Validation of a self-administered 3-day estimated dietary record for use in the elderly

was to assess the validity of a 3-day estimated dietary record, especially developed for the longitudinal study on nutrition and health status in an aging population (aged > or = 60 years) in Giessen, Germany.

The dietary record comprises 146 food items. Portion sizes of the foods consumed were estimated by means of household measures and corresponding dimensions. The validity of the dietary record was evaluated by means of nitrogen excretion in the 24 h urine in 14 women and 9 men, and by comparing energy intake and basal metabolic rate determined by indirect calorimetry in 238 women and 105 men.

Neither in women nor in men were any differences found between calculated nitrogen intake (13.4 +/- 2.2 g and 15.0 +/- 2.0 g, respectively) and nitrogen excretion (12.9 +/- 2.1 g and 15.7 +/- 3.0 g, respectively). The ratio between reported energy intake and basal metabolic rate was 1.62 +/- 0.46 in women and 1.53 +/- 0.46 in men. Regarding energy intake, 7.6% of the females and 16.2% of the males were classified as under-reporters. They show a significantly higher body weight and BMI than the adequate reporters.

The results have proved the new 3-day estimated dietary record as suitable to determine energy and nutrient supply of the elderly.