Practical considerations

 

  • Trained interviewers or nutritionists increase the quality of dietary data collected.
  • A checklist of prompts is useful for interviewers e.g. commonly forgotten foods, items eaten in combination.
  • A standard operating procedure of interviewing is required to reduce the likelihood of interviewer-induced bias.
  • The method is reliant on memory and developed cognitive skills, therefore is not suitable in young children.  It may also not be suitable in some older people if there is evidence of cognitive decline.  Surrogate reporters can be used in both instances but this increases the chances of error particularly if the individual is under the care of multiple carers during the day.  
  • The use of multiple recalls increases interviewer and respondent burden and burden of diet coding, data input and data analysis.
  • For repeated 24-hour recalls it may be useful to undertake a short eating habits questionnaire to supplement the recall data. The questionnaire may ask about the type of staple foods usually used e.g. bread, milk, margarine, breakfast cereal to save time recording this information each time it appears in the recall. An example from an infant study undertaken at University College London is given in the Examples and Links section.

 

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