Integrity of small data bases in computer analysis of dietary data

The integrity of data bases to support microcomputer-based dietary analysis programs has become increasingly important to developers and users of nutritional analysis software. This paper reviews critical issues in maintaining data integrity during development of small nutritional data bases. Because a limited number of large, source data bases provides the data for smaller, special-purpose data bases, this review initially focuses on factors that affect the quality and precision of methodologies used in establishing large data bases. Issues discussed are accuracy of source data as determined by analytical methodology and imputation procedures, and methods for insuring representativeness of data. The effect of data transfer procedures on small data base integrity are discussed, including use of multiple sources and standardization of naming and coding conventions. Also reviewed are procedures for selecting reduced numbers of foods and nutrients without sacrificing accuracy of analysis, and methods currently in use for validating small data bases.