Reporting retrospective dietary intake by food frequency questionnaire in a pediatric population
Eck, L.H.; Klesges, R.C.; Hanson, C.L.; White, J.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association 91(5): 606-608
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-8223 PMID: 2019702 Document Number: 378272
1-year retrospective food frequency questionnaires were compared with multiple food frequency questionnaires covering shorter periods of 4 months in a paediatric population. The effect of recent intake on the nutrient values obtained using the 1-year retrospective measure was also studied. Results demonstrated that parents may have been influenced by the most recent intake when reporting on 1-year intake. However, high correlations and lack of significant differences across the reporting periods indicated that the children's intakes were quite similar during the year. The 1-year retrospective measure of dietary intake therefore appears to compare favourably with food frequency measures of the child's intake over shorter periods and could reasonably substitute for multiple assessments, thereby substantially decreasing the burden on the subject. However, further comparisons of long- and short-term measures are required to confirm that true intake is being assessed over the period in question.