EAT: A Reliable Eating Assessment Technology for Free-living Individuals

Description

This study utilizes a small, privacy-conscious wearable device intended to monitor human behaviors. The device is worn around the neck, capturing the wearer's head and upper torso within its field of view, and records color images without audio. Participants visit the lab for consent, device training and recording of several activities using the device. Participants will then take the device home and wear it during their normal schedules for four "active" weeks. During each active week, participants will wear the device, keep a log of all food and drink items consumed throughout the day and participate in unscheduled phone calls with a dietitian. A "washout" week occurs in between each active week in which participants do not need to complete any study tasks. Alongside the device, we have included three privacy filters (blur, edge, and avatar) capable of obscuring faces and objects seen in the device-captured images. All participants will be subject to unfiltered recording during their first week followed by a different filter each following active week in a random order. At the start of each active week, participants view an example of what their recorded images will look like that week (given the privacy filter). At the end of the seven weeks, participants will return the device and provide the lab with feedback on the design of the device and its privacy-preserving features.

Conditions

Wearable Electronic Device

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

This study utilizes a small, privacy-conscious wearable device intended to monitor human behaviors. The device is worn around the neck, capturing the wearer's head and upper torso within its field of view, and records color images without audio. Participants visit the lab for consent, device training and recording of several activities using the device. Participants will then take the device home and wear it during their normal schedules for four "active" weeks. During each active week, participants will wear the device, keep a log of all food and drink items consumed throughout the day and participate in unscheduled phone calls with a dietitian. A "washout" week occurs in between each active week in which participants do not need to complete any study tasks. Alongside the device, we have included three privacy filters (blur, edge, and avatar) capable of obscuring faces and objects seen in the device-captured images. All participants will be subject to unfiltered recording during their first week followed by a different filter each following active week in a random order. At the start of each active week, participants view an example of what their recorded images will look like that week (given the privacy filter). At the end of the seven weeks, participants will return the device and provide the lab with feedback on the design of the device and its privacy-preserving features.

EAT: A Reliable Eating Assessment Technology for Free-living Individuals

EAT: A Reliable Eating Assessment Technology for Free-living Individuals

Condition
Wearable Electronic Device
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Chicago

Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * BMI greater than or equal to 18.5
  • * Chicago metropolitan area resident
  • * Able to speak, read and write in English
  • * Has a valid phone number
  • * Owns a smartphone
  • * Has access to a computer
  • * Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals
  • * Experienced significant weight loss/gain in the last three months (25 lbs or more)
  • * Diagnosed with or has a family history of genetic obesity syndromes (e.g., Prader-Willi, Bardet-Biedl, Cohen Syndrome)
  • * Member of household enrolled in the study

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

Northwestern University,

Study Record Dates

2025-10