Dietary assessments determine what and how much a person eats, combined with physical evaluations and diagnostic tests. Various methods are used, but self-reporting can be flawed. Assessments can identify health risks, deficiencies, and allergies, leading to recommendations for diet changes, exercise, and supplements. Complete and accurate information is crucial for effective care.
A dietary assessment is a process designed to determine what types of food a person eats and in what amounts. This information is combined with the results of physical evaluations and diagnostic tests to obtain a complete nutritional evaluation of a patient. Such assessments are used to determine whether patients are meeting their dietary needs, to identify health risk factors a patient may be experiencing, and to help individuals design appropriate diets.
There are several dietary assessment methods that can be used to collect this data. Direct observation is best, usually only possible in a hospital setting where food intake can be precisely controlled. Patients who agree to be recorded can also be tested outside of the hospital, although this can make the patient self-conscious and can mean it is difficult to get accurate results.
Other methods may include keeping a food diary to track all foods eaten or self-reporting in interviews with a care provider. Telephone interviews and interviews in a clinic can be used to solicit information about what people are eating. Self-report for a dietary assessment can be a flawed data collection method, as patients may underestimate the amount of food they are eating, forget to write down snacks, or fail to measure portions correctly, resulting in skewed data. Steps to help patients record information correctly may include providing visual representations of portion sizes and providing patients with checklists they can use instead of writing down the details of their meals.
A dietary assessment can be used to explore the possibility of food allergies, identify nutritional deficiencies that may be contributing to health problems, or narrow down possible causes of weight loss or gain. At the end of the evaluation, a nutritionist, doctor, or dietitian can review the information and make recommendations. These may include changing food intake, adding more exercise, eliminating certain foods, or adding supplements to the diet to meet nutritional needs.
Dietary assessments are most valuable when patients are honest, accurate, and detailed in their responses. The more complete the information, the better the recommendations of a professional. Patients will be taken through a detailed process to learn how to track and report what they are consuming and some will find it helpful to do things like take photos, weigh or measure before eating to generate unbiased data. It is also important to remember that there are no right or wrong answers to a dietary assessment and that incomplete information can result in compromised care.
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