The purpose of the proposed project is to develop and evaluate methods of dietary data collection in free-living individuals that will utilize the microcomputer to improve the accuracy of data collected and increase the efficiency of collection procedures. The microcomputer-based system will incorporate the various features of the Nutrition Coding Center (NCC) dietary data collection system including procedures for verification, error checking and quality controls. Foods will be identified through an interactive menu-driven branching system based on food acronyms arranged in subsets of food grouping hierarchies. The system will be expanded to include the USDA Nutrient Data Base for Standard Reference to allow interfacing with either the NCC or the USDA food composition tables. The microcomputer-based system will be modified for use by interviewers, permitting more accurate and consistent documentation of foods and foods preparation methods. Evaluation of the computerized system will be based on comparison with the existing NCC system. It is hypothesized that the microcomputer-based system will result in improved documentation of food intake, more accurate coding, and more cost effective collection and processing of the dietary data. The hypotheses will be tested and evaluated at both the coding and the interviewing levels. An optional feasibility study will explore the potential for use of the microcomputerized system by the subject/patient in the home or clinical setting.
| Feskanich, D; Buzzard, I M; Welch, B T et al. (1988) Comparison of a computerized and a manual method of food coding for nutrient intake studies. J Am Diet Assoc 88:1263-7 |
