Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the contents of the questionnaires used in dietary surveys and to evaluate each item in relation to the item construction strategy. Articles of which the contents were related to food, nutrition, diet, dietary behavior, and related areas. Published from 1997 to 1999 were searched fir and a total of 121 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. The questions in the questionnaires were classified into related areas and sub-areas. Among the keywords in the title of the articles, the term 'nutritional status'(or 'dietary intake status') was most frequently used. The terms such as dietary status, obesity, health, food habit, and dietary behavior were also frequency used. Major topics of the items in the questionnaires varied according to the life cycle of the subjects of the study. The topics most frequently asked in each lift cycle were as follows : overeating, snack, and food preference for preschool- and school-aged children ; anthropometry, weight control, and snack for middle and highschool students : meal skipping, smoking, and drinking for college students : disease, smoking, drinking, and exercise for adults : and smoking, drinking, disease and perceived health for the elderly. Inappropriate questions with complicated language, typographic and grammatic errors, unnecessary words, and negative questions were found. Therefore, care should be taken to construct each question so as to avoid possible misinterpretation. Also, a standardized questionnaire be developed for survey researchers.

• Keywords: questionnaire; dietary survey; content analysis; life cycle