Food reporting patterns in AMPM

Authors: Steinfeldt, Lois; Anand, Jaswinder; Murayi, Theophile

Submitted to: Procedia Food Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/21/2012
Publication Date: 5/29/2013
Citation: Steinfeldt, L.C., Anand, J., Murayi, T. 2013. Food reporting patterns in the USDA Automated Multiple-Pass Method. Procedia Food Science. 2:145-156. Available: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211601X13000230.

Interpretive Summary: The USDA Automated Multiple Pass Method (AMPM) collects approximately 10,000 24-hour dietary recalls for the What We Eat In America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey each year. The 5-step multiple pass approach used in AMPM is the result of more than 10 years of research by USDA to improve the 24-hour dietary recall methodology. AMPM’s automated collection now provides opportunities for research into the interview process and how individuals report the foods they eat. AMPM keeps track of the order in which foods are reported in the interview and the step in which each food was reported. This and other interview process information collected by AMPM on a large number of individuals in a nationally representative dietary survey is a unique resource. It can be used to identify overall patterns in reporting foods for different groups of people. It can also be used to describe and evaluate the use of each of the 5 steps within AMPM and the questions within each step. Identifying how individual components of the interview are used and the patterns people use to report foods can then be used to further improve the collection of 24-hour dietary survey data in AMPM.

Technical Abstract: Complete and accurate 24-hour dietary recalls are essential for nutrition monitoring in the United States. The USDA Automated Multiple Pass Method (AMPM) uses a 5-step multiple pass approach. The first step is an unstructured, uninterrupted listing of all foods and beverages consumed. The next 3 steps use a structured approach including memory cues. The final probe is an unstructured question for any other foods recalled and includes several additional memory cues. The objective of this analysis is to describe patterns of food reporting in the AMPM in a nationally representative sample. This analysis uses data from the 2007-2008 What We Eat In America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for males and females ages 12 and older. The step in the AMPM interview where a food is first recalled and reported is determined and assigned a value. These values are summed to create an AMPM reporting score which reflects the use of the 5 steps in the AMPM in the 24-hour dietary intake recall. There are signficant differences in the AMPM reporting score by day of interview, gender, age, and race/ethnicity. The patterns described in this analysis demonstrate the importance of the multiple pass method in obtaining complete 24-hour dietary recalls.