DIETARY ASSESSMENT at INDIVIDUAL

(FOOD RECORD)
PAPER
Writed to Complete the Structural Assignment of Nutritional Assessment Course

Compiled by:
Group 2
Mareti Mufidah Hajri

115070300111027

HEALTH NUTRITION ACADEMY

MEDICAL FACULTY
BRAWIJAYA UNIVERSITY
MALANG
2011

FOREWORD
Thanks to Allah Almighty due to His blessings and guidance till writer can
complete the scientific paper entitled Dietary Assessment at Individual (Food
Record).
The writer would like to thank:
1.

Mrs. Nia Novita W., STP, M.Sc. as Nutritional Assessment lecturer

2.

All those who have helped the completion of this paper.

This paper was compiled to enrich and develop knowledge about dietary
assessment in order to expand and give an ideal solution in nutritional
intervention.
The writer realizes that this paper still has many mistakes. There fore the
writer expects criticisms and suggestions from readers for the sake of
completeness this paper. The writer hopes this paper may be useful for the reader.

Malang, April, 22nd, 2012

Writer

INTRODUCTION
Background
Nutritional Assessment is processing to complete, analyze, and interpret
the information to determine nutritional status of individual or group level
influenced by food consumption, nutritional adequacy, and energy output. Dietary
assessment is one of four methods used for assess individual or groups nutritional
status indirectly. Assess of food consumption by monitoring the quantity and kind
of macro and micro nutrients intake to knowing dietary inadequacy or even
excessive nutrient. As an application, dietary assessment could be study the
relationship between diet and health, and to identify groups at risk of developing
disease because of their nutrient intake/ epidemiological studies (Fahmida, 2007).
Although the usage of dietary assessment showed very easy to practice, it
commonly needed motivation for respondent to record food consumption
consecutively. In this part, the role of observer played to help remember the daily
food consumption and convert the measurement of food into grams unit. The
principle of food consumption actually easy to do, as long as both of respondent
and observer make a cooperation.
The problems are offered
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

What is the definition of dietary assessment?

What kinds of dietary assessment method?
What is the meaning of food record method?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of food record method?
What about the procedure to assess food consumption by using food record
instrument?
6. What are the differences between estimated food record and weigh food
record?
7. What about the principle of estimated food record and weigh food record?
Purpose and Benefict
1.
2.
3.
4.

Understanding the meaning of dietary assessment

Understanding the methods of dietary assessment (especially food record)
Understanding advantages and disadvantages of food record
Understanding procedure to assess food consumption by using food record
instrument?
5. Understanding the kind and diferrence between estimated food record and
weigh food record
6. Understanding the principle of food record.

LITERATUR REVIEW AND DISCUSSSION

Definition of Dietary Assessment
Dietary assessment is one of four instruments to assess the first sign of any
nutritional deficiency or dietary inadequacy (Fahmida, 2007). The result of dietary
assessment can be compared with any others parameters, they are biochemical,
clinic, and anthropometry to get absolute result and developing intervention such
as dietary daily guidance.
Method of Dietary Assessment
Food consumption can be assessed in national level, household, and
individual level. Method of dietary assessment at individual level consist of two
parameters, they were quantitative daily food consumption (consist of food record
and 24 hour recall) and retrospective information on the pattern of food
consumption during a longer time period (consist of food frequency questionnaire
and food history). In this paper, the writer focused to dietary assessment only on
individual-level food intake assessment by using food record method (Fahmida,
2007).
Food Record
For the dietary record approach, the respondent records the foods and beverages
and the amounts of each consumed over one or more days. The amounts
consumed may be measured, using a scale or household measures (such as cups,
tablespoons), or estimated, using models, pictures, or no particular aid. Typically,
if multiple days are recorded, they are consecutive and no more than 3 or 4 days
are included. Recording periods of more than 4 consecutive days are usually
unsatisfactory, as reported intakes decrease because of respondent fatigue
(Thompson, 2001).
Advantages and Disadvantages of Dietary Instrument by Using Food Record
Method
Advantages:
1. Doesnt rely on memory
2. Intake quantified
3. Could enhance self monitoring for weight control or other behavior change
4. Provides detailed data on portion size consumed, especially when
weighed.
5. Said to be reasonably valid up to 5 day
6. Can assess food pattern and eating habit in relation to the socio
demographic environment of respondent
7. Can enhance interpretation of laboratory, anthropometric and clinical data.
8. Multiple day data more representative of usual intake.
Disadvantages:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

High investigator cost

High respondent burden
Extensive respondent training and motivation required
Many days needed to capture individuals usual intake
Affects eating behavior
Intake often underreported
Reports of intake decrease with time
Attrition increases with number of daily records requested
May lead to nonrepresentative sample and subsequent nonresponse bias

Procedure:
1. The respondent is asked to record, at the same time of consumption, all
foods and beverages (including snacks) eaten in household measures, for a
specified time period.
2. Detailed description of food, including the following details:
a. Name (local and general if known)
b. Method of cooking
c. State of food (e.g. raw, cooked, peeled, refined)
d. Brand names where applicable
e. All condiments, herbs, and spices
f. Complete description of each food.
3. Weigh the amounts consumed (portion server minus left over) or
estimating using household measures and calibrated household utensils.
4. If occasional meal are eaten away from home, respondent are generally
requested to record description of the amounts of food eaten. The
nutritionist can buy and weigh a duplicate portion of each recorded food
items. Where possible, to assess the probable weight consumed.
Principle and Usage of Food Record
1. Based on recording portion sizes of actual food consumption by an individual,
estimated using household measures or weigh using dietary scales. When
weighing is used, the method is ideal for scientific and control studies in
particular when diet counseling or correlation of intake with biological
parameters are involved.
2. Used in research, multi center epidemiological studies for control metabolic
studies. Nutrient intake data can form the basis of subsequent nutrition
education programs.
3. If a weigh of food record is to be used, respondent must be motivated,
numerate and illiterate, or alternatively a research assistant can collect the
record dietary intakes.
4. The number of 24 hour record required to estimate the usual nutrient intake of
individuals depends on day-to-day variation inb food intake within one
individual (i.e within-subject variation ). If more than one-day recall is
required, nonconsecutive days should be selected.
5. Twenty-four-hour recalls can be repeated during different seasons of the year
to estimate the average food intake of individuals over a longer time period
(i.e usual food intake).

For estimating the distribution of individual intakes within a group or for

obtaining usual individual intake: Multiple records need to be collected. The
purpose is to determine the proportion of individuals at risk of inadequate intake
of a particular nutrient or to predict individual outcomes such as serum
cholesterol. The number of days depends on the day-to-day variation of intake of
the nutrient of interest and the level of precision desired. For energy and the
macronutrients, 3-10 days has been suggested. For other nutrients, up to 50 days
may be required. Four to five days are often selected as a reasonable compromise
for assessing energy and the macronutrients. If an estimate of long-term intake is
required, 3-4 days in each of the four seasons of the year is ideal (12-16 days in
total) (ACAORN, 2010).
Bias of Food Record
Alterations of food intake as with any prospective method. Diet records,
either weighed or estimated, have been shown to provide unbiased records of
energy intake in lean subjects up to 9 years old. However, adolescents underreport energy intake by this method by approximately 20% with the greatest bias
observed in older subjects.
The validity of records or recalls for measuring long-term or usual food
intake improves with more days of recording, indicating multiple records may be
needed. Multiple records/recalls can introduce compliance issues for children
because of the high respondent burden (ACAORN, 2010).
Food record divided into two methods, they are Estimated Food Record and
Weigh Food Record. The difference between both of them is explained below.
Principle of Estimated Food Record
Respondent asked to note all of food consumption (include snack) food
processing, brand of food, and the explanation about the characteristic of food
during any period. The amounts of food count by household measurement. In this
method, bias happened when respondents actually unable to convert the
household measurement into any other unit (grams). Holiday or a day of
celebration should be included in the survey (Almatsier, 2011).
Principle of Weigh Food Record
This method need to dietary consultation and to compare with another result of
laboratory. Respondent is asked to weigh and note food consumption, food
processing, brand of food, and the explanation about the characteristic of food
during any period. Scaling of food also apply on raw materials, and didnt use
household measurement. The observer has to help respondent in order to
remember kind and the amounts of food. Holiday or a day of celebration should
be included in the survey. (Almatsier, 2011).
Estimated Food Record
Amounts of food and leftovers are

Weighed Food Record

Food and leftovers are weight using

measured in household measurements

such as, a bowl, a coffee cup, glasses,
spoon, dippers, and the others.
Consider less accurate.
Consider an acceptable method for
collecting group intake for data
Puts less burden on the respondent an
thus cooperation rates are likely to be
higher, especially overlong recording
periods
As effective in ranking subjects into
thirds and fifths as weighed record

scales supplied by researchers.

Most precise method available.
Preferred by some researchers for
gathering data on individuals
Requires a greater degree of subjects
cooperation and thus likely have a
greater impact on eating habit
Cost of scales may be prohibitive in
some instances
Precision is greater than estimated food
record because the portion size are
weighed which reduces the contribution
to variability from error

(Fahmida, 2007)
To note daily food intake, it could be filled in the form below

CONCLUSION
1. Dietary Assessment is using for get information about the history of food
consumption during a period of time.
2. There are many methods offered to assess quantity and pattern of respondents
dietary, they were food record, recall 24 hours, food frequency questionnaire,
and food history.
3. Food record is the method when the respondent asked to records the foods and
beverages and the amounts of each consumed over one or more days. The
amounts consumed may be measured, using a scale or household measures
(such as cups, tablespoons), or estimated, using models, pictures, or no
particular aid.
4. Food record divided into two kinds instrument, they are estimated food record
and weigh food record while both of them have any strength and weakness.

REFERENCES
Fahmida, Umi and Drupadi HS Dillon. 2007. Handbook Nutritional Assessment.
South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization, Tropical Medicine
and Public Health, Regional Center for Community Nutrition. University
of Indonesia.
Thompson, Frances E. And Amy F. Subar. 2001. Dietary Assessment
Methodology. National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.
Almatsier, Sunita, dkk. 2011. Gizi Seimbang dalam Daur Kehidupan. Jakarta: PT
Gramedia Pustaka Utama.
Computerized Dietary Analysis Cover Sheet. Lafene Health Center Helath
Promotion and Nutrition Counseling. Kansas State University.
Form of Food Record. http://www.student-health.buffalo.edu/. (online).
University of Buffalo, The State University of Newyork.
Australasian Child & Adolescent Obesity Research Network. 2010. Dietary
Intake
Assessment.
(online).
http://www.acaorn.org.au/streams/nutrition/assessment-methods/weighedfood-records.php. Accessed on April, 22nd, 2012.