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  • Original Article
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Feasibility of 2 × 24-h dietary recalls combined with a food-recording booklet, using EPIC-Soft, among schoolchildren

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 65, pages S65–S76 (2011)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of the suggested trans-European methodology for undertaking representative dietary surveys among schoolchildren: 2 × 24-h dietary recalls (24-HDRs) combined with a food-recording booklet, using EPIC-Soft (the software developed to conduct 24-HDRs in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study) pc-program.

Subjects/Methods:

A total of 75 children aged 7–8 years and 70 children aged 12–13 years old were recruited through the Civil Registration System in Denmark, and 57 children aged 7–8 years and 47 children aged 12–13 years were recruited through schools in Spain. Each child with one parent completed two face-to-face 24-HDRs, combined with optional use of a food-recording booklet (FRB) to be filled in by the child, a parent or other proxy persons for preparing the recalls. Feasibility was evaluated by questionnaires completed by parents, children and interviewers, and by selected data from the 24-HDRs.

Results:

The face-to-face interviews with the child and a parent together are confirmed as feasible. The children participated actively in the interviews, the oldest children being most active. The children, parents and interviewers agreed that children needed help from the parents, and that parents were of help to the child. In both countries, other proxy persons, such as teachers or the school cafeteria staff, were involved before the interview, and the majority of the parents and children reported that the FRB had been a help for the child during the interview. Further results point at specific needed improvements of the tools.

Conclusions:

The evaluated method is shown feasible in two culturally diverse European populations. However, the feasibility study also points to specific improvements of tools and data collection protocol that are strongly recommended before implementation of the method in each country of a pan-European dietary survey.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the interviewers in Denmark, Anne Arendt, Mia Hjort Frandsen and Inger Merete Licht Hansen, and the data management team, Karsten Kørup, Henrik Hartkopp, Karin Hess Ygil and Tue Christensen. We also thank the participating children, parents and other proxy persons in Spain-BC and Denmark. The content of this article reflects only our views, and the Community is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. The Community funding under the Sixth Framework Program for the EFCOVAL Project is acknowledged (FOOD-CT-2006-022895).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Nutrition, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Soeborg, Denmark

    E Trolle & M Ege

  2. Public Health Division of Gipuzkoa, San Sebastian and CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain

    P Amiano & E Bower

  3. Food intake and Nutritional Epidemiology Unit, French agency for food, environmental and occupational health safety (ANSES), Maisons-Alfort, France

    S Lioret

  4. National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands

    H Brants & E J de Boer

  5. Akademila Medicinskih Znanostl Hrvatske, Zagreb, Croatia

    A Kaic-Rak

  6. Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    L F Andersen

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  1. E Trolle
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  2. P Amiano
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on behalf of the EFCOVAL Consortium

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Correspondence to E Trolle.

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Trolle, E., Amiano, P., Ege, M. et al. Feasibility of 2 × 24-h dietary recalls combined with a food-recording booklet, using EPIC-Soft, among schoolchildren. Eur J Clin Nutr 65 (Suppl 1), S65–S76 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2011.89

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