The Impact of Conventional Dietary Intake Data Coding Methods on Snacks Typically Consumed by Socioeconomically Diverse African American and White Urban Population: A Comparison of Coding Methods

This study assessed the significance of implementing combination codes generated by USDA's Automated Multiple Pass Method and the impact on the assessment of snacking using the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study. African American and White participants (n=2177) completed two 24-hour dietary recalls. All self-reported snacks were assigned a food group code, while snacks eaten in combination (e.g. cereal with milk) were additionally assigned a combination code and associated with a food group based on primary component (e.g. cereal). Combination codes produced significant variation in snack lists by race, providing a better depiction of snacking patterns.