Measurement characteristics of 2 different self-monitoring tools used in a dietary intervention study.
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.
Tinker
L F
LF
Cancer Prevention Program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Wash. 98109, USA.
Patterson
R E
RE
Kristal
A R
AR
Bowen
D J
DJ
Kuniyuki
A
A
Henry
H
H
Shattuck
A
A
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
D004041:Dietary Fats