Dietary Surveys: Some Practical Issues Available to Purchase

Discusses practical issues about dietary survey methods for use with free‐living individuals. Reviews prospective and retrospective methods indicating that no single method is flawless. Likely sources of error include bias as a result of sampling and response; changes in diet; variation with time; frequency of consumption; reporting food weight and matching foods with those in tables of food composition. Concludes that the choice of method will depend on the purpose of the investigation, and factors such as interest in food requirements,association between diet and disease and the need to know about the intake of individuals or groups of people will be highly relevant.