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Computerization of a dietary history interview in a running cohort; evaluation within the Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 57, pages 394–404 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: In nutritional research, a growing interest in the use of computer-assisted cross-check dietary history interview methods exists in order to improve cost-effectiveness. The introduction of such a method in an ongoing longitudinal study was evaluated with special emphasis on the effect on interviewer bias.

Design: A study for the interviewer bias within and the agreement between a previously used paper-based face-to-face cross-check dietary history interview method and a newly developed interviewer-administered computer-assisted version of this interview method.

Subjects: The interviewer bias of 436 face-to-face interviews is compared with that of 352 computer-assisted interviews. A subset of 82 subjects underwent a face-to-face interview at the mean age of 27 and 32 y and a computer-assisted interview at their mean age of 36 y. Energy, three macronutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrate), two micronutrients (calcium and iron) and alcohol intakes obtained by these three measurements are compared to analyse the agreement between the two interview methods.

Results: ANOVA showed no interviewer bias for all seven analysed nutrients within the data from the computer-assisted interview, while for the face-to-face interview method, several nutrients varied significantly among the interviewers. Five different measures, used to analyse the agreement (differences, Pearson's correlation, ICC, square weighted kappa and Bland–Altman plots), showed no relevant differences between the two cross-check dietary history interview methods.

Conclusions: It is concluded that the computer-assisted interview caused a reduction of interviewer bias and is of similar quality to the face-to-face interview method. Computerization of a paper-based interview can be implemented in a running cohort if a change in method is unavoidable.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Bertheke Post (GBP), Desiree Welten (DW), Karin Groothuis (KG) and Thelma Vreden (TV) for their interviewing. Furthermore we would like to thank all the participants of the AGAHLS. This study was granted bythe Dairy Foundation on Nutrition and Health, the Dutch Heart Foundation (grant 76051-79051), the Dutch Prevention Fund (grants 28-189a, 28-1106 and 28-1106-1), the Dutch Ministry of Well Being and Public Health (grant 90-170), the Dutch Olympic Committe/Netherlands Sports Federation, Heineken Inc., and the Scientific Board of Smoking and Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    I Bakker, J W R Twisk, W van Mechelen & H C G Kemper

  2. Department of Social Medicine and Body @ Work, Research Centre ‘Physical Activity, Work and Health’ TNO VU, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    W van Mechelen

  3. Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany

    G B M Mensink

Authors
  1. I Bakker
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  2. J W R Twisk
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  3. W van Mechelen
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  4. G B M Mensink
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  5. H C G Kemper
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Contributions

Guarantor: HCG Kemper

Contributors: IB was responsible for data collection, data analysis and co-writing the manuscript; JWRT was responsible for data analysis and co-writing the manuscript; WvM, GBMM and HCGK co-wrote the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to H C G Kemper.

Appendix

Appendix

Four by four tables for comparing quartiles of mean intakes of nutrients within the FTF method (FTF-27 vs FTF-32) and between the methods (FTF-32 vs DD-36), for the square weighted Cohen's kappas, shown in Table 6.

See Table 7, Table 8

Within-method Within-method
Full size table
Between-methods Between-methods
Full size table

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Bakker, I., Twisk, J., van Mechelen, W. et al. Computerization of a dietary history interview in a running cohort; evaluation within the Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study. Eur J Clin Nutr 57, 394–404 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601566

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