Validity of a multipass, web-based, 24-hour self-administered recall for assessment of total energy intake in blacks and whites

Abstract

To date, Web-based 24-hour recalls have not been validated using objective biomarkers. From 2006 to 2009, the validity of 6 Web-based DietDay 24-hour recalls was tested among 115 black and 118 white healthy adults from Los Angeles, California, by using the doubly labeled water method, and the results were compared with the results of the Diet History Questionnaire, a food frequency questionnaire developed by the National Cancer Institute. The authors performed repeated measurements in a subset of 53 subjects approximately 6 months later to estimate the stability of the doubly labeled water measurement. The attenuation factors for the DietDay recall were 0.30 for blacks and 0.26 for whites. For the Diet History Questionnaire, the attenuation factors were 0.15 and 0.17 for blacks and whites, respectively. Adjusted correlations between true energy intake and the recalls were 0.50 and 0.47 for blacks and whites, respectively, for the DietDay recall. For the Diet History Questionnaire, they were 0.34 and 0.36 for blacks and whites, respectively. The rate of underreporting of more than 30% of calories was lower with the recalls than with the questionnaire (25% and 41% vs. 34% and 52% for blacks and whites, respectively). These findings suggest that Web-based DietDay dietary recalls offer an inexpensive and widely accessible dietary assessment alternative, the validity of which is equally strong among black and white adults. The validity of the Web-administered recall was superior to that of the paper food frequency questionnaire.

Figure 1.

Mean energy intake based on DietDay 24-hour recall by race/ethnicity in the University of California, Los Angeles Energetics Study, 2006–2009. The dashed line indicates the mean total energy expenditure (TEE) of 2,442 kcal/day for whites; the solid line indicates the mean TEE of 2,448 kcal/day for blacks; and the dotted line indicates the mean overall National Cancer Institute Diet History Questionnaire expenditure of 1,783 kcal/day for whites and blacks. The numbers on the x-axis refer to the DietDay 24-hour recalls used (first, second, first through third, etc.).

Figure 2.

A) Reported energy intake (REI) contrasted with the degree of misreporting for A) DietDay 24-hour recalls and B) the National Cancer Institute Diet History Questionnaire, University of California, Los Angeles Energetics Study, 2006–2009. The dashed lines represent underreporting at 70% and 80% and overreporting at 120%. TEE, total energy expenditure.