DIETECH: An Exploratory Case Study On The Intervention of Existing Dietary-Related Smartphone Application To Selected Malnourished CRSHS Students

DIETECH: An Exploratory Case Study on the Intervention of Existing Dietary-
Related Smartphone Application to Selected Malnourished

CRSHS Students
A Qualitative Research Submitted to the Faculty and Staff of Cordillera Regional Science
High School as a Partial Fulfillment for Practical Research I
Romesor C. Apolonio
Francis Ira S. Velaque
Roxane Bless B. Arsing
Jonalyn O. Bolinget
Researchers
Amethyst Joy E. Taqued

Research Adviser
March 2020
Dietech: An Exploratory Case Study on the Intervention of Dietary – Related Smartphone
Application to Selected Malnourished CRSHS Students
Apolonio, Velaque, Arsing, Bolinget
ABSTRACT
The practice of healthy diet is intensive but promises beneficial effects to the
human body. However, it can also present harmful effects if not taken cautiously. In
modern times, dietary-related smartphone application is utilized for its healh features and
has garnered positive reviews. This study aims in determining the feasibility of existing
dietary – related smartphone applications as a tool for health improvement. A semi-
structured interview consisting of twelve questions was administered to four participants
in assessing their usage and perception on the applications. Results indicate mixed
reviews towards dietary-related smartphone application and nearly all of them felt their
overall dietary status have improved after usage. Overall, the feasibility of dietary-related
smartphone application is promising to people with nutrition-related problems but further
verificantions is needed from health professionals.
Results and conclusion
Keywords: diet, smartphone application, feasibility, perception,
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The researchers would like to express their solemn gratitude to the following for their
contributions in making this project possible.
The researchers would like to thank God Almighty for giving wisdom, guidance,
protection, and hope which the research was completed successfully.
To the researchers’ family, for their patience and assistance in making this
project.
To the researchers’ research adviser, Ma’am Amethyst Joy E. Taqued, for her
pieces of advice for the improvement of the project and for the time she provided in the
completion of this project.
To our honored validators who lent their authority and expertise to guide this
study accomplish its objectives.
To all their friends and classmates for their support and encouragement towards
the completion of the study.
With gratitude,
Romesor C. Apolonio
Francis Ira S. Velaque
Roxane Bless B. Arsing
Jonalyn O. Bolinget
Researchers
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Table of Contents
Title Page i
Abstract ii
Acknowledgement iii
Table of Contents iv
List of Tables vi
CHAPTER I 1
Background of the Study 1
Scope and Limitations 3
Theoretical Framework 3
Statement of the Problem 5
Basic Assumptions 5
Significance of the Study 6
Chapter II 7
Research Design 7
Locale and Population 7
Data Gathering Instrument 8
Validity of the Test Material 8
Data Gathering Procedure 8
Treatment of the Data 9
iv
Ethical Consideration 9
Chapter III 10
Results and Discussion 10
Chapter IV 21
Conclusion 21
Recommendation 22
References 24
v
List of Tables
Table 1. The effects of the application to the eating lifestyle of the student 10
Table 2. The perception of the student in using the application as a tool for health
improvement 14
Table 3. Attitude of the students towards the application 18
vi
CHAPTER I
Background of the Study
Healthy diet is important to the human body across all ages. It presents
various benefits such as reducing cancer risk, improving brain memory, and boosting
overall mood (Critchon-Stuart, 2018). Dieting requires intensive commitment and
maintenance in order to gain its benefits. With the various barriers that people would
confront, it is unlikely that they would be able to adhere to healthy eating. A study
conducted by Hilger, Loerbrocks, and Diehl (2017) reported that the reasons for delayed
healthy dieting is due to the lack of time and food preferences. This lack of control often
leads to detrimental effect opposite of the intended effects of healthy diet. Specifically,
malnutrition- that is, a condition where a person’s diet does not contain an equal amount
of nutrients in achieving optimal health, is one of the causes of fail dieting. They can be
underweight or obese (Brazier, 2020). According to the World Health Organization
(WHO), about 2 billion adults are overweight or obese, while some 462 million are
underweight.
In the Philippines, the number of malnourished individual, especially children,
have decreased, except for the increased prevalence of overweight/obesity. Stunting and
wasting have decreased by 1% per year, but overweight/obesity still increased by 1% per
year. The effects of malnourishment to the population resulted in loss of 3% of the
country’s GDP. Moreover, it leads to developing weak immune system and cognitive
functions (“How malnutrition affects a child”, 2017)
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With today’s technology, smartphones are studied for its potential to help solve
malnutrition. Smartphone presents features that aids in dietary assessment such as those
found in websites, social media, and health-related application (Rodger & Melioni, 2017)
(Caperchione, Ellison, George, Maeder, Kolt, & Mummery, 2013). A study conducted in
the United Kingdom by Wharton, Johnston, Cunningham, and Sterner (2014) found that
the subjects record their dietary data more consistently that traditional methods and that
the subjects seems to lose weight though no difference on the weight loss between
groups. Moreover, one study found in the UK as well found that the use of smartphone
raised their eating awareness and lost weight during their trial (Robinson, Higgs, Dlaey,
Jolly, Lycett, Lewis, & Aveyard, 2013). In Australia, researchers found out that mobile
phone-based intervention improved the overall dietary behavior and physical activity of
middle-aged men (Duncan, Vandelanotte, Kolt, Rosenkranz, Caperchione, George, …,
and Mummery, 2014). Another study in the UK found that using smartphone technology
as an attentive based eating intervention is feasible as it improved dietary behavior and
improved weight loss for obese and overweight people (Robinson, Higgs, Dlaey, Jolly,
Lycett, Lewis, & Aveyard, 2013).
While such studies generated related results, no known studies about smartphone
application as a dietary intervention to malnourished individuals have been conducted yet
in the Philippines. Thus, the researchers wish to explore this gap and generate aligned and
consistent results to other studies.
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Scope and Limitation
The study only deals with malnourished students aged 13 to 19 currently studying
at Cordillera Regional Science High School in the academic year 2019-2020. Moreover,
the factor being observed is the eating lifestyle of the participant and the feasibility of
dietary-related smartphone application as a tool for health improvement.
Theoretical Framework
Diet is one of the most important part of the lifestyle of an individual. This can be
associated to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs which states that a person must satisfy their
physiological needs, such as food, water, warmth, rest first before going to the other
needs. Thus, craving for food to eat and water to drink is a normal trait of every
individual (Brug, et al., 2018).
Another theory where the study is anchored on is the Social Cognitive Theory by
Albert Bandura. The theory states that a person's behavior towards the things around him
or her is affected by behavior, personal factors, and environmental factors. This suggests
that the dietary intake of each and every individual is affected by what he or she observes
from his or her environment or by imitating someone through the same diet.
Additional to that, the study also relies on the Health Belief Model (HBM) which
suggests that an individual's belief in a personal threat of an illness or a disorder together
with the individual's behavior in the effectiveness of the recommended health behavior or
action will predict the likelihood that the individual will adopt the behavior. This is built
from the two components of health-related behavior, the desire to avoid illness, or get
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well if already ill and the belief that a specific health action will prevent or cure the
illness. An individual’s course of action then depends on the individual's perceptions of
the benefits and barriers related to health behavior. In the study, this implies that the
perceptions of the respondents affect the effectiveness of dietary-related smartphone
application and websites as interventions.
Malnourished
Student Hunger
Social
Cognitive
Theory
Eating Lifestyle
Health Belief
model Ingest
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Figure 1. Paradigm of the Study
Statement of the Problem
This study will be conducted to determine the feasibility of existing dietary –
related smartphone applications as a tool for health improvement.
This study sought to answer the following answer:
1. How does the existing dietary-related smartphone application affect the participant?
2. What are the participant’s perception in using the application as a tool for a health
improvement?
3. How strict do the participants abide by the application?
Basic Assumptions
1. Dietary-related smartphone application will:
 enhance,
 negatively affect, or
 not improve
the eating lifestyle of the participant.
2. The participants believe that dietary-related smartphone application:
 is effective or
 not effective
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as a tool for health improvement.
3. The participants abide by the dietary-related smartphone application:
 regularly,
 sometimes, or
 seldom.
Significance of the Study
The study will benefit malnourished individuals. The findings will also become an
insight for individuals who seek to improve their health. This can further help them in
assessing their diets and overall physical appearance. It can also improve the perceptions
of people in using smartphone as a tool for health improvement. This study also benefits
dietician where they can utilize these diet-related applications in further helping their
patients cope with their dietary problems.
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CHAPTER II
Research Design
An exploratory research design aims to answer the question starting with the word
what, and it also proves the feasibility of research procedures that are presumed to be
preliminary results for future studies (Hill, 2017, as cited in Ying, 2014) (Hill, 2017, as
cited in Hancock & Algozzine, 2011, p.37). Since our study focuses on answering the
question what and it requires further studies, especially on a large-scale, an exploratory
study will be used. Several studies have somewhat used similar design in studying the
effects of smartphone application on diet such as Rodgers & Melioni (2017), Duncan
et.al. (2014), and Robinson et.al. (2013).
Locale and Population
The research will be conducted at Cordillera Regional Science High School. The
target population of the study is malnourished students currently studying at CRSHS in
academic year 2019-2020 who used or at present using dietary-related smartphone
applications.
The researchers will use purposive sampling where a set of criteria will be used to
select the participants of the study. The first criterion is that the participant must be a
student who was, or at present, underweight or overweight and have used or is using an
existing dietary-related smartphone application. Secondly, the person must be
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emotionally and physically stable by the time of the interview. This is to ensure that the
researchers will do no harm (or damage) to the emotional and physical well- being of the
respondent. The participants will also be selected regardless of their gender, age, and
other factors outside the criterion of the researchers.
Data Gathering Instrument
A semi-structured interview will be used to gather needed data for the
participant’s experiences and views. It will be an informal face-to-face interview so
follow-up questions may be given to the participants during the interview to ensure that
the participants will provide the needed data.
Validity of the Test Material
The researcher will validate the semi-structured interview questionnaires to three
nutritionists from Benguet State University. The validators will rate the instrument from a
Likert’s Scale of one to four with one being the lowest validity and four with the highest
validity. Furthermore, the researchers will also ask the validators for suggestions to
further improve the set of interview questions for the development of the study.
Data Gathering Procedure
Before the data gathering, the guide questions that will be validated by nutritionist
are already prepared for the face-to-face interview. A consent letter informing the
participant about the research will be given to them for their permission and approval.
The research will be conducted for approximately one to two weeks. During the
interview, a cellular phone recorder will be used to record all the information for
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transcription and translation purposes only. The data gathered from the interview will be
transcribed and translated by the researchers for the data interpretation process.
Treatment of the Data
The data collected will be transcribed manually by the researcher. After which,
the actual audio recording of the interview will be deleted. This is to make sure that the
data from the respondent will remain confidential.
Categorization of data will be done to develop a code that represents a theme or
an idea. Similar events, behaviors, feelings, meanings, and other elements of eating
disorders intervention will be coded into axial coding where codes will be linked and
interconnected. The themes and concepts will be summarized to form a broader theme
that can possibly compliment or contradict the identified hypothesis.
Ethical Consideration
Before the researchers will interview the target respondents of the research, the
researcher will first give a consent form explaining the study and its objective to the
respondents. The identity of the respondents is assuredly anonymous. All media and
audio recordings of the interview will be used for the purpose of research and any copy
will be deleted after the course of the study has been done. Furthermore, the information
related to the respondents will be protected and will remain confidential.
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CHAPTER III
Results and Discussion
From the gathered data, the researchers have derived several themes and divided
them into three main categories namely: a) effects of the dietary-related smartphone
application to the eating lifestyle of the student, b) the perception of the student in
application as a tool for a health improvement and, c) the student’s attitude towards the
application.
EFFECTS OF THE APPLICATION
The first question is about the effects of the application to the eating lifestyle of
the student. The effects were discussed by comparing the changes experienced in their
eating lifestyle before and after using the application. An external factor, which cannot be
controlled by the researcher, is the varied duration of use. With this table 1 below
presents the common themes of the effects of the application to the eating lifestyle of the
student.
Table 1. The effects of the application to the eating lifestyle of the student
REOCCURRING Statement
THEME
Improvement Underweight Students
 Kuan nagimprove (portions of food) (It
improved.)
 Two cups so yun kala nga inadaduak diyay rice
nga inkarkargak ti kanek (It’s two cups so It’s
like I kinda add a lot of rice when I eat.)
 No ada times nga ma-overworked ko day
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application ket mabisinak sunga no manganak ket

medyo adadu kaysa day usual nga kankanek. (If
there are times, I overuse the application, I
would feel hungry so when I eat, I eat more than
usual.)
 Wen ta idi gamin ngay ket mahilig ak ti mmm…
noodles kakasjay… pancit…pancit canton…
umm ibagbaga ni mamak nga haan nga palagi nga
kasta kunana ket ipapatik talaga… (Yes, because
before that I’m very addicted to… noodles like
that…pancit canton… ummm my mom told me to
avoid eating those on a regular basis but I really
insisted) ngem tatta ngay ket… nu inya ti ibaga
na kung baga ibagak..ay nu ibaga ni mamak…
ngay ket isu talaga ti tungpalek metlang (But
now… whatever my mom say… It’s like I
seriously obeyed it) so mostly ngay ket… mostly
ngay ket meat tapos vegetables… kung baga
paghaluen mi (So mostly I put meat and vegetables,
then I mixed it)
Overweight Students
 My rice intake decreased; my sugar intake
decreased. I eat three meals and ah, two snacks
after using the application and before, I eat two
meals, one snack.
Negative Effects Underweight Student
 Day usual, duwa nga meals, morning ken
evening. tas duwa nga snacks, morning ken
midnight snack. (The usual, I eat two meals,
morning and evening, and two snacks, morning
and midnight snacks.) Before the app, kala nga
mangmanganak ngem normal lang nga
pinagpangan (three meals and two snacks).
(Before the app, like I eat but the normal routine
of eating.)
 Hanak aglulunch. (I do not eat lunch). Gamin
agay-ayam ak basketball. (Because I am playing
basketball.) Haan a, no sumobra ak metlng ket
amok metlng limits ko. Kala naming duwa ak
lang sa this week nga haan nga nangan. idi
Monday tapos tata. (No, I know my limits. I just
didn’t eat twice this week, Monday and today.)
No effect Underweight Students
 Same lang. Kumbaga kala pinaadok lang day
kankanek. (It’s the same (awareness of what I
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eat) but I just increased the amount of food I’m

eating.)
 Ngem ti meat ken vegetables ket same lang ti
ikarkargak (But nothing’s changed for the meat and
vegetable part)
 Lettuce, haan basta diyay, day favfavorite ko nga
kankanen. (Isu metlng kankanek. Lettuce, my
favorite foods are what I usually eat.)
Improvement
A study found in the UK suggests that the use of smartphone raised their eating
awareness during their trial (Robinson, Higgs, Dlaey, Jolly, Lycett, Lewis, & Aveyard,
2013). In Australia, researchers found out that mobile phone-based intervention improved
the overall dietary behavior and physical activity of middle-aged men (Duncan,
Vandelanotte, Kolt, Rosenkranz, Caperchione, George, …, and Mummery, 2014). In the
data gathered, underweight students tend to improve their portions of rice, meat, and
vegetables while overweight students tend to decrease their rice and sugar intake with a
change in the frequency of meals and snacks geared toward the general perception of the
recommended frequency. These are aligned with the results of the aforementioned
studies.
Negative Effects
Upon further discussion, the application, the student uses, is a physical activity
eccentric application where it does not focus much on diet. Combined with the hobby of
the student playing basketball, the probability of sacrificing lunch for playing is to be
expected and not a sign of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) as
assured by the student in the rapport of the interview. While this was a sign of a negative
effect, this cannot be heavily attributed to the application since it is not a diet eccentric
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application. The student assured the researcher that it happens not on regularly but on a
seldom basis.
No Effects
Aforementioned is the external factor—the varied duration of use which cannot
be controlled by the researcher. The duration of usage is directly related to the probability
of developing a habit which in this study, a habit of eating healthy and nutritious foods. A
study from Lally, P. and her group in 2010 stated that “The time it took participants to
reach 95% of their asymptote of automaticity ranged from 18 to 254 days; indicating
considerable variation in how long it takes people to reach their limit of automaticity and
highlighting that it can take a very long time. Missing one opportunity to perform the
behavior did not materially affect the habit formation process. With repetition of a
behavior in a consistent context, automaticity increases following an asymptotic curve
which can be modelled at the individual level.” It is highlighted in her study that the
development of a habit can takes a considerable amount of time and that it depends on the
behavior, the person, and the circumstances.
PERCEPTIONS IN USING THE APPLICATION AS A TOOL FOR HEALTH
IMPROVEMENT
Several studies have been conducted on the use of smartphone application as a
tool for health improvement like a study in China wherein suggested that “The use of
mobile health apps could improve patient experience, especially with regard to accessing
health information, making physician-patient communication more convenient, ensuring
transparency in medical charge, and ameliorating short-term outcomes. All of these may
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contribute to positive health outcomes. Therefore, we should encourage the adoption of
mobile health apps in health care settings so as to improve patient experience.” Although
the adoption of mobile health apps in health care settings are not yet adopted here in the
Philippines, the probability of it happening is significant due to numerous researches
being conducted. This is why the researchers gathered the perception of malnourished
students on the use of dietary-related smartphone application as a tool for health
improvement. Table 2 below summarizes the reoccurring themes observed in the
statements of the participants.
Table 2. The perception of the student in using the application as a tool for health
improvement
THEME
No Effect  Yes, or no. Hanko amo, ngem no samet kasi kala
awan effect na met kenyak gamin. Isu ti
mapanpansin ko.
(Yes, or no. I do not know, but it might be no
because it doesn’t have any effect to me. That is
what I observe.)
 Or, actually, hindi na-improve eh, baka I’ll
change – my app- kasi hindi siya effective, ba’t
pa ako magi-istay? (Or actually, it’s not
improving, maybe I’ll change my app because
it’s not effective, why would I still stay?)
 Baka hinde, baka karkaro ak lang. (Maybe not,
maybe I’ll just get worse.)
 Agsukat ak ti app. Ah haan, han ko amo ta haan
nga ag focfocus nga masyado ti diet day app nga
diyay ya.
(I will change the app. Ah, no, I do not know
because the app does not focus much on diet.)
Encouragement  Ah, y-yes, kasi ahh syempre ahh if you are using
your phone everyday ket mas nakikita mo yung
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parang ah parang nakikita mo ung ahh ung

parang kunwari satatus ng kuan ng iba.
(Yes. Because of course if you are using your
phone every day, you can see other’s status.)
 If my friend has a--- has a strong metabolism and
ahh, nya dayen? resistance, I’ll recommend the
Keto app. Pero, if not, jay nalaka ngay suna nga
maulaw nu han lang nga mangan- I don’t
recommend that app.
(If my friend has a--- has a strong metabolism
and ahh, what’s that again? resistance, I’ll
recommend the Keto app. But, if not, the one that
easily faints if he/she does not eat- I don’t
recommend that app.
 mmm…yes. Ta…ummm… para kinyak ngay ket
useful met diyay nga app… nga mabalin na nga
kwa baliwan talaga day diet… day lifestyle mo
about pinangan day ummm… kala ibaga na
talaga ti… aramidem
(mmm…yes. For me, it was a useful app; like you
can get back on your diet; It’ll truly tells you
what lifestyle should you follow.)
Beneficial  Ahmm, yah I can consider it yes.

(I can consider it yes.)
 Hmm, parang as a general, it is really helpful
ngay siya, parang it is used as a guide ngay for
us--- para we can keep track of---- para we can
keep track of our diet and ah, yun.
(Like in general, it is really helpful because it is
like a guide for us--- like we can keep track of---
like we can keep track of our diet and that’s it.)
 hmmhmm… okay lang met… dayyyy… okay
lang
(It’s kinda okay)
umm kwan… *in a soft voice* inya ngaba…kala
nga…mayat… pang kwa…. Talaga
(It’s like…how do you put this… it’s good…

really)
uhhh…wait lang… *short pause* diyay mayat ta
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kala amum ti…mabalin mo nga usarem nga

reference nu inya ti ikastam for… for your diet
kala kasjay…
(Its’ good because you know…you can use this as
a reference if you want to try something for diet
something like that)
ummm… siguro ket… wen… wen met siguro ta

uhh… becau- wen mayat ta ikaganaan kung baga
aramidem day… kung baga everyday mo nga
aramidem diyay kal ibagbaga na “balanced
diet”… dakel met… dakel siguro ti impact na
diyay… ta siyak gamin tatta ket kung baga usarek
lang for reference kasjay
(I would say yes because it’s good for prospering

if you follow the “balanced diet” thing that it
keeps saying every day. It’ll make a big impact.
For now, I’m only using as a sort of reference)
 Effective, ni ***** gamin, ta agususar diyay.

nakutokutong diyay idi grade 7 ngem idi grade 9
ayuhh, dinmakel iman bagi na.
(Effective, since ***** is using it and since grade

seven, that person is thin but in grade nine, that
person’s body grew.)
 Ahmm yes because pag ginagamit ko yung app

ket parang namomotivate akong ...to have my
diet. (Yes, because if I’m using the app I am more
motivated to have my diet.)
 nu long… nu longer ti panag-usar ko ket…

masayan sigura nga… kasjay kasjay en… kung
baga i-balance kun tun amin from diyay diet ko…
kung baga… balanced ti meat ken vegetable, fuits
kakasjay.
(The longer I use it, the more I’m accustomed.

It’s like I have a balanced diet- the meat, the
vegetables, the fruit. It’s all balanced) so kala…
diyay.. maim- dakel ti ikasta na kenyak. (So, it
really helped me, big time)
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No Effect
Some participants seem to display doubts to their application and would consider
replacing with another. Participants claimed the application induced no effect on diet
improvement and further usage would only result in detrimental effects. Laly et.al.
explains that this is only due to some external factors, occurring once, interfering which
surprisingly would not materially affect the usage consistency. This implies that frequent
interference of the mentioned external factors would have contributed to the lack of
consistent usage which ultimately produced no effect.
Encouragement
Most of the participants expressed encouragement, suggesting the application can
be convenient to others beside themselves. Specifically, one of the participants supports
the application and said that it only recommends it to individuals with high metabolism,
indicating the application only works for already-fit people. This result is consistent to
the recommendation from Duncan et.al (2014), Wharton et.al (2014), and Robinson et.al.
(2013).
Beneficial
Almost all of the participants stated that the application is somewhat beneficial to
them. Participants felt that their overall dietary status seem to improve drastically and that
it motivates them to achieve healthy eating. However, participants stated that they only
use it for a short amount of time and that further usage on the application will only be for
reference or basis aligned with the application’s recommendation. This is also consistent
to the study of Duncan et.al (2014), Wharton et.al (2014), and Robinson et.al. (2013).
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ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE APPLICATION
A study conducted by Phillippa Lally when she held a Medical Research Council
PhD studentship in 2010 indicates that the development of a habit depends on the
behavior, the person, and the circumstances. In relation, the application is a tool to
develop the habit of healthy eating which in return improves health. Table 3 below
presents the themes of the attitude of the students towards the application.
Table 3. Attitude of the students towards the application
THEME
Not strict Underweight Students
 Kastoy nalang pay ading, how strict did you follow
the instructions from the application? Scale from 1-
10. (Before that answer this first, how strict did you
follow the instructions from the application? Scale
from 1-10). 1-10? Ahmm. 7. (7) Apay met ading
nga 7 ti kua… (Why is it 7?) Ahmm. because ah
sometimes hindi ko rin nafofollow minsan ung nasa
instructions. (Because sometimes I’m not following
the instructions).
 Siguro mga… 6 kakasjay (Probably around six).
Six? Apay? (Six? Why?)ta… minsan ngay ket…
haan ku nga ifol-follow diyay recommended nga
kwan… haan nga strictly nga followed… kung
baga alak lang diyay… diyay kayak nga kanen
kasjay as long as asideg idjay recommended nga
diyay. (Because sometimes I don’t strictly follow
the recommendation. It’s like I only get what I can
eat as long as it’s consistent with the
recommendation.)
Overweight Student
 Not very strict. Scale from one to ten. Seven.
Mood swings Underweight Students
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 So, what are the challenges that prevented you from

strictly using the application? Ahmm,, minsan ahh
it’s in my mood kasi kung minsan parang walang
ganang kumain something like that…(Sometimes
it’s in my mood because I don’t have the appetite
something like that. )
 My discipline, peer pressure and then, stress
 Laziness, or other activities that hinder me from
doing my, yeah.
Need for Companionship Underweight Students
 Tapos if you have a peer in using the application,
you will use it more kasi may kasama ka? (Then, if
you have a peer in using the application, you will
use it more because you have companion?) Yes.
 kung baga nu family ngay ket we strict ak idjay
about diyay kankanek day recommendation nga
diyay ngem not to strict kala nga day ada latta ti
bawas bawas na. (I’m strict on what I eat or what
my recommendation told me so, when I’m in front
of the family; But not too strict like to the point
where I become choosy or something)
Overweight Students
 Specifically, friends, baka siguro kapag may
kasama akong friends, baka mas mafo-follow ko
siya strict, uh yeah strictly. Pero kapag kasi ano uh,
my mom uses it also pero- I’m not really that strict,
so baka hindi siya effective sa aking nanay
(Specifically, friends, maybe if I’m with friends,
maybe I can follow it more strictly. But if because
uh, my mom uses it also- I’m not really that strict
with my mom so it’s not effective if I’m with mom.)
Not strict
On a rating scale provided with one being the lowest and ten being the highest,
the participants rated how they perceived themselves abiding by the application. Most of
the answers averaged at 7 and they described it as not strict. This occurs because of the
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underlying external factors which in Social Cognitive Theory affects the perception and
behavior of the individual.
Mood swings
As a continuation on the personal assessment of the participants, they enumerated
several factors which prevented them from strictly using the application and most were
because of mood swings. In the study conducted by Chaput et al., (2011) an acute
psychological stress (mental arithmetic task) was associated with eating in the absence of
hunger. The absence of difference in appetite sensations between both conditions is in
line with the profiles of plasma glucose and appetite-related hormones.
Most of the participants’ attitude toward the application was revealed that it was
merely affected by their moods which involves laziness and loss of appetite. Some
participant also added the loss of appetite which leads the participant not to be aware with
diet intake. A participant stated some factors that affects the mood is playing basketball.
Need for Companionship
The participants were asked whether the presence of a companion in using the
application will help them abide by the application compared to using it alone. Most of
the response yielded a yes but with a specific companion. Underweight students tend to
be stricter in their diet when they use with their family while overweight students tend to
be stricter with their friends. This can be associated with the “bandwagon effect” which
denotes a phenomenon of public opinion impinging upon itself. This indicates that with
20
the present of a companion, the stricter an individual will be in using the application
compared to using it alone.
CHAPTER IV
Conclusion
1. The gathered data indicates that dietary-related smartphone application tends to
improve the portion of rice, meat, and vegetable for underweight students while
overweight students tend to reduce their rice and sugar intake while gearing to the general
knowledge of recommended frequency of eating which is three meals and two snacks.
However, the application failed to raise their awareness of healthy eating. This may be
associated with the duration of use which according to study, greatly affects the
development of a habit, in this case, the habit of healthy eating. Instead, the students stick
to their usual diet diversity based from their personal favorites.
2. The perception gathered stemmed from the student’s experience while using the
application thus, their perception is directly aligned with their experience as associated
with the Social Cognitive Theory which states that the person's behavior towards the
things around him or her is affected by behavior, personal factors, and environmental
factors. Since most of the participant noticed improvement on their diet, their perception
to dietary-related smartphone application is a beneficial tool quoting that it motivates
them to achieve healthy eating. However, participants stated that they only use it for a
short amount of time and that further usage on the application will only be for reference
21
or basis aligned with the application’s recommendation. A participant also mentioned of
recommending the application but highlighted that specific applications work for a
specific group of people which in that case, healthy people with fast metabolism rate.
While some of the participants will not recommend the application since it did not have
effect to them. This implies that frequent interference of the external factors would have
contributed to the lack of consistent usage which ultimately produced no effect.
3. The attitude of the participants toward the application was affected by several factors
one of which was stated by a participant is hobby. The researchers first let the participant
rate how strict they are with the application and majority responded seven on a scale of 1-
10 with 10 being the highest and as they described it, “not strict”. This is where the
several factors were observed which greatly contributed in the attitude of the participant
toward the application. The constant mood swings accompanied by the loss of appetite
and laziness were cited as the main factors affecting the student’s attitude. Furthermore,
the “bandwagon effect” is also observed in using the application where the participants
made mention that the presence of a companionship will help them become stricter in
using the application.
Recommendation
Based on the findings of the study, the following are recommended:
1. Individuals without health conditions but want to improve their diet are recommended
to consider adopting dietary-related smartphone applications.
22
2. Companions of those who are currently using dietary-related smartphone application
are encouraged to do the same.
3. Future research studies having a wider population and using other research
methodology are encouraged.
4. Future researcher would consider developing their own nutritionist approved dietary
application supplemented with theoretical concepts concerning healthy diet and eating
behaviors.
23
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26

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DIETECH: An Exploratory Case Study on the Intervention of Existing Dietary-

Related Smartphone Application to Selected Malnourished

Amethyst Joy E. Taqued

dietary – related smartphone applications as a tool for health improvement. A semi-

structured interview consisting of twelve questions was administered to four participants

smartphone application is promising to people with nutrition-related problems but further

verificantions is needed from health professionals.

Results and conclusion

Keywords: diet, smartphone application, feasibility, perception,

contributions in making this project possible.

protection, and hope which the research was completed successfully.

completion of this project.

study accomplish its objectives.

the completion of the study.

Background of the Study 1

Scope and Limitations 3

Statement of the Problem 5

Significance of the Study 6

Locale and Population 7

Data Gathering Instrument 8

Validity of the Test Material 8

Data Gathering Procedure 8

Treatment of the Data 9

Results and Discussion 10

Table 3. Attitude of the students towards the application 18

Background of the Study

overall mood (Critchon-Stuart, 2018). Dieting requires intensive commitment and

underweight or obese (Brazier, 2020). According to the World Health Organization

In the Philippines, the number of malnourished individual, especially children,

year. The effects of malnourishment to the population resulted in loss of 3% of the

functions (“How malnutrition affects a child”, 2017)

middle-aged men (Duncan, Vandelanotte, Kolt, Rosenkranz, Caperchione, George, …,

as an attentive based eating intervention is feasible as it improved dietary behavior and

Lycett, Lewis, & Aveyard, 2013).

application as a dietary intervention to malnourished individuals have been conducted yet

consistent results to other studies.

Scope and Limitation

dietary-related smartphone application as a tool for health improvement.

individual (Brug, et al., 2018).

suggests that an individual's belief in a personal threat of an illness or a disorder together

illness. An individual’s course of action then depends on the individual's perceptions of

perceptions of the respondents affect the effectiveness of dietary-related smartphone

application and websites as interventions.

Figure 1. Paradigm of the Study

Statement of the Problem

This study will be conducted to determine the feasibility of existing dietary –

related smartphone applications as a tool for health improvement.

This study sought to answer the following answer:

3. How strict do the participants abide by the application?

1. Dietary-related smartphone application will:

the eating lifestyle of the participant.

2. The participants believe that dietary-related smartphone application:

as a tool for health improvement.

3. The participants abide by the dietary-related smartphone application:

Significance of the Study

patients cope with their dietary problems.

question what and it requires further studies, especially on a large-scale, an exploratory

et.al. (2014), and Robinson et.al. (2013).

Locale and Population

uhhh…wait lang… short pause diyay mayat ta