Strengths and Weaknesses
Click the different types of dietary assessment tools to discover their strengths and weaknesses allowing you to compare and identify the most suitable tool for your research study. The dietary assessment tools were developed using the Delphi method. Overall 57 experts were involved in the development of the list of strengths and weaknesses of each type of DAT. To see how these were developed, please refer to the BPG paper : Best Practice Guidelines paper.
Food Diaries
Prospective, short-term methods where details of all foods and drinks are recorded by the participant as they are consumed, usually over several days. Amount of food eaten can be either estimated using household measures (estimated food diary) or weighed by the respondent or research assistant in the home (weighed food diary). It can be long term method if carried out multiple times, i.e. over multiple phases. Also known as food records or diet records. Can be completed online (see emerging technologies section).
24Hr Recalls
Retrospective, short-term method where details of foods and drinks consumed over previous 24 hours recalled. Can be administered by an interviewer (face to face or by telephone) following a standardised protocol. Can be administered as a single recall (for group-level assessment) or on multiple days (multiple recall) (required to capture individual variation). It can be used as a long term method if carried out over multiple phases. Can be completed online (see emerging technologies section).
Food Frequency Questionnaires
Retrospective methods querying frequency over periods of time, questions relate to the frequency with which foods and drinks have been consumed over a long time period (weeks, months, and years). Can be ‘qualitative’ (frequency only), ‘semi-quantitative’ (estimated portion pre-assigned e.g. small, average, large) or ‘fully quantitative’ (portion size queried). Can be long (comprehensive, around 100 items queried or more) or short (also known as ‘screeners’ or a type of brief instrument). Can be interviewer- or self-administered, completed on paper (with potential scanning option) or online (see emerging technologies).
Food Checklists
Also known as a type of ‘brief instrument’, ‘screeners’ or ‘short instruments’. Prospective, short-term method where specified foods and drinks are ticked from a list as they are consumed over a day or number of days; frequency can be queried; option to query portion sizes or pre-assign them. This is a less used method that has a lot of strengths and weaknesses in common with the longer FFQ. Can be completed online (see emerging technologies).
Diet Histories
Combination of short-term and long-term methods, usually 24hr recall, FFQ and food diary; more often used in a clinical setting by experienced dieticians to provide in-depth assessment at individual level.
Emerging Technologies
Dietary data collected and processed making use of hardware plus software (e.g. devices such as sensors and optical readers) or software such as web-based versions and apps based on traditional DATs. More advanced method of collecting data, which could be based on traditional methods (FFQs, food diary or 24 h recall). It is a rapidly evolving area.
Food Diaries |
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
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Prospective, short-term methods where details of all foods and drinks are recorded by the participant as they are consumed, usually over several days. Amount of food eaten can be either estimated using household measures (estimated food diary) or weighed by the respondent or research assistant in the home (weighed food diary). It can be long term method if carried out multiple times, i.e. over multiple phases. Also known as food records or diet records. Can be completed online (see emerging technologies section). |
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Food Diaries |
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Prospective, short-term methods where details of all foods and drinks are recorded by the participant as they are consumed, usually over several days. Amount of food eaten can be either estimated using household measures (estimated food diary) or weighed by the respondent or research assistant in the home (weighed food diary). It can be long term method if carried out multiple times, i.e. over multiple phases. Also known as food records or diet records. Can be completed online (see emerging technologies section). |
Strengths |
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Weaknesses |
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24Hr Recalls |
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
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Retrospective, short-term method where details of foods and drinks consumed over previous 24 hours recalled. Can be administered by an interviewer (face to face or by telephone) following a standardised protocol. Can be administered as a single recall (for group-level assessment) or on multiple days (multiple recall) (required to capture individual variation). It can be used as a long term method if carried out over multiple phases. Can be completed online (see emerging technologies section). |
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24Hr Recalls |
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Retrospective, short-term method where details of foods and drinks consumed over previous 24 hours recalled. Can be administered by an interviewer (face to face or by telephone) following a standardised protocol. Can be administered as a single recall (for group-level assessment) or on multiple days (multiple recall) (required to capture individual variation). It can be used as a long term method if carried out over multiple phases. Can be completed online (see emerging technologies section). |
Strengths |
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Weaknesses |
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Food Frequency Questionnaires |
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
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Retrospective methods querying frequency over periods of time, questions relate to the frequency with which foods and drinks have been consumed over a long time period (weeks, months, and years). Can be ‘qualitative’ (frequency only), ‘semi-quantitative’ (estimated portion pre-assigned e.g. small, average, large) or ‘fully quantitative’ (portion size queried). Can be long (comprehensive, around 100 items queried or more) or short (also known as ‘screeners’ or a type of brief instrument). Can be interviewer- or self-administered, completed on paper (with potential scanning option) or online (see emerging technologies). |
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Food Frequency Questionnaires |
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Retrospective methods querying frequency over periods of time, questions relate to the frequency with which foods and drinks have been consumed over a long time period (weeks, months, and years). Can be ‘qualitative’ (frequency only), ‘semi-quantitative’ (estimated portion pre-assigned e.g. small, average, large) or ‘fully quantitative’ (portion size queried). Can be long (comprehensive, around 100 items queried or more) or short (also known as ‘screeners’ or a type of brief instrument). Can be interviewer- or self-administered, completed on paper (with potential scanning option) or online (see emerging technologies). |
Strengths |
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Weaknesses |
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Food Checklists |
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
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Also known as a type of ‘brief instrument’, ‘screeners’ or ‘short instruments’. Prospective, short-term method where specified foods and drinks are ticked from a list as they are consumed over a day or number of days; frequency can be queried; option to query portion sizes or pre-assign them. This is a less used method that has a lot of strengths and weaknesses in common with the longer FFQ. Can be completed online (see emerging technologies). |
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Food Checklists |
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Also known as a type of ‘brief instrument’, ‘screeners’ or ‘short instruments’. Prospective, short-term method where specified foods and drinks are ticked from a list as they are consumed over a day or number of days; frequency can be queried; option to query portion sizes or pre-assign them. This is a less used method that has a lot of strengths and weaknesses in common with the longer FFQ. Can be completed online (see emerging technologies). |
Strengths |
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Weaknesses |
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Diet Histories |
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
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Combination of short-term and long-term methods, usually 24hr recall, FFQ and food diary; more often used in a clinical setting by experienced dieticians to provide in-depth assessment at individual level. |
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|
Diet Histories |
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Combination of short-term and long-term methods, usually 24hr recall, FFQ and food diary; more often used in a clinical setting by experienced dieticians to provide in-depth assessment at individual level. |
Strengths |
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Weaknesses |
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Emerging Technologies |
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
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Dietary data collected and processed making use of hardware plus software (e.g. devices such as sensors and optical readers) or software such as web-based versions and apps based on traditional DATs. More advanced method of collecting data, which could be based on traditional methods (FFQs, food diary or 24 h recall). It is a rapidly evolving area. |
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Emerging Technologies |
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Dietary data collected and processed making use of hardware plus software (e.g. devices such as sensors and optical readers) or software such as web-based versions and apps based on traditional DATs. More advanced method of collecting data, which could be based on traditional methods (FFQs, food diary or 24 h recall). It is a rapidly evolving area. |
Strengths |
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Weaknesses |
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