[Validation of an online dietary assessment tool]

To assess the validity of eat-right assistant( ERA) as an online dietary assessment tool.

Women employees in child-bearing age in a company in Shanghai and pregnant women who received regular antenatal care, lactating women whose children had physical examination in a village hospital in Suzhou were recruited into this study. They recorded their food and drink intakes on the ERA and completed 24-hour dietary recalls for three days consecutively. The energy, nutrient and food group intakes of the two methods were calculated for further comparisons.

A total of ninety participants completed the study. Except for fruit intake, no significant differences were found between the two methods for mean intakes of energy and nutrients as well as other food intakes. Correlation coefficients ranged from 0. 61- 0. 93( mean0. 75). Bland-Altman plots showed agreement between the two methods.

ERA is a relatively reliable tool for dietary assessment and is potential to be applied in target population.