This article discusses methodological aspects of food consumption studies in children and adolescents. To reach the understanding of these methods it provides the value of Nutritional Epidemiology in a general context through a descriptive study of diet relation with the manifestation of disease as well as historical origin, value, advantage, constraints and use of methods employed to measure food intake, especially in children and adolescents in population epidemiological studies. In addition, it presents classic and contemporaneous literature demonstrating results obtained and some suggestions to improve these methods. Finally, it discloses the more relevant aspects that by consensus of many researchers compete with constraining and facilitating factors in their use providing them with more validity and reproducibility concerning studies of food consumption for children and adolescents.
Food consumption; Diet inquiries; Children; Adolescents