The Methods, Effectiveness, and Challenges of Nutrition Intervention Based on Digital Health

Background and objectives: Nutrition is one of the most critical factors in health management. Digital health provides new opportunities for nutrition education, dietary assessment, and management through online information delivery. With wide application, high convenience, and intense interaction, digital health-based dietary interventions are gradually playing a vital role in nutrition intervention. However, there is a lack of adequate review and evaluation. As a result, we tried to review the development of digital health intervention in nutrition. Methods: We reviewed previous nutritional intervention studies using digital health methods through a literature review. Peer-reviewed published articles and grey literatures areliterature were all included. The quality of the literature was assessed according to guidelines on digital health by the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) list. Results: Digital nutritional interventions use mobile devices and self-reported data to collect participants' dietary status, rely on databases and algorithms to evaluate personal data, utilize online systems to transfer online information to provide nutrition and lifestyle education and to engage in discussion. It changes individual behavior and health outcomes by combining the above methods. In terms of the participants, interventions mainly focus on patients and young people. They always choose blank or usual care as a control. With the development, the number of participants is growing from only a few people to a sufficient scale. Meanwhile, the outcome indicators are not just usually compliance or behavioral indicators but disease-related outcome indicators, such as changes in blood biochemistry and imaging. Studies have demonstrated the feasibility of digital health intervention in nutrition. However, research design, intervention implementation, and scientific evaluation also have much room for improvement. Information security and health inequalities in this area should be given more attention. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out high-level scientific, normative and feasible dietary intervention research focus on more health problem and wider population. Conclusions: Digital health has promising applications in nutrition and lifestyle interventions, but the quality of research needs to be strengthened, and the scope of its application should be promoted.