The Food Phone Project

The Primary Aim of the project is to modify the RFPM for adolescents and to address the concerns identified by the reviewers of the first grant application. We will then test the RFPM's validity (accuracy) compared to the validity of pen-and-paper food records. Our experience and the literature indicate that the RFPM is acceptable and feasible in school settings. Following modification of the RFPM and pilot testing with 4 adolescents, we will test the reliability and validity of both the RFPM and food records when used by 60 adolescents (12 to 18 years of age). During one week, participants will use the RFPM and during another week they will use food records (the order will be balanced across participants). The accuracy of each method will be examined by comparing energy and nutrient intake (collectively referred to as food intake or FI) to three gold standards: 1) doubly labeled water or DLW (energy intake only, or EIDLW), 2) a laboratory-based test meal (FILaboratory), and 3) food intake during lunch in a school cafeteria (FISchool). User-satisfaction and participant burden will also be compared between methods, and a cost-effectiveness analysis will determine if and under what conditions one method is more cost-effective than the other.

Inclusion criteria

• boy or girl of any race
• age 12 to 18 years, inclusive
• willing to use the RFPM for one week and pen-and-paper food records for one week
• willing to complete one laboratory-based food test during week 3
• willing to use the RFPM and food records during the laboratory-based test.

Exclusion criteria

-weight unstable (>1.1 pounds weight change in one week based on regressed daily body weights).