ASA24-Canada-2018

What is ASA24-Canada?

The most current version is ASA24-Canada-2018, released in April 2019. View a comparison of all versions of ASA24, including the 2018, 2016, and 2014 versions of ASA24-Canada.

The following are new features to ASA24-Canada-2018:

• Respondents can report, save, and modify recipes.
• An optional module, the Respondent Nutrition Report, shows respondents how their daily intakes compare to the 2007 Canadian dietary guidance and nutrient requirements following completion of each recall or record.

As with ASA24-Canada-2016, the user interface for the 2018 version employs a responsive design, meaning the ASA24 system can be used on smartphones and tablets, in addition to laptops and desktops. This allows a broad range of participants to enter dietary intake data at any time and from any location with internet service.

Other features of the Canadian version of ASA24-2018 include:

• The user interface is written in HTML5. This enables ASA24 to work on all common web browsers. Previous versions required users to download the plug-in Microsoft Silverlight.
• Respondents can complete single- or multi-day food records (also known as food diaries) and 24-hour recalls, which expanded the types of studies and applications using ASA24.
• Respondents can complete food records or 24-hour recalls in English or French.
• Researchers have the option to provide respondents with a Respondent Nutrition Report, which shows how their intake on the day they completed a 24-hour recall or food record compared to country-specific dietary guidance and nutrient requirements. For food records, researchers must provide the report to the respondent after obtaining it from the researcher website. For 24-hour recalls, the respondent can view the report directly after completing their recall.
• Data on supplement intake are collected at the same time as foods and beverages, rather than in a separate module. This allows participants to report supplement intake as part of what they consume on a given day, with corresponding time stamps that may be useful in examining patterns of intake across the day.
• Respondents can filter search results by food, beverage, and supplement categories. We also revised food terms to be more intuitive to help respondents more easily find foods, beverages, and supplements.
• Intuitive icons are used to facilitate editing of food terms and details.
• Tips and guidance are available within the respondent website via a Help Center and icons on the screen; and Quick Start Guides are available for study staff and respondents.

What nutrient and dietary supplement databases are used in ASA24-Canada?

The ASA24 nutrient database was adapted using the Canadian Nutrient File (CNF2015) and a Canadian recipe database used for surveillance by Health Canada.

Less than ten percent of codes from the 2009-2010 (version 5.0) and 2011-2012 Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) could not be matched to existing codes in the Canadian database. For these, FNDDS codes were used and nutrient values were adjusted to account for fortification differences between the two countries when necessary.

Portion sizes were adapted to reflect the Canadian food supply. For items in the CNF2015 and Canadian recipe database that did not have complete nutrient profiles, FNDDS values were used when available.

ASA24-Canada-2018 thus uses FNDDS 2009-2010 codes, 2011-2012 food codes from ASA24-Canada-2016, and some new food codes from FNDDS 2013-2014. It also links to the United States Department of Agriculture's 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 Food Patterns Equivalents Database. The 2018 version also provides variables relevant to the 2007 “Eating Well With Canada’s Food Guide,” to provide Canadian food group data. Health Canada is developing a tool to assess adherence to the updated Canada’s Food Guide introduced in January 2019.

The dietary supplement database used in ASA24-Canada-2018 is based on the Licensed Natural Health Products Database and supplemented by the NHANES Dietary Supplement Database 2007-2008.

How do I register to use ASA24-Canada?

When registering to use ASA24-2018, select the Canadian version.

Are ASA24-Canada respondents able to view the tool in English or French?

The ASA24-Canada-2018 respondent website includes English and French language options.