Validation of a new computerized technique for quantitating individual dietary intake: the Nutrition Evaluation Scale System (NESSy) vs the weighed food record.

A validation study was conducted in which food intake recorded by research volunteers using a new computerized technique, the Nutrition Evaluation Scale System (NESSy), was compared with food intake obtained from a weighed food record concurrently measured and recorded by metabolic unit dietary staff. Nine women between ages 23 and 35 y resided in the metabolic research unit and recorded their food intake with NESSy for 16 consecutive days. The mean of the differences between NESSy and the manual technique was not significant on a group basis (p less than 0.05) for food energy or any other nutrient. All mean differences were less than 5% and Pearson correlation coefficients ranged from 0.81 to 0.98 (p less than 0.0001), with all but iron, potassium, sodium, and preformed niacin having correlations greater than 0.92. For the majority of the individuals, accuracy within 10% of their actual dietary intake was found for energy and selected nutrients. NESSy is a new computerized approach to dietary intake assessment that yields accurate data on both a group and individual basis.