Validation of estimates of energy intake by weighed dietary record and diet history in children and adolescents

Energy intakes assessed by 7-d weighed dietary records (EI-WDRs) and diet histories (EI-DHs) were compared with concurrent estimates of total energy expenditure (TEE) by the doubly labeled water method in 78 subjects aged 3–18 y. EI-WDRs were not obtained from the 3- and 5-y-old subjects. EI-WDRs in the 7- and 9-y-old children were 108 ± 25% (n = 12) and 97 ± 15% (n = 12), respectively, of corresponding TEE values showing good agreement. However in the 12-, 15-, and 18-y-old subjects EI-WDR averaged 89 ± 12% (n = 12), 78 ± 18% (n = 12), and 73 ± 25% (n = 10), respectively, of corresponding TEE values. The difference was ≥ 20% in 13 adolescents. Mean EI-DHs were 114 ± 19% (3 y), 111 ± 19% (5 y), 111 ± 23% (7 y), 106 ± 9% (9 y), 114 ± 17% (12 y), 101 ± 21% (15 y), and 98 ± 21% (18 y) of TEE estimates. Differences were significant in the 3-, 9-, and 12-y-old subjects. Results suggest that 7-d EI-WDRs tend to underestimate food intake of adolescents. Although EI-DHs were biased towards overestimation in most age groups and individual measurements lacked precision, EI-DHs were more representative of habitual intake than were EI-WDRs.