A direct data entry system for processing dietary records: comparison with manual coding

Forty 7-day weighed food intake records were coded twice, once by transcribing codes and weights manually onto data sheets and once by direct data entry into a microcomputer using a menu-driven food coding program. To reduce the possibility of bias, a crossover design was used: one survey assistant coded the first 20 manually and then the second 20 by direct data entry; the other survey assistant coded the first 20 by direct data entry and the second 20 manually. The direct data entry system was found to reduce coding time by 32% and total processing time by 34%. The number of errors was also substantially reduced (by 39%). Direct data entry therefore represents a considerable improvement in the efficiency of data processing: for every 100 7-day records, 60 h of processing time would be saved.