Dietary habits as assessed by a food frequency questionnaire: Differences between perceived and reported behaviors

Abstract

Increasing recognition of the importance of diet in the etiology of disease has highlighted the need for methods to determine dietary intake of high risk nutrients. The Behavior Risk Factor Survey is a food frequency questionnaire used to assess dietary habits. This project used the BRFS to determine if perceived dietary fat intake correlated with actual dietary fat intake in three elderly population groups. Results show that subjects who perceived their diet to be low in fat, consumed fewer servings of high fat foods and had lower overall weekly fat intakes. Subjects stating no change in diet had a higher weekly intake than subjects claiming a change in diet. These finding suggest that the BRFS is a rapid, inexpensive data collection method which can be used to determine differences between perceived and reported behaviors. Results from this investigation may be used to develop educational programs targeting the elderly.