Dietary survey methods. 2. A comparison of nutrient intakes within families assessed by household measures and the semi-weighed method.

Mean nutrient intakes in eight families estimated using household measures were on average only 2 per cent greater than those based on semi-weighed method. The differences were significant for energy, fat, vitamin C and fibre. When the semi-weighed values for individual intakes of fat and sugar were substituted for the household measured values, the differences for fat and energy were no longer significant. Estimates of individual intakes based on household measures compared with those based on the semi-weighed method ranged from overestimates of 45 per cent to underestimates of 37 per cent.