Estimating energy intake of urban women in Colombia: Comparison of diet records and recalls

Abstract

As part of a larger study of energy-nutrition, we compared the performance of 24 h diet recalls with estimated diet records kept by trained observers. The subjects were economically disadvantaged women (n = 85) in the city of Cali, Colombia. A 24 h recall and an estimated diet record were collected for each woman at 0 and approximately 3 and 6 months. Energy intake obtained from the estimated dietary records was validated against energy expenditure and used as the reference method. Energy and macronutrient intake were calculated from published food composition tables and proximate analyses of common foods. The number of food items consumed per woman per day, total and in each of 16 food groups, was tabulated. Energy and macronutrient intakes were 11-13% lower in the 24 h recalls. The discrepancy energy could be largely accounted for by the lower number of food items in the recalls. The number of food items in eight of 16 food groups was significantly lower in the recalls compared to the records. Underreporting on the recalls was a general tendency in these subjects and not clearly related to average energy intake. We conclude that 24 h diet recalls underestimate energy and nutrient intake in this population and are not suitable for studies of human energetics.

Food and macronutrient intake of economically disadvantaged pregnant women in Colombia

“…The women purchased most food at the small stores in their neighborhood, did most of the food preparation in their own households, and ate most meals at home. In a larger sample (n ‫ס‬ 85) of NPNL women we found that the most commonly consumed foods were coffee (black with sugar), rice, white bread, and beef (or dishes containing meat) (Dufour et al, 1999).…”

The political ecology of dietary transitions: Changing production and consumption patterns in the Kolli Hills, India

“…Food lists and food ranks were aggregated by village in order to compare the relative ranks of various foods within and between communities. Additionally, dietary recalls (Dufour et al, 1999) were undertaken with 21 villagers, primarily women, from 20 different households in one community, in which I asked participants to recall the foods consumed during the morning, afternoon, and evening meals of the previous day. I also asked about any snacks between means they might have had between meals.…”

Energy intake and expenditure of free-living, lactating Colombian women in an urban setting

“…The characteristics of these neighborhoods have been described (Dufour et al, 1999). Briefly, both of the barrios originated in the mid-1970s, one as a pirata (organized land invasion on illegally sold house lots), and the other as a simple invasion, a few families at a time.…”

“…The method is described in detail in Dufour et al, (1999). Briefly, the observers were young women (aged 18 -25 y) who lived in the same neighborhoods as the subjects and were trained to unobtrusively record both physical activity and diet intake.…”