Comparing Self-Administered Web-Based to Interviewer-Led 24-Hour Dietary Recall: An Italian Pilot Case Study

The national food consumption surveys are crucial for monitoring the nutritional status of population, defining nutrition policies, estimating dietary exposure to substances present in food, and assessing the environmental impact of the diet, among others. This study aims to compare energy and nutrient intakes of self-administered 24-hour recall to those obtained from interviewer-led 24-hour recall, using FOODCONS software in both cases. Methods: Thirty-nine adult volunteers the sample of was randomized in A and B groups: test method first vs reference method and vice versa. After 15 days the same process was repeated in the opposite way and then volunteers filled out a questionnaire to evaluate the software and the instruction materials. Results: not significantly differences between means of energy and nutrient intakes among the two methods except for α Linolenic acid and Linoleic acid; The Bland Altman analysis found a good agreement of the amount (g), drinking water, included protein and fiber intake except for two subjects (5.0%) out of the interval; good agreement was also observed for energy, carbohydrates, and fat intakes. Conclusion: The self-administered 24h recall could be a suitable alternative to face-to-face interviews for recording data on foods consumed and this would allow a higher participation rate in food consumption studies.