A meta-analysis of children's self-reports of dietary intake

Objective: Although research studies increasingly use children as primary reporters in dietary assessments, it is unclear how well children's self-reported intake correlates with independently validated reports of their intake; this meta-analysis assesses that correlation.Design: Moderators of the correlation between self-reported and independently validated intake were predicted a priori: type of dietary intake assessment (24 h recall, food diary and food frequency questionnaires), validation measures, parental assistance and age. Online databases were searched for articles published from 1990 to 2014 that compared children's self-reports of dietary intake to validated observations of food intake in children age 4-16.Main outcome measures: Summary effect size Pearson r between children's self-reported dietary intake and independently validated dietary intake were calculated.Results: In k=32 samples from 23 studies, a statistically significant correlation (r=.48, Z=7.26, p<.001) was found between children's self-reported dietary intake and independently validated reports of dietary intake. Validation method (Q=17.49, df=2, p<.001) and parental assistance (Z=2.03, p=.042) were significant moderators of this correlation. Self-report methodology (Q=3.95, df=2, p=.139) and age (Q=.02, p=.879) were not significant moderators of the distribution of effect sizes.Conclusion: Together, these results provide baseline information about children's recall in dietary intake assessments conducted with children as primary reporters.