Individual dietary intake methodology: a 50-year review of progress.

This article provides an overview of five decades (1936 through 1987) of publications on individual dietary assessment methodology, such as dietary histories, estimated and weighed food records, food frequency questionnaires, and 24-hour recalls. Representative studies were selected to characterize data collection and analyses methods of each decade. During the 1930s and 1940s, dietary intake methodology was in its initial stages; popular methods were the dietary history technique and lengthy food records. The 1950s were characterized by extensive comparisons of methodologies, which now often included shorter-term food records and 24-hour recalls. The 1960s ushered in large scale epidemiological studies, the food frequency technique, and use of computer technology for computation; the 24-hour recall was still widely used in that decade and the next. Advances of the 1970s and 1980s include expansion of nutrient databases, sophisticated statistical techniques for analysis, and refinement of data collection methodologies for analysis, and refinement of data collection methodologies. The chronological approach used in this review not only highlights progress of each decade but also identifies the repetitive efforts of some studies. The need for creative approaches is emphasized as current research needs are identified.