Comparison of Food Frequency and Dietary Recall Methods in African-American Women

Abstract

Dietary assessment is full of methodological concerns, particularly for community studies, where respondent burden has limited the utility of complex instruments. The semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and the 24-hour dietary recall involve reasonably acceptable respondent burden. The 24-hour dietary recall is often preferred because it is person-specific and provides comparable estimates to more intensive methods like food records (1,2). However, it requires multiple contacts, often difficult in community studies. The FFQ is completed in one session and assesses intake over longer time periods, but analysis uses less specific food groups and portion-size categories. This study was designed to compare these 2 dietary assessment methods in older African-American women and to determine which method was most feasible in a community-based study.