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Objective: To investigate the accuracy of children's dietary recalls of school breakfast and school lunch validated with observations and obtained during in-person versus telephone interviews.Design: Each child was observed eating school breakfast and school lunch and was interviewed that evening about that day's intake. Setting: Ten elementary schools.Participants: A sample of fourth-graders was randomly selected within race (black, white) and gender strata, observed, and interviewed in person (n = 33) or by telephone (n = 36). Main Outcomes Measured:Rates for omissions (items observed but not reported) and intrusions (items reported but not observed) were calculated to determine accuracy for reporting items. A measure of total inaccuracy was calculated to determine inaccuracy for reporting items and amounts combined.Analysis: Analysis of variance; chi-square.Results: Interview type (in person, telephone) did not significantly affect recall accuracy. For omission rate, intrusion rate, and total inaccuracy, means were 34%, 19%, and 4.6 servings for in person recalls and 32%, 16%, and 4.3 servings for telephone recalls of school breakfast and school lunch. Conclusions and Implications:The accuracy of children's recalls of school breakfast and school lunch is not significantly different whether obtained in person or by telephone. Whether interviewed in person or by telephone, children reported only 67% of items observed; furthermore, 17% of items reported were not observed. children; dietary recalls; observations; validity; in-person; telephone Correspondence to: SUZANNE DOMEL BAXTER. KeywordsAddress for correspondence: Suzanne Domel Baxter, PhD, RD, LD, FADA, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Prevention Institute HS-1640, Augusta, GA 30912-3710; Tel: (706) 721-1756; Fax: (706) 721-0469; E-mail: sbaxter@mail.mcg.edu.. This research was supported by R01 grant HL 63189 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. Telephone dietary surveys represent an economical way to increase the scope of nutrition research; advantages include cost savings and safety of the interviewer. 12 With telephone interviews, respondents and interviewers do not need to travel to a common location, and it is possible to conduct interviews without respondents knowing in advance exactly when interviews will occur. 3 Telephone surveys eliminate potential interviewer bias that may exist in face-to-face interviews 12 ; furthermore, the anonymity of the interviewer may improve reporting on sensitive topics. 13 National surveys have used telephone 24-hour recalls. 12 Among adults, numerous studies have indicated that dietary recall information obtained by telephone was, in general, similar to or indicated slightly greater mean intakes than information from in-person dietary recalls in previous national surveys, 14,15 food records, 16 and in-person dietary recalls. 17-21 However, these studies lacked true validation because they compared one self-report method with...