Leila Hammond

Leila Hammond is a second-year medical student at the University of Toronto. Her Novo Nordisk Network for Healthy Populations Summer Research Project evaluated the Portfolio Diet App, a digital program that incorporates behaviour change theory to encourage the adoption of the portfolio dietary pattern, among culturally diverse populations at high risk for type 2 diabetes living in peel. The mixed-methods study used combined quantitative surveys and the Mobile Health App Usability Questionnaire with qualitative focus groups to evaluate the usability, acceptability, flexibility, and cultural relevance of the program. 

Findings demonstrated that usability scores improved significantly from previous app iterations, and a majority of participants reported increased knowledge of the Portfolio Diet. Focus group insights highlighted good usability and the importance of integrating culturally relevant recipes, emphasizing flexibility in dietary guidance, and improving alignment with mobile ecosystems. 

This study indicates that the Portfolio Diet Program is both acceptable and usable among ethnically diverse adults in Peel Region. Future directions include refining app content based on participant feedback, exploring subgroup analyses by social determinants of health, and implementing the program in large-scale randomized and community-based trials to support chronic disease prevention and management.  

Supervisor: Dr. Laura Chiavaroli