Screeners and brief assessment methods

In the last two decades easy-to-use simple instruments have been developed and validated to assess specific aspects of the diet or a general profile that can be compared with a reference dietary pattern as the Mediterranean Diet or with the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines. Brief instruments are rapid, simple and easy to use tools that can be implemented by unskilled personnel without specific training. These tools are useful both in clinical settings and in Primary Health Care or in the community as a tool for triage, as a screening tool to identify individuals or groups of people at risk who require further care or even they have been used in studies to investigate associations between specific aspects of the diet and health outcomes. They are also used in interventions focused on changing eating behaviors as a diagnostic tool, for self-evaluation purposes, or to provide tailored advice in web based interventions or mobile apps. There are some specific instruments for use in children, adults, elderly or specific population groups.