SELF-REPORTS OF DIET - HOW CHILDREN REMEMBER WHAT THEY HAVE EATEN

Determining how children remember what they have eaten may guide the d evelopment of specific cues that help children report their diets more accurately. This research used a cognitive-processing approach to exa mine fourth graders' self-reports of diet. School lunches were observe d to determine what was really eaten and the results of these observat ions were compared with students' reports of what they had eaten and h ow they remembered that information. Interviews with individual studen ts conducted within 1.5 h of lunch or the following morning included f ree and prompted report, although prompting was limited to clarifying details about the items and amounts already reported. For analyses, re trieval responses (what the students said in response to the question ''how do you remember you ate ______?'') were categorized. A single me asure of accuracy that reflected omissions and intrusions was calculat ed by comparing the student's report with the observation record. Resu lts from one study are provided, along with preliminary results from t wo additional studies. Research questions and future plans are highlig hted, including a Delphi technique study to develop a consensus set of categories of retrieval responses. More accurate assessment of childr en's diets could increase awareness of changes needed to help establis h healthful eating habits in childhood to decrease the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood.