How to select dietary assessment method for children and elder?

 Selection of dietary assessment for children and elderly:

 Nutrient intake estimation of population subgroups may present unusual complications. For example, children are unable to recall frequency, type and portion size/ amount of foods they have consumed likewise, for adults with impaired sensory abilities ( loss of vision and hearing ) and neuro-musculoskeletal defects, it is not easy to use either of the retrospective or prospective assessment approaches.

 Therefore, accuracy of data obtained from such studies depends upon the assistance provided while recording.

For assessment of dietary intake of children,24-hour recall can be used either directly by asking the child ( older than 10 year ) or by the assistance of the parents ( children younger than 10 year ). In the later approach the accuracy of data obtained is comparable to that of found during assessment of adults.

 FFQ's can be used as alternative approach in children older than 12 year. Furthermore, the participation of children in prospective assessment depend upon their ability of reading, writing and understanding the things asked.

Selection of assessment method in elderly depends upon their ability to participate in the study. Furthermore, elder people up to 70 year of age have the same ability to provide information as of younger adults, while 80 year old adults are also most likely to provide the accurate data.

 However, people older than 80 may provide information about dietary intake or eating habits of their early life. Hence, for diet assessment of elderly, modified assessment approaches either singly or in combination alongside memory assistance tools i.e. food models or images of foods  and their portions will help in obtaining more accurate information.

Dietary Assessment Methods for Children:

When assessing the dietary intake of children, it's critical to take into account their cognitive development, literacy skills, and the role that parents or caregivers play in their feeding. Here are a few methods:

24-Hour Dietary Recall: This approach involves asking the child or caregiver to recall everything the child ate or drank in the previous 24 hours. While this method can provide detailed information, it relies heavily on memory and may not accurately represent usual intake.

Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ): The FFQ can be useful for determining a child's habitual diet, as it asks about the frequency of consumption of various foods over a specific time period. However, FFQs are generally less detailed than 24-hour recalls and may be less accurate for estimating intake of specific nutrients.

Dietary Record/Diary: This involves the child or caregiver recording everything the child consumes over a specific period (typically a few days to a week). This method can be time-consuming but provides a detailed account of intake.

Digital Dietary Assessment: Technological advancements have led to new methods, such as using smartphone apps to take pictures of food before and after eating. These methods can be engaging for children and reduce the burden of reporting.

Dietary Assessment Methods for the Elderly:

Assessing the dietary intake of the elderly can be challenging due to factors such as memory loss, physical disabilities, and age-related changes in diet. Here are some methods that could be used:

24-Hour Dietary Recall: Similar to children, this method can be used with older adults. It might be necessary to conduct multiple recalls to get an accurate representation of usual intake.

Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ): FFQs can be used to assess habitual intake in the elderly. These can be particularly useful for looking at relationships between diet and chronic diseases, which are more prevalent in this population.

Dietary Record/Diary: This can be a good method for obtaining detailed information on dietary intake in the elderly, but it may be challenging for those with physical or cognitive impairments.

Caregiver Reports: For elderly individuals who rely on caregivers for meal preparation and feeding, caregiver reports can provide important information on dietary intake.

Direct Observation: In certain situations (e.g., in a nursing home setting), direct observation of food consumption can be a viable method to assess dietary intake.

It's worth noting that the selection of a dietary assessment method should be guided by the research question, the characteristics of the population, the resources available, and the pros and cons of each method. A mixed-methods approach, where multiple methods are used, can also help to improve the accuracy of dietary assessments.

Desired information                                   Preferred approach 

  Group comparison                          Single 24-hour recall and FFQ's

  Individual/clinical setting                Multiple 24-hour recall and 

                                                          weighed or estimated food 

                                                           records of 1 day.

 Epidemiological study                      Multiple 24-hour recall, FFQ's

 Children                                             24 hour recall and FFQ's

 Elderly                                               Modified single or combined 

                                                                  approaches

How to select dietary assessment method for children ?

How to select dietary assessment method for elderly?