Validity of the 24-hour recall to determine dietary status of elderly in an extended care facility [New York]

Extract: The 24-hour recall method was compared with the food record method to assess its validity as applied to elderly populations in institutionalized settings. The population studied was a group of 89 elderly residents in Syracuse, New York. The major hypothesis was that the 24-hour recall is a valid dietary survey method for obtaining information on food intake. Qualitative analysis of the data was based on recalled frequencies of 18 food groups. The validity coefficients, ranging from .23 (butter/cream) to .64 (eggs), were low for most items. The variance, which indicates unobserved errors, varied from .05 (butter/cream) to .41 (eggs). These findings suggest the need for continued research into valid methods of dietary assessment. (author/wz).