications for only a few months at most, until they learn what the app suggests or until they grasp the pattern of the suggestions offered. [1] The aim of this project is to nd features and design principles to increase the use of mobile health applications. Indeed, a survey was conducted before designing the app to see what prospective users would like to have in a mobile nutrition app, and usability testing was carried out after the app was developed. These procedures were conducted to try to increase the length of use of the mobile health application. Moreover, one of the main features included in NutriPeer also acts as a recipe sharing platform, where users can share their recipes with other users, and therefore, the pattern of offering the same advice, is broken. During development, it was made sure that the design principles that are suggested by Material Design [2] were followed, as were the best coding practices. During to the Requirements Gathering stage, a survey was conducted asking the potential users about which features they would like to see in a nutritional application in order to encourage them to use it since none of the participants was using a mobile nutrition application at that time. The most requested feature was that of a barcode scanner to log food due to its ease of use. Another request was to include a recipe sharing functionality where users can add their recipes, while other users can rate them based on how much they like them. Usability testing was performed to ensure that the application meets the users' expectations of what a mobile nutrition app should consist of. This was conducted by allowing the participants to use NutriPeer for some time and then asking some questions to get their feedback. The usability test revealed that the Google Sign In button was not working and the aesthetics of the app could be improved; however, the contents and functionality of the app were liked very much. The developed app includes the functionality to log the food items that the user would have consumed during the day; give an indication of the required intake for nutrients, such as carbohydrates, protein, fibre, and fat; as well as suggest recipes that would help the user reach the recommended nutrient intake as suggested by the World Health Organisation. [3] Due to high demand in the Requirements Gathering phase, the app also includes a water intake diary to make it easier for the user to keep track of how much water they have drunk during the day.