To assess the relative validity of a new, web-based, self-administered 24 h dietary recall, the R24W, for assessment of energy and nutrient intakes among French Canadians.

Each participant completed a 3d food record (FR) and the R24W on three occasions over a 4-week period. Intakes of energy and of twenty-four selected nutrients assessed by both methods were compared.

Québec City metropolitan area.

Fifty-seven women and fifty men (mean (sd) age: 47·2 (13·3) years).

Equivalent proportions of under-reporters were found with the R24W (15·0%) and the FR (23·4%). Mean (sd) energy intake from the R24W was 7·2% higher than that from the FR (10 857 (3184) kJ/d (2595 (761) kcal/d) v. 10 075 (2971) kJ/d (2408 (710) kcal/d); P<0·01). Significant differences in mean nutrient intakes between the R24W and the FR ranged from –54·8% (i.e. lower value with R24W) for niacin to +40·0% (i.e. higher value with R24W) for alcohol. Sex- and energy-adjusted deattenuated correlations between the two methods were significant for all nutrients except Zn (range: 0·35–0·72; P<0·01). Cross-classification demonstrated that 40·0% of participants were classified in the same quartile with both methods, while 40·0% were classified in the adjacent quartile and only 3·6% were grossly misclassified (1st v. 4th quartile). Analysis of Bland–Altman plots revealed proportional bias between the two assessment methods for 8/24 nutrients.

These data suggest that the R24W presents an acceptable relative validity as compared with the FR for estimating usual dietary intakes in a cohort of French Canadians.