Assessing dietary variety in children: development and validation of a predictive equation.
J Am Diet Assoc
; 109(4): 641-7, 2009 Apr.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-19328259
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Research indicates that the length of time needed to describe dietary diversity is approximately 2 weeks. This is the first study conducted to develop a dietary variety measurement tool that is sensitive to the effect of time on dietary variety without the burden of gathering data for 2 weeks.OBJECTIVE:
To determine whether 3 days of 24-hour dietary recall logs collected during a 15-day period would predict food variety as well as 15 consecutive days. The study also determined which set of 3 days (consecutive vs interval days) within a 15-day period would better predict 15-day food variety.DESIGN:
Prospective survey of the dietary practices of children. SUBJECTS/SETTING:
Seventy-two children aged 9 to 12 years attending fourth and fifth grades in a public elementary school in a Midwestern town in the fall of 2005. MAIN OUTCOMEMEASURES:
Predicted 15-day cumulative dietary variety score from 3 consecutive days and 3 interval days of dietary data. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED Two prediction models were obtained from multiple linear regression analyses in which natural log-transformed (log(e)) 15-day variety scores were regressed on log(e) 3-day variety scores (consecutive and interval days). The ability of each model to predict the 15-day cumulative variety score was assessed by comparisons of mean bias, mean-squared error, coefficient of determination (R(2)), and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients.RESULTS:
Three days of dietary data accurately estimated dietary variety over time for this sample of 9- to 12-year-old children using the predictive equation generated in this study. Three interval days predicted 15-day food variety more precisely than 3 consecutive days.CONCLUSIONS:
The predictive equation is accurate in estimating food variety over time for this population and, if validated in independent samples, could be applied to similar populations.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Nutrition Assessment
/
Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
/
Diet
/
Feeding Behavior
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
Aspects:
Patient_preference
Limits:
Child
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
J Am Diet Assoc
Year:
2009
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States