We developed a simple semi-quantitative dietary record (SSQDR) for students and evaluated its reliability and validity. Reliability assessment: Junior high school students (n=32) were asked to record 4 different meal menus on the SSQDR form. In this assessment, the average percentage of students who answered correct portion size of each food samples was approximately 65 %. The SSQDR showed high-level reliability, with an α-coefficient of ≧0.8, for all nutrients estimated. Validity assessments: High school students (n=49) recorded their meal menu by both SSQDR and weighed dietary record methods. The validity of the SSQDR was assessed using correlation coefficients of estimated nutrient intakes between the results from weighed dietary record and SSQDR. Correlation coefficients between the SSQDR and weighed dietary record were significant in all estimated nutrient intakes. These results suggest that our SSQDR is more convenient and may provide comparable estimates to weighed dietary record. Therefore, SSQDR may be a valuable and useful tool for junior high-school students to record their food status and habits, even though they do not have enough food knowledge.

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