EFFECTIVENESS OF DIETARY SURVEYS IN THE EVALUATION OF FOOD INTAKE

Abstract

Introdution: Knowing the exact amount of food intake by groups or individuals has always been a very complex exercise. Nevertheless, the survey using photo album is a tool that can favor the memorization of the respondent. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of dietary surveys by comparing the 24-hour dietary recall and the use of a photographic album of food portions. Finally, a comparative analysis of the results according to the levels of education was carried out. Material and Methods: This was a quantitative, descriptive study held at the University Center of Grande Dourados - UNIGRAN, with a sample of 50 administrative employees, of both sexes, aged 20-79 years. The subjects who did not complete the interviews and indigenous employees were excluded from the study. Respondents were divided into three groups according to their educational level. Results: It was observed that among the employees with higher education degrees, 50% showed no variation in their re-calls. In 38.46% of respondents this variation was less than 10%, which shows that the 24-h-recall is effective when it depends only on the respondent's memory. In the group with lower educational level, the change in total caloric value between the two recalls was greater than 10% for 45.45% of respondents, which shows the need for using photo albums to determine the actual calorie intake of the individual. Conclusion: Both dietary survey approaches were found to be effective to determine food intake, but the lower the educational level the higher the need to use images for correct determination of the consumed portion. DESCRIPTORS Pictures. Feed. Memory.