AUTHOR=Le Donne Cinzia , Piccinelli Raffaela , Sette Stefania , Martone Deborah , Catasta Giovina , Censi Laura , Comendador Azcarraga Francisco Javier , D’Addezio Laura , Ferrari Marika , Mistura Lorenza , Pettinelli Antonella , Saba Anna , Barbina Donatella , Guerrera Debora , Carbone Pietro , Mazzaccara Alfonso , Turrini Aida 

TITLE=Dietary assessment training: The Italian IV SCAI study on 10–74 year-old individuals’ food consumption

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.954939

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2022.954939

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=Dietary surveys are conducted to examine population dietary patterns and these require a complex system of databases, and rules for constructing the data matrix (precision, coding, deriving new variables, e.g., body mass index from individual’s height and weight, classes, e.g., age-class, socio-economic status, physical activity, etc.). Management of the data collection requires specialized fieldworkers to allow for the collection of harmonized and standardized data. In this way, only statistical variability is envisaged and any eventual biases are due to probabilistic distribution but data are not affected by inaccuracy.
Fieldworkers training is a crucial part of each dietary survey. The idea to provide constant training throughout the whole survey period, from the preparatory phase to data collection phase, relies on the necessity to train fieldworkers and monitor the skills acquired during the study, in addition to helping fieldworkers to gain the necessary experience.
The aim of this article is to relate the experience in conducting the course path to high specialized interviewers who carrying out the cycle devoted to the 10-74 age class of the fourth nationwide food consumption study in Italy (IV SCAI ADULT) according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) guide. A course path was structured in three steps corresponding to the preparation, pilot, and collection phases. The whole path achieved the goal of collecting data related to 12 individuals by each participant, with an overall success rate (successful trainees/total participants) of 16,8% (84 out of an initial 500).
The aim was to provide good quality data in the short term, and a highly specialized community in the long term. Surveillance nutritional systems can count on a highly-skilled community, so decision-making in public health nutrition and a sustainable and healthy food system can rely on this infrastructure.