Development and Feasibility of the Diet Wizard Application Automating the Kenyan Food Exchange List for Clinical Meal Planning
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Abstract
Malnutrition remains a significant clinical and public health burden in Kenya, with hospital prevalence estimated at 30–76%. Despite advances in nutrition informatics globally, diet planning among Kenyan nutritionists largely relies on manual computation using the Kenyan Food Exchange List. This process is time-consuming, prone to error, and excludes many locally consumed foods. To address these challenges, this study developed and tested a prototype mobile application, Diet Wizard, to automate the use of the Kenyan Food Exchange List and enhance efficiency in personalized meal planning. A cross-sectional mixed-methods design was used. Laboratory analysis established metric measures and macronutrient profiles for 48 commonly consumed Kenyan foods missing from the Kenyan Food Exchange List. These data were integrated into the Diet Wizard database. The application was developed using the React and Bootstrap frameworks and evaluated through an online feasibility survey among 103 Kenyan nutritionists. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS Version 20, with descriptive and inferential statistics used to determine predictors of adoption. Most respondents were aged 20–39 years (74%) and worked in hospital settings (50.5%). A majority (76.5%) reported a significant reduction in time spent on meal planning, and 73% noted marked improvements in accuracy. Overall, 95. 1% rated the app as usable, with 69. 9% “very easy” and 25. 5% “easy.” Logistic regression revealed ease of use as a significant predictor of willingness to adopt (OR = 7.58; 95% CI 1.12–51.28; p = 0.038). Correlation analysis showed a strong association between perceived accuracy and time efficiency (ρ = 0.466; p = 0.001). Diet Wizard significantly enhanced efficiency, accuracy, and usability in clinical meal planning, demonstrating the feasibility of automating the Kenyan Food Exchange List. The study recommends integrating such digital tools into Kenya's national nutrition care framework to modernize dietetic practice and improve patient outcomes.
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