ASA24 Respondent Web Site Overview

• Introduction to the ASA24 Respondent Web Site
• Respondent Web Site Terms
• Respondent Site Help and Support
• Respondent Web Site General Features
• ASA24 Interview Process
• Optional ASA24 Modules (pending)

This document is also available as a PDF.

Introduction to the ASA24 Respondent Site

Welcome to the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Dietary Recall (ASA24). ASA24 consists of a Respondent Web site and a Researcher Web site. This document provides information about the ASA24 Respondent Web site where respondents complete their recalls. Information on the Researcher Web site, used to register and manage studies utilizing ASA24, is available on the Risk Factor Monitoring and Methods Branch Web site.

The ASA24 Respondent Web site guides users through a 24-hour recall interview using a modified version of the USDA's Automated Multiple-Pass Method (AMPM). The steps in the interview process include:

1. Meal-based Quick List;
2. Meal Gap Review;
3. Detail Pass;
4. Forgotten Foods; and
5. Final Review.

The interview is presented to the respondent in three steps:

1. Add meals, foods and drinks;
2. Add details; and
3. Final review.

Following an overview of the general features of the site, the interview process is briefly detailed below. Researchers are encouraged to visit the ASA24 demo version of the Respondent Web site and to view the overview tutorial and “show me” video clips available there for further information regarding the ASA24 recall interview.

As a reminder, researchers are responsible for managing their study respondents' activities and communications. This includes providing the Web site address (https://asa24beta.westat.com) of the ASA24 instrument to their study respondents as well as user account information downloaded from the Researcher Web site once a study has been registered and configured (refer to the Researcher Web site instructions for further details). Researchers must also track and deliver any notifications and reminders for upcoming recalls.

System Requirements

ASA24 requires that respondents have:

• a high-speed internet connection, such as cable or DSL;
• version 9 of Adobe Flash Player or higher;
• a PC or Macintosh with a modern processor, operating system and browser; and,
• the ability to play and hear audio through speakers or headphones.

ASA24 strongly recommends that respondents:

• set their screen resolution to 1024 x 768; and,
• ensure that the sound is on and not muted so that the animated guide can provide audible instructions.

When a respondent lands on the ASA24 home page, the site will detect the respondent's Flash version and screen resolution. If the above standards are not met, instructions will be provided on how to remediate.

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Respondent Web Site Terms

Browse:

An approach to look for foods during the Quick List Pass within a given hierarchy of food groups.

Commands:

The Commands section of the ASA24 Respondent Web site allows the respondent to add, delete or edit meals and foods/drinks and to progress from one section of the interview to the next.

Detail Pass:

The third pass in the multiple pass methodology that asks for details for each of the foods and drinks listed in the Quick List. Responses will be displayed in the My Selections panel.

Final Review:

The final pass in the multiple pass methodology; the respondent is asked to review the foods/drinks and their details that he or she has reported for the intake day and can make edits before completing the recall.

Forgotten Foods:

The second to last pass when a respondent is explicitly asked if he or she ate commonly forgotten foods or drinks, such as snack items. Respondents have an opportunity to add newly-remembered food and drink items to their list.

Meal Gap Review:

Following the completion of the initial list of foods/drinks consumed (Quick List Pass), the respondent will be queried about all gaps between eating occasions that exceed 3 hours and will have the opportunity to add foods or drinks to his or her Quick List.

My Selections:

A panel in the center of the screen displaying foods reported by the respondent during the Quick List and later their associated details as reported during the Detail Pass.

Quick List:

The list of foods that the respondent provides before giving any details about each food. These foods are listed in the My Selections column. This is considered the first pass in the multiple pass methodology.

Search:

An approach to look for foods/drinks during the Quick List Pass by typing in the name of the item and inspecting exact and approximate matches.

Unfound Food:

A food/drink that the respondent could not find while browsing or searching. Respondents have the option of choosing a similar food or reporting the food/drink as entered.

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Respondent Web Site Help and Support

Tutorial:

A general overview of the ASA24 Respondent Web site is available at the beginning of each session. This 5-minute tutorial contains key information about completing a 24-hour recall using the program. Researchers are advised to encourage respondents to watch the tutorial the first time they access the site. If a respondent attempts to exit the tutorial, a pop-up will appear encouraging them to watch it all the way through if it is their first time using the ASA24. The tutorial screen also has options for viewing particular tasks in greater detail (see “Show Me” video clips below).

Help:

A question mark button appears in the upper right corner of major sections (Commands, My Selections, Adding Food and Drink Details, Final Review, Frequently Forgotten Foods). Clicking on the question mark reveals written information (tool tips) about many of the items on the screen. The tool tips are context-specific in terms of where the respondent currently is in the program.

"Show me" Video Clips:

An arrow button appears in the upper right corner of major sections (Commands, My Selections, Adding Food and Drink Details, Final Review, Frequently Forgotten Foods). Clicking on the arrow brings the user to video clips which include context-specific screen shots showing the particular point in the program where the respondent is currently working. The clip details the task involved, such as "Add a food", and describes the methods for completing the step. Participants can replay video clips as needed.

Respondent Preferences for Animated Character (Agent):

The respondent can choose whether to have the agent voice on (Agent Voice Enabled) or off (Agent Voice Disabled). There is a blue "Preferences" button in the lower left corner of the screen available at all times so the respondent can change their settings if desired. Future versions of ASA24 may include other characters and languages.

Quitting Before Completion:

If the respondent wants to quit before he or she reaches the end of the recall, he or she can click on the red X in the bottom right corner of the screen. A pop-up will appear that asks the respondent “Are you sure you want to quit? If you click "yes" we will save your answers so that you can pick up where you left off. Please return today to finish. Thanks.” Responding “no” will return the respondent to the program where he or she can continue with the recall interview.

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Respondent Web Site General Features

• Provides initial tutorial for respondents on how to complete the interview;
• Provides respondents with an animated audible character (agent) to guide them through the interview (with an option to turn off the audio feature). Clicking on the agent will repeat the information presented in case the respondent needs the guidance again;
• Allows respondents to access the tutorial and help throughout the program;
• Provides "Show Me" video clips in major sections;
• Asks respondents to report eating occasion with time of consumption;
• Asks respondents to provide a Quick List of foods/drinks consumed the previous day, recorded in My Selections;
• Allows respondents to find foods and drinks either by browsing through defined food groups or by searching for keyed text;
• Uses the USDA's AMPM interview as a basis for asking detailed probes about each food/drink reported in the Quick List;
• Uses photographs to assist respondents in reporting portion size;
• Allows the respondent to add or modify food/drink choices at any time during the interview;
• Provides options and help for foods/drinks that the respondent is unable to find;
• Includes a final review of the day's intake and a list of frequently forgotten foods/drinks with options for the respondent to modify their food list; and
• Includes queries about gaps in reported intake greater than 3 hours.

Using the Researcher Web site, the researcher can manage preferences for the Respondent Web site, including:

• Addition of opening and closing text and study logo to welcome participants to the Respondent Web site.
• Selection of an optional vitamin and mineral supplement module; and
• Administration of optional modules to assess where meals were consumed, where food was obtained, who meals were eaten with, and whether or not the TV was on and being watched.

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The ASA24 Interview Process

Following is a brief overview of the interview process that respondents will complete when they access ASA24. Researchers are encouraged to view the tutorial and complete a recall using the demo version of the Respondent Web site to further familiarize themselves with the interview process.

1. Meal-based Quick List:

During the first pass of the interview, the respondent provides a meal-based Quick List of foods/drinks consumed during the previous 24-hour recall period from midnight to midnight. These foods/drinks are recorded in the My Selections column. The Quick List is meal-based such that respondents are asked to select an eating occasion (e.g., breakfast, lunch, snack) and also to specify the time and location of eating prior to adding foods/drinks. In the creation of the Quick List, respondents may either Browse or Search for a food/drink (refer to the Respondent Web site tutorials for further details). Once the respondent indicates that all meals and foods have been added (Done with All Meals), the interview will move on to the next pass.

2. Meal Gap Review:

At the end of the Quick List, the program will automatically ask respondents if they consumed anything during all gaps between eating occasions that exceed 3 hours. For most users, the first question will be asked for the time between midnight and the first eating occasion. A response of yes will return the respondent to the Quick List to add the appropriate food(s) and/or drink(s).

3. Detail Pass:

During the Detail Pass, the respondent will be asked for details on the foods/drinks they recorded in the Quick List, including the amount eaten and anything added (e.g., sugar, coffee cream, salad dressing).

4. Forgotten Foods:

Following the Detail Pass, a pop-up screen will appear with 7 questions for commonly forgotten foods:

Besides food you have already reported, did you have any of the following yesterday?

The respondent must check either "yes" or "no" for each category of forgotten foods. For any "yes" response, the respondent will be returned to the Quick List to add the appropriate food/drink item(s). The text from the agent will remind the respondent of the food categories he or she had replied affirmatively to (i.e., forgotten items).

5. Final Review:

The final pass in the multiple pass methodology will ask the respondent to review all of the foods/drinks and details reported for the intake day. Respondents can make edits and add meals or foods/drinks at this point.

After the respondent completes the Final Review, a pop-up screen will appear with a "Last Chance" option to add more food or drink items. Again the respondent will be brought back to the Quick List if he or she wants to add more items; otherwise, the respondent will move forward to the Trailer Question.

Trailer Question

At the end of the food section of the recall, the final question asks whether this was a typical day's intake or whether it was unusual: Was the amount of food that you ate yesterday much more than usual, usual, or much less than usual?

Following the trailer question, the respondent will be taken into the optional Salt and/or Supplement modules if selected by the researcher. Otherwise they will be thanked for completing ASA24.

Unfound Foods

In some cases, a respondent may not be able to find a food/drink that he or she wishes to report. When an unfound food/drink is encountered (i.e., the item the respondent typed in is not found in the database), users have the option of continuing to search or browse or to have the food item that they have entered recorded in their selections. If an unfound item is entered in My Selections, the user is prompted to browse or search for a close match. The user can then either choose a close match or indicate that no match is found.

The process for handling unfound foods:

• If the respondent is Browsing and cannot find a consumed food/drink, he or she can click the tutorial button and locate the tutorial called "If you cannot find your food or drink." The tutorial will guide the respondent to the Search mode for finding their food/drink.
• If the respondent is Searching, three options will appear when an unfound food is encountered:
1. Try again: Allows the respondent to retype the words into the search box (e.g., to correct a typographical error);
2. Browse for Foods: Moves the respondent into the Browse mode where he or she can attempt to locate the food/drink within the food categories;
3. Record food in My Selections: When this option is selected, a pop-up appears saying "Please browse or search for the food that is the closest match to xxxx". The respondent is moved into the Browse mode (although he or she could choose to search again), and two additional buttons are now available at the bottom: No Match Found or Cancel.
• There are two ways the respondent can proceed:
1. If the respondent cannot find the food through Browsing and he or she clicks on "No Match Found", his or her typed words are entered into the Quick List and recorded in My Selections. During the detail pass, the respondent will be asked to indicate the food kind, portion size, etc. and a food code will be assigned. The respondent’s typed words will be available to the researcher in the analytic output files and the food can be recoded if desired.
2. If the respondent browses for or types in a food item similar to the item he or she consumed and matches are presented, the respondent can choose one of the matches (i.e., close match). This food item will then be moved into the Quick List and recorded in My Selections. The original unfound food/drink will appear first and the close match selected by the respondent will appear in parentheses next to it; e.g., tzatziki (dip (unknown type)). During the Detail Pass, the respondent will be probed for details on the close match food, including how it differs from the food that they consumed. The respondent’s typed words and the selected close match will be available to the researcher in the analytic files and the food can be recoded if desired.

Unfound food example:

Consider the example of a brownie made with applesauce instead of oil. The respondent might type the words "applesauce brownie" in the Search text box. A number of options appear but none fit so the respondent chooses "No Match Found". A pop-up appears asking the respondent to browse or search for a close match.

The respondent might locate and specify a close match to the food that they consumed, for example, "Brownie (low fat)" in which case “applesauce brownie (Brownie (low fat))" will appear in the My Selections list.

Or, the respondent could choose “No Match Found”, in which case "applesauce brownie" will appear in the My Selections list.

For either a close match or a food for which no match was found, the respondent will be asked detailed questions about the food during the Detail Pass.

First, the respondent will be asked "What kind of food was it?", with food groups presented as choices. E.g., applesauce brownie: Food Kind?

• Beans, peas, nuts, or soy products
• Beverages
• Breads, other baked goods
• Desserts and sweets
• Etc.

Assuming that the respondent selects “Desserts and sweets” from the “Food Kind” list, the next question asks details about the kind of food in the food group. E.g., applesauce brownie: Dessert Kind?

• Brownies
• Cakes
• Candy
• Etc.

If the respondent chooses Brownies, the next question asks about portion size. E.g., applesauce brownie: Size?

• Bite size
• Regular
• Don't know

Assuming "Regular" was chosen, a fourth question asks about amount consumed. E.g., applesauce brownie: Amount Eaten?

• Less than 1 brownie
• 1 brownie (2" square)
• Etc.

If the respondent added the unfound food (applesauce brownie) to his or her Quick List, a food code is assigned without further probes. However, if the respondent had instead chosen a close match (e.g., Brownie (lowfat)), then an additional question will be asked regarding how the close match differs from the original unfound food.

E.g., applesauce brownie (Brownie (lowfat)): Difference?

• Specify
• No difference

If the respondent chooses "Specify," then a text box appears to allow the respondent to provide an explanation of how the food consumed differs from the close match item that he or she selected. If the respondent chooses "No difference" then the program moves on to the Detail Pass for the next food in the Quick List.

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Optional ASA24 Modules (pending):

In the coming months, researchers will be able to select from several optional modules:

Ate With Module
This is an optional module for researchers who are interested in who was present with the respondent during his or her meals. If this option is selected, the respondent will be prompted to answer the following question at the beginning of each eating occasion (meal level).

Who was with you for this meal? (check all that apply)

• No one, ate alone
• Spouse or partner
• Child or children
• Other family
• Co-worker(s)
• Friend(s)
• Other(s)

TV Module
If this module is selected, the respondent will be prompted to answer the following question at the meal level:

Was a TV or video on during the meal?

• Yes, and I watched it
• Yes, but I didn't watch
• No

Source Module
If the Source module is selected, the source of each food will be asked during the Detail Pass after portion size is reported. The source question and possible answers are as follows:

Where did you get this food?

• Store (any type)
• Restaurant
• Fast food or pizza
• Work cafeteria
• School cafeteria
• Cafeteria restaurant
• Bar, tavern, lounge
• Sport, recreation, or entertainment vendor
• Street vendor or vending truck
• Vending machine
• From someone else/Gift
• Grown or caught by you or someone you know
• Someplace else

Note that the location of each eating occasion (i.e., meal) is asked by default during the Quick List pass. For meals consumed in a subset of locations (restaurants, fast food or pizza place, bar or tavern, and sport or entertainment venue), the reported location will be assumed to be the source and a separate question on source will not be asked.

Salt Intake Module
If the researcher chooses to include the Salt module, the following questions are asked after the Trailer Question.

Now I'll be asking some questions about your use of table salt.

1. What type of salt do you usually add to your food at the table? Would you say it is ordinary or seasoned salt, lite salt, or a salt substitute?
   • Ordinary, sea, seasoned or other flavored salt
   • Lite salt
   • Salt substitute
   • None (go to Q34)
   • Other, specify:
   • Don’t know
2. How often do you add {ANSWER TO Q1} to your food at the table? Is it rarely, occasionally, or very often?
   • Rarely
   • Occasionally
   • Very often
   • Other, specify
   • Don’t know
3. How often is ordinary salt or seasoned salt added in cooking or preparing foods in your household? Is it never, rarely, occasionally, or very often? [Note: This question applies only to the use of ordinary salt or seasoned salt and not to lite salt or salt substitutes].
   • Never
   • Rarely
   • Occasionally
   • Very often
   • Other, specify
   • Don’t know

If the Salt module is not selected, the main concern might be the calculation of the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), which uses information about added salt in food preparation. In the absence of information on salt intake, the HEI can be calculated using only the data collected on food intakes during the recall.

Note that the Source module must be activated for the Salt module to operate.

Supplements Module
After all foods have been entered and the respondent finishes with the Final Pass (and the Salt module if selected), the Supplements module will begin if selected by the researcher. The program will list the major supplement categories (e.g., Multi-Vitamin/Mineral, Calcium products, Herbal/Botanicals, etc) and ask the respondent if he/she consumed any of these items. If yes, the program will ask the respondent to create a list of dietary supplements, similar to the My Selections Quick List for foods. After this, details about the dose taken for each supplement are collected. If a supplement is not found in the list, a set of questions is presented to collect information about the supplement.

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