The 24-hr. recall and its application with an elderly population

A study was conducted to test the validity of a common nutrition survey technique, the 24-hr. recall, with an elderly population. Three hypotheses were developed: 1) For a group of ¬elderly subjects, the 24-hr. dietary recall reflects actual caloric consumptions 2) Recall ability concerning dietary intake is affected by the preference of the respondent for the foods to be recalled; and 3) Recall ability is affected by certain non-dietary factors - age, sex, education, health status, and meal site. The actual food intake for one meal was observed for 50 individuals 60 years of age and older who participated in federally sponsored congregate meals programs at two sites. A representative serving of each food item on the menu was weighed and measured. The plate waste for each individual was collected and measured and this amount was subtracted from the representative serving to give the total amount consumed. Spilling, sharing, or saving of food during the meal was noted. The following day each subject was interviewed. Included in this interview were a 24-hr. recall and a food preference survey for foods found in the observed meal. Social, demographic, and health information was also collected. The 24-hr. recall asks each respondent to describe all food and beverages consumed in the preceding 24 hour period along with the approximate portion size. Food models were used to assist the respondent in estimating portion size