Despite the wide use of 24-h dietary recalls and differences in food culture between Western and Asian countries, limited studies validating 24-h dietary recalls have been performed in rice-based meals and in Asians. To determine the accuracy of 24-h dietary recalls in Koreans, 22 older women participating in a controlled-feeding study completed a single interviewer-administered 24-h dietary recall. The recalls of food items were classified as matches, exclusions, or intrusions. Portion size reports were categorized as corresponding (≤10% error), overreport, underreport, and missing. Recall accuracy was analyzed according to the type of dish, food group, or nutrients and compared by one-way analysis of variance or paired t-test. Participants reported 95% of the foods that they consumed. Sauces were most frequently missing. Corresponding portion sizes were 24%, while 43% were underreported. Kimchi was most frequently underreported. No difference was found among food groups. The recalled intakes of energy and most nutrients were similar to the actual intakes, with the exception of fat and sodium, which were underreported. The interviewer-administered 24-h dietary recall may be a reliable tool to assess food and nutrient intake in older Korean women. More accurate methods are necessary to assess sauce, kimchi, fat, and sodium intakes in the Korean diet.
Keywords: 24-h recall; Koreans; dietary assessment; validity.