Authors: Rachel Murphy, Jennifer Vena, Alyssa Milano, Guy Faulkner, Benoit Lamarche, Charles Matthews, Leia Minaker, Dylan Spicker, Ellen Sweeney, Michael Wallace, Michael Widener, Sharon Kirkpatrick
Journal: JMIR Research Protocols
Abstract
Background: Suboptimal diet quality and physical inactivity are key risk factors for chronic disease and disability in Canada. However, the lack of high-quality population-level data hinders the development of evidence-based strategies to support improvements in diet quality, movement behaviors (physical inactivity, activity, and sleep), and health. The lack of data is also a barrier to developing capacity in diet and physical activity assessment and epidemiology in Canada.
Objective: This protocol describes the development of the largest known repository of dietary intake and movement behavior data in Canada by drawing upon an existing longitudinal cohort study, the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPath). In the short-term, the data will be used to examine associations between system factors (eg, retail food environments) and dietary intake. In the longer-term, data will be available to pursue a range of research questions, including longitudinal associations between diet, movement behavior, and health outcomes.
Methods: Participants in CanPath (>330,000 adults) who can complete online questionnaires are eligible and will be asked to complete a baseline web-based questionnaire including questions on demographic characteristics and screeners capturing dietary intake and movement behaviors. Subsequently, participants will be invited to complete an online 24-hour dietary recall using the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24-Canada-2018) and an online 24-hour activity recall using Activities Completed Over Time in 24 Hours (ACT24). Repeat recalls will be administered 1-2 weeks later. A subset of participants will be invited to complete 2 additional ASA24-Canada-2018 and Activities Completed Over Time in 24 Hours recalls 6 months later. One year after baseline, participants will be invited to complete past-year diet and movement behavior questionnaires. In Québec, dietary intake and movement behavior data are from 3000 CanPath participants enrolled in the NutriQuébec study. Participant addresses will be linked to geospatial data on the food, built, and social environment.
Results: Data collection began in 2025. As of manuscript acceptance (November 4, 2025), 3171 participants had been recruited. Data processing and cleaning will be completed in 2027, and analyses will occur in 2028. It is anticipated that dietary intake and movement behavior data will be available for up to 100,000 adults.
Conclusions: This protocol outlines the collection of detailed data on dietary intake and movement behavior in a large cohort spanning all provinces in Canada. In addition to allowing examination of a range of research questions related to diet, movement behavior, and health, the combination of assessment tools will support methodological research, including expanding analytical strategies to mitigate the effects of error in dietary and movement behavior data. This effort will also build capacity in the collection, processing, and harmonization of dietary and movement behavior data among cohorts and provide a training ground for emerging researchers.
Last Updated on December 3, 2025