title: Measurement characteristics of 2 different self-monitoring tools used in a dietary intervention study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the measurement characteristics of 2 self-monitoring tools, a food diary and fat scan, used in the dietary intervention of the Women's Health Trial: Feasibility in Minority Populations study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparison of fat intake reported on the self-monitoring tools to a criterion measure of fat intake, specifically the mean of a food frequency questionnaire and a 4-day food record. The main outcome measures were differences in fat grams and correlations between each of the self-monitoring tools and the criterion measure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six-month postrandomization data from 313 women aged 50 to 79 years who participated in the intervention group of the Women's Health Trial: Feasibility in Minority Populations study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both self-monitoring tools underestimated fat intake compared to the criterion measure, the food diary by 9 g and the fat scan by 6 g. The self-monitoring instruments were better than chance at detecting a low-fat dietary pattern, however, and did not differ from each other in their ability to do so.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The self-monitoring tools were modestly precise as measures of fat intake, but neither was sufficiently accurate to be reliable as a sole assessment of dietary adherence. Dietetics professionals are encouraged to assess the measurement properties of self-monitoring tools to use them appropriately in supporting dietary changes.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention Program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Wash. 98109, USA.
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Tinker
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kristal
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bowen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuniyuki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shattuck
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015930:Diet Records; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012372:ROC Curve; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats