Dietary Assessment Flashcards

A researcher wants to assess omega-3 fatty acid intake in a cohort study of 10,000 adults. Which method is MOST feasible and valid for this purpose?

Answer: Validated food frequency questionnaire with a fat module

A validated FFQ with a detailed fat module is both feasible for large cohorts and has demonstrated validity against biomarkers for omega-3 fatty acid assessment.

Which of the following is a key principle of the 'ecological momentary assessment' (EMA) approach to dietary data collection?

Answer: Capturing real-time food intake reports in naturalistic settings

EMA captures dietary intake in real time using mobile devices, reducing recall bias by prompting participants to report immediately after eating.

Which dietary pattern assessment approach uses predefined scores to measure adherence to a specific dietary pattern (e.g., Mediterranean diet)?

Answer: Dietary index scoring

Dietary index scoring assigns points based on adherence to specific food group recommendations within a defined pattern, yielding an overall diet quality score.

A 24-hour recall is conducted on a Monday. Which factor MOST threatens the representativeness of this recall for habitual intake?

Answer: Weekend vs. weekday eating differences

Dietary intake patterns differ significantly between weekdays and weekends; a Monday recall reflects the prior Sunday, which may not represent typical weekday eating.

When conducting a nutritional assessment, which biochemical marker reflects long-term vitamin A status MOST accurately?

Answer: Relative dose response (RDR) test

The relative dose response (RDR) test measures the liver's response to a dose of vitamin A, reflecting hepatic reserves and long-term status more accurately than serum retinol alone.

Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of using doubly labeled water (DLW) in dietary assessment research?

Answer: To provide an objective estimate of total energy expenditure for validating self-reported energy intake

DLW measures carbon dioxide production over 1-2 weeks, providing an objective measure of total energy expenditure used to validate (and reveal errors in) self-reported energy intake.

A dietitian is reviewing a client's food diary and notices repeated entries of 'coffee with cream and sugar.' Which assessment step is MOST important next?

Answer: Probe for specific quantities, type of cream, and amount of sugar per cup

Probing for specific details—ounces of cream, teaspoons of sugar, cup size, number of cups—is essential to accurately quantify energy and macronutrient contribution from this repeated item.