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Although dietary intake over a single 24-h period may be atypical of an individual's habitual pattern, multiple 24-h dietary assessments can be representative of habitual intake and help in assessing seasonal variation. Web-based questionnaires are convenient for the participant and result in automatic data capture for study investigators. This study reports on the acceptability of repeated web-based administration of the Oxford WebQ--a 24-h recall of frequency from a set food list suitable for self-completion from which energy and nutrient values can be automatically generated. As part of the UK Biobank study, four invitations to complete the Oxford WebQ were sent by email over a 16-month period. Overall, 176 012 (53% of those invited) participants completed the online version of the Oxford WebQ at least once and 66% completed it more than once, although only 16% completed it on all four occasions. The response rate for any one round of invitations varied between 34 and 26%. On most occasions, the Oxford WebQ was completed on the same day that they received the invitation, although this was less likely if sent on a weekend. Participants who completed the Oxford WebQ tended to be white, female, slightly older, less deprived and more educated, which is typical of health-conscious volunteer-based studies. These findings provide preliminary evidence to suggest that repeated 24-h dietary assessment via the Internet is acceptable to the public and a feasible strategy for large population-based studies.

Original publication

DOI

10.1017/S0007114515004821

Type

Journal article

Journal

Br J Nutr

Publication Date

28/02/2016

Volume

115

Pages

681 - 686

Keywords

Acceptability, Diet, Dietary assessment, Internet, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Cohort Studies, Diet, Educational Status, Electronic Mail, Feeding Behavior, Female, Humans, Internet, Male, Middle Aged, Nutrition Assessment, Nutrition Surveys, Patient Preference, Prospective Studies, Self Report, Sex Characteristics, United Kingdom