Low accuracy and low consistency of fourth-graders' school breakfast and school lunch recalls.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the accuracy and consistency of fourth-graders' school breakfast and school lunch recalls obtained during 24-hour recalls and compared with observed intake.


METHODS
Children were interviewed using a multiple-pass protocol at school the morning after being observed eating school breakfast and school lunch.


METHODS
104 children stratified by ethnicity (African-American, white) and gender were randomly selected and interviewed up to 3 times each with 4 to 14 weeks between each interview.


METHODS
Match, omission, and intrusion rates to determine accuracy of reporting items; arithmetic and/or absolute differences to determine accuracy for reporting amounts; total inaccuracy to determine inaccuracy for reporting items and amounts combined; intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) to determine consistency.


RESULTS
Means were 51% for omission rate, 39% for intrusion rate, and 7.1 servings for total inaccuracy. Total inaccuracy decreased significantly from the first to the third recall (P=0.006). The ICC was 0.29 for total inaccuracy and 0.15 for omission rate. For all meal components except bread/grain and beverage, there were more omissions than intrusions. Mean arithmetic and absolute differences per serving in amount reported for matches were -0.08 and 0.24, respectively. Mean amounts per serving of omissions and intrusions were 0.86 and 0.80, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The low accuracy and low consistency of children's recalls from this study raise concerns regarding the current uses of dietary recalls obtained from children. To improve the accuracy and consistency of children's dietary recalls, validation studies are needed to determine the best way(s) to interview children.
Baxter
Suzanne Domel
SD
Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Prevention Institute, Augusta 30912-3710, USA.
Thompson
William O
WO
Litaker
Mark S
MS
Frye
Francesca H A
FH
Guinn
Caroline H
CH
D002648:Child; D015930:Diet Records; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005522:Food Services; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D002666:Psychology, Child; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012574:Schools; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors