Accuracy of children's school-breakfast reports and school-lunch reports (in 24-h dietary recalls) differs by retention interval.
OBJECTIVE
Validation-study data were analyzed to investigate the effect of retention interval (time between the to-be-reported meal and interview) on accuracy of children's school-breakfast reports and school-lunch reports in 24-h recalls, and to compare accuracy of children's school-breakfast reports for two breakfast locations (classroom; cafeteria).


METHODS
Each of 374 fourth-grade children was interviewed to obtain a 24-h recall using one of six conditions from crossing two target periods (prior 24 h; previous day) with three interview times (morning; afternoon; evening). Each condition had 62 or 64 children (half boys). A recall's target period included one school breakfast and one school lunch, for which the child had been observed. Food-item variables (observed number; reported number; omission rate; intrusion rate) and energy variables (observed; reported; report rate; correspondence rate; inflation ratio) were calculated for each child for school breakfast and school lunch separately.


RESULTS
Accuracy for school-breakfast reports and school-lunch reports was inversely related to retention interval. Specifically, as indicated by smaller omission rates, smaller intrusion rates, larger correspondence rates and smaller inflation ratios, accuracy for school-breakfast reports was best for prior-24-h recalls in the morning, and accuracy for school-lunch reports was best for prior-24-h recalls in the afternoon. For neither school meal was a significant sex effect found for any variable. For school-breakfast reports, there was no significant school-breakfast location effect for any variable.


CONCLUSIONS
By shortening the retention interval, accuracy can be improved for school-breakfast reports and school-lunch reports in children's 24-h recalls.
Baxter
S D
SD
Institute for Families in Society, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA. sbaxter@mailbox.sc.edu
Guinn
C H
CH
Royer
J A
JA
Hardin
J W
JW
Mackelprang
A J
AJ
Smith
A F
AF
D002648:Child; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D002666:Psychology, Child; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012574:Schools; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors