Use of the multiple-day weighed record for Senegalese children during the weaning period: a case of the "instrument effect".

In West Africa, the multiple-day weighed record is the most widely used technique for measuring children's food intakes. The children's eating behavior might be disrupted by the frequent weighings and the presence of a field-worker in the home. We explored the possibility of such an "instrument effect" in a 7-d food survey of 70 Senegalese children aged 10-13 mo. Energy intakes decreased significantly during the food survey (P < 0.0001). The decrease affected both daytime breast milk intake (8%) and solid food intakes (15%). The children's weight gain also decreased from a presurvey value of 6.9 to 2.1 g.kg-1.wk-1, indicating that their intakes during the food survey were lower than their usual intakes. The food-survey methodology was responsible for this "instrument effect." Policy decision-makers should be aware that data collected with the multiple-day weighed record technique might not reflect African children's usual food intakes.