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  • Original Article
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Accuracy of children's school-breakfast reports and school-lunch reports (in 24-h dietary recalls) differs by retention interval

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 63, pages 1394–1403 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

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).

Subjects/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.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (grant R01 HL074358 to SD Baxter). The content of this paper is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute or the National Institutes of Health. The authors appreciate the cooperation of children, faculty and staff of elementary schools, and staff of Student Nutrition Services, of the Richland One School District (Columbia, SC, USA). The authors give tribute to Amy F Joye, MS, RD; Amy was Project Director for this grant until she suffered severe brain damage due to a medical tragedy at age 36. The Amy Joye Memorial Research Fund has been established through the American Dietetic Association Foundation to award nutrition research grants on an annual basis in Amy's memory.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Families in Society, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    S D Baxter, C H Guinn, J A Royer & A J Mackelprang

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Center for Health Services and Policy Research, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    J W Hardin

  3. Department of Psychology, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    A F Smith

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  1. S D Baxter
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  2. C H Guinn
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  3. J A Royer
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  5. A J Mackelprang
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  6. A F Smith
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Correspondence to S D Baxter.

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Baxter, S., Guinn, C., Royer, J. et al. Accuracy of children's school-breakfast reports and school-lunch reports (in 24-h dietary recalls) differs by retention interval. Eur J Clin Nutr 63, 1394–1403 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2009.107

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