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Low-energy reporting and duration of recording period

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 62, pages 1148–1150 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Three-day, rather than 7-day, food records are frequently used because mis-reporting of food intake is believed to increase with recording period. Data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of adults were used to explore trends in reported energy intake (REI) with day of recording and to compare average REIs from Thursday to Saturday and from Sunday to Tuesday to the complete 7-day record. Although REIs decreased from days 2 to 7, this was by a quantitatively insignificant 49 kJ per day (P=0.026) and well within the measurement error of recorded food intakes. Furthermore, REIs were lowest on the first recording day. The 3- and 7-day averages were similar (mean difference 0.039 (s.d.±1.0) MJ (NS), range −3.3 to +4.2 MJ). However, the difference was greater for those reporting higher than average energy intakes because of higher REIs on weekend days. Food intake reporting periods of longer than 3 days and ideally 7 days are preferable.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, UK

    S Whybrow

  2. BioSS, Aberdeen, UK

    G Horgan

  3. Slimming World, Alfreton, UK

    R J Stubbs

Authors
  1. S Whybrow
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  2. G Horgan
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  3. R J Stubbs
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Correspondence to S Whybrow.

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The original data creators, copyright holders and the UK Data Archive bear no responsibility for these further analysis and interpretation.

Guarantor: S Whybrow.

Contributors: SW conducted the analysis and wrote the manuscript. RJS contributed to the writing of the manuscript. GH carried out the statistical analysis. All authors participated in the interpretation and editing.

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Whybrow, S., Horgan, G. & Stubbs, R. Low-energy reporting and duration of recording period. Eur J Clin Nutr 62, 1148–1150 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602826

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