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Cognitive processes in children's dietary recalls: insight from methodological studies

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 63, pages S19–S32 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

This article summarizes 12 dietary-reporting methodological studies with children (six validation studies, one non-validation study, five secondary analyses studies of data from one or more of the six validation studies), identifies research gaps and provides recommendations for (a) improving children's recall accuracy and (b) details to specify in publications of studies that utilize children's dietary recalls.

Subjects/Methods:

Randomly selected children (aged 9–10 years) were observed eating school breakfast and school lunch, and interviewed to obtain dietary recalls.

Results:

Children's recall accuracy improved slightly between the first and third recalls, but an individual child's accuracy was inconsistent from one interview to the next. Although accuracy was poor overall, it was better for boys with reverse-order (evening-to-morning) prompts and for girls with forward-order (morning-to-evening) prompts. Children recalled breakfast intake less accurately than lunch intake. Children's accuracy did not depend on whether recalls were obtained in person or by telephone, but was better for recalls obtained with an open format than a meal format. Retention interval was crucial as children's accuracy was better for prior-24-h recalls (about the 24 h immediately preceding the interview) than for previous-day recalls (about midnight to midnight of the day before the interview). Observations of school meals did not affect children's recalls. Children's recall accuracy was related to their age/sex body mass index percentile. Conventional report rates (which disregard accuracy for items and amounts) overestimated accuracy for energy and macronutrients, and masked complexities of recall error.

Conclusions:

Research concerning errors in children's dietary recalls provides insight for improving children's recall accuracy.

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Acknowledgements

The 12 studies were supported by the four above mentioned grants with Suzanne D Baxter as the Principal Investigator. Appreciation is extended (a) to the children and staff of the elementary schools, the School Nutrition Program and the Richmond County Board of Education (Georgia, USA) for allowing data collection, (b) to the co-authors of publications for the 12 studies and (c) to Caroline H Guinn, RD, LD; Elizabeth J Herron, MA; Alyssa J Mackelprang, BS; and Julie A Royer, MSPH for providing feedback on a draft of this article.

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

    S D Baxter

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Correspondence to S D Baxter.

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Baxter, S. Cognitive processes in children's dietary recalls: insight from methodological studies. Eur J Clin Nutr 63 (Suppl 1), S19–S32 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2008.61

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