Abstract
Background: As a prevalent metabolic disease, diabetes has different side effects and causes a wide range of co morbidity with a
high rate of mortality. There is a need for certain interventions to manage this disease. Iranians usually have three main meals a day.
Considering the special needs of diabetic patients and the possibility of hypoglycemia between the main meals, it is essential for
these patients to eat something as a snack. Considering these conditions and the society’s orientation towards modern technologies
such as smart phones, designing mobile-based nutrition recommender systems can be helpful.
Methods: The snack recommender system is a knowledge-based smart phone application. This study has focused on the
development of a recommender system that combines artificial intelligence techniques and makes up a knowledge base according
to the guidelines posed by the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The snack menu was recommended in accordance with the
patient’s favorites and conditions. The accuracy of the recommended menu was assessed in 2 steps. First, it was compared with
the diet prescribed by three nutrition specialists. In the second step, system’s suggested menu was evaluated by the data from 30
diabetic patients using a valid questionnaire.
Results: The results of evaluating the snack recommender system by nutritionists showed that this system is capable of
recommending various snacks according to the season (accuracy of 100%) and personal interests (accuracy of 90%) to diabetic
patients. According to health nutritionists, the snacks suggested by this system are matched with Iranian culture. Moreover, the
results revealed that a higher body mass index (BMI) makes the recommender system less sensitive to personal interests to suggest
what is basically beneficial for one’s health.
Conclusion: This study was a pioneering research to develop a more comprehensive dietary recommender system for diabetic
patients which includes main meals as well. Patients found the system useful and were satisfied with the application. This system
is believed to be able to help diabetic patients to take more healthy diet which leads to a better lifestyle.