Cocriação de uma ferramenta digital personalizada para avaliação da literacia nutricional em Portugal

The main objectives of this project are: 1) To co-create a refined and personalized version of the original NUTLY tool The original NUTLY provides a single score categorizing nutrition literacy into “adequate” or “inadequate” but lacks classification into underlying competencies. Thus, we aim to refine the tool, so it informs on the level of general nutrition literacy and associated sub-skills. Additionally, factors such as sex, age, education level, and dietary patterns influence the type of foods each individual is familiar with. Therefore, a personalized version will be co-created, in which the presentation of foods is tailored to each user's characteristics, thus mimetizing the real context of each individual’s food choices. 2) To co-create a mobile app based on the refined and personalized version of the NUTLY tool The original NUTLY tool was designed as an online questionnaire, although the development of a more interactive tool, like a mobile application, has not yet been carried out. The use of a dynamic, intuitive, and user-friendly digital platform to measure nutrition literacy should minimize the perceived burden usually associated with completing a questionnaire, thus leading to higher adherence. Through co-creation, we aim to convert the refined and customised version of the NUTLY into a mobile app prototype. 3) To test and validate the NUTLY app prototype in a real-world scenario This tool is projected to be used in primary healthcare centres, as these represent the first level of healthcare in the community, acting as the main interface between healthcare providers and the public. As such, we aim to test and validate the NUTLY app prototype in the primary healthcare context, involving both professionals and patients, to simulate the reality of future utilizations. This research intends to produce a photograph-based, interactive tool that accurately measures nutrition literacy in a personalised and engaging way. This will help healthcare professionals understand patients’ gaps, enabling targeted nutrition education interventions. This tool will empower users to become more aware of their nutrition literacy level and aspects to be improved, fostering active participation in improving their knowledge and eating habits. Its implementation in the primary healthcare will allow widespread use, contributing to reducing health inequalities. By streamlining the measurement of nutrition literacy, this project addresses a crucial determinant of poor eating habits and high burden of diet-related chronic diseases in Portugal. By employing the co-creation model, we intend to achieve a pioneering concept of personalized and gamified assessment of nutrition literacy in the general population. This approach transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries, fostering collaboration among professionals from diverse fields such as technology, nutrition, healthcare, and communication.