Comparative Study of a New Dietary Screener to Assess Food Groups of Concern in Children

Abstract

Background: Although there are several valid and reliable dietary screeners to measure child intake patterns, there is a paucity of brief assessment tools targeting under- and overconsumed foods. Objective: To compare the Fueling Learning through Exercise study (FLEX) dietary questionnaire, a screener designed to assess consumption patterns in third to fifth graders, to a validated dietary assessment tool. Methods: The FLEX dietary questionnaire was developed to assess fruit, vegetable, snack, and beverage consumption and was compared to the Block Kids Food Screener (BKFS). Correlations were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient. Agreement was assessed using Bland-Altman plots. Results: The sample (n = 63) had mean age of 9.9 years (SD 0.7). Most participants were non-Hispanic white (70%) and eligible for free/reduced price lunch (57%). Correlations between food group categories were significant for all groups (P