What is a 1 day 24-hour recall multiple-pass?

November 24, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the National Cancer Institute, the Automated Multiple-Pass Method (AMPM) is used by the U.S. in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) to accurately assess food intake, and the foundation of this is the 1 day 24-hour recall multiple-pass methodology. This structured, retrospective interview technique is designed to capture all foods and beverages consumed by an individual over the prior 24-hour period.

Quick Summary

The 1 day 24-hour recall multiple-pass is a structured dietary assessment method using a series of detailed probes to help respondents remember and quantify all food and drink intake from the previous 24 hours, boosting accuracy over a single recall.

Key Points

Method Overview: A 1 day 24-hour recall multiple-pass is a structured interview technique used to obtain detailed dietary intake information over the past 24 hours.
Multiple Passes: The method employs a series of systematic steps, such as a quick list, forgotten food probes, and a detail cycle, to enhance memory and information completeness.
Enhanced Accuracy: By guiding the respondent through different stages, this approach significantly reduces the chance of forgetting food items and improves the accuracy of recalled portion sizes.
Widespread Use: This technique is a standard in national nutritional surveys and large-scale public health research due to its systematic nature and relatively low respondent burden.
Limitations: A single 24-hour recall may not represent an individual's usual dietary intake, and accuracy can depend on the interviewer's skill and the respondent's memory.
Technological Advancement: Automated, computer-assisted versions of the multiple-pass recall have been developed to standardize the process and further improve data quality.

The 1 Day 24-Hour Recall Multiple-Pass Explained

The 1 day 24-hour recall multiple-pass method is a sophisticated dietary assessment tool widely used in large-scale nutritional studies and national health surveys. Unlike a single, unstructured interview where a respondent might forget details, the multiple-pass approach systematically guides the interviewer and respondent through a series of steps. This process leverages cognitive psychology to help participants recall all food and beverage intake from the previous 24 hours, from midnight to midnight. The structured nature of the interview minimizes missed items, improves the accuracy of portion size estimates, and provides a more comprehensive picture of an individual's diet.

The Systematic Passes: A Five-Step Process

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed the Automated Multiple-Pass Method (AMPM), which is a five-step process designed to standardize the interview and maximize data accuracy. While the exact number of passes can vary slightly by protocol, the core cognitive-based strategy remains consistent:

Quick List: The first pass is a rapid, uninterrupted list of all foods and beverages the respondent can remember consuming during the recall period. This initial memory dump establishes the foundation of the dietary record.
Forgotten Foods: The second pass systematically probes for food categories often forgotten in initial recalls, such as snacks, condiments, beverages, or foods consumed while driving or shopping. This pass serves as an essential memory cue.
Time and Occasion: The third pass organizes the quick list into the time and occasion of consumption. This anchors each item to a specific eating occasion, such as breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack, improving the recall of surrounding details.
Detail Cycle: This is the most extensive pass, where the interviewer collects specific information for each item listed. This includes:
- Food preparation methods (e.g., fried, baked, boiled).
- Specific descriptions (e.g., brand names, fat content).
- Portion sizes, often estimated with the help of visual aids like food models or image booklets.
- The use of any additions, like sauces or sugar.
Final Probe: The final pass is a concluding review, giving the respondent one last chance to recall any forgotten items or to clarify any ambiguous details.

Advantages of the Multiple-Pass Method

The multiple-pass 24-hour recall offers several key benefits over other dietary assessment methods:

High Accuracy: The structured, multi-stage approach is tailored to human memory, significantly reducing the chances of forgetting foods and improving the precision of portion size estimates.
Low Respondent Burden: Compared to methods like weighed food records, the time and effort required from the participant is relatively minimal, leading to higher compliance rates.
Qualitative Data: It captures a rich array of contextual information, including preparation methods and eating occasions, which provides deeper insights into dietary habits.
Flexibility: The interview can be conducted in various formats, including face-to-face, via telephone, or using automated, computer-based systems.

Challenges of the Multiple-Pass Method

Despite its strengths, the multiple-pass method is not without its limitations:

Interviewer Dependency: Accuracy can be influenced by the skill of the interviewer in prompting and probing for details. Automated systems help standardize this, but human interaction still plays a role.
Memory Bias: The method is still retrospective and relies on the respondent's memory, which can be imperfect. While multiple passes reduce this bias, they do not eliminate it entirely.
Single-Day Snapshot: A single 24-hour recall provides data for only one day, which may not represent an individual's usual dietary intake, especially if that day was atypical. Multiple non-consecutive recalls are needed to account for day-to-day variations.
Respondent Reactivity: Some individuals, knowing their diet is being measured, may consciously or unconsciously alter their food consumption habits on the recall day.

Comparison: Multiple-Pass vs. Other Assessment Methods

The table below outlines how the 1 day 24-hour recall multiple-pass compares to other common dietary assessment methods.


Feature	Multiple-Pass 24-Hour Recall	Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ)	Weighed Food Record	Single-Pass 24-Hour Recall
Timeframe	Previous 24 hours	Extended period (e.g., month, year)	Specific recording period (e.g., 3-7 days)	Previous 24 hours
Effort (Respondent)	Low	Low	High	Low
Level of Detail	High (captures specific foods, preparation, portion sizes)	Moderate (based on pre-defined food lists and frequency)	Very high (requires weighing all foods)	Low to moderate (prone to missing details)
Strengths	Standardized, high accuracy for groups, low burden	Captures long-term usual intake, low cost for large samples	Highest accuracy for individual intake	Quick, simple to administer
Weaknesses	May not reflect usual intake (single day), interviewer bias	Subject to memory bias, relies on pre-determined food lists	High respondent burden, potential reactivity	High potential for forgotten items and poor detail

Conclusion

The 1 day 24-hour recall multiple-pass is a cornerstone of modern dietary assessment, particularly for large population-level studies. Its structured, memory-aiding approach significantly improves the quality and detail of the data collected compared to a single, unprompted recall. While it provides only a snapshot of dietary intake for a single day, its effectiveness in capturing a complete dietary record for that period makes it an invaluable tool for researchers and public health professionals. By employing multiple passes, this method minimizes the impact of memory lapses and ensures that often-forgotten food items, details, and portion sizes are systematically captured, leading to more robust and reliable nutritional data.

For more information on dietary assessment methods, see the National Cancer Institute's resource page.

Frequently Asked Questions

The recall is split into multiple passes to improve the accuracy and completeness of the data. Each pass uses cognitive cues to help the respondent remember foods that might have been forgotten in an initial, quick recall, and to add more detail to the items already mentioned.

The interview collects details about all food and beverages consumed, including specific brand names, portion sizes (often with visual aids), preparation methods, and additions like condiments or sauces.

A single 1 day recall provides only a snapshot of intake and may not represent a person's typical diet, so multiple recalls on non-consecutive days are usually required for assessing an individual's usual intake pattern.

The recall is typically conducted by a trained interviewer, such as a nutritionist, researcher, or trained assistant, either in person, over the phone, or via a computer-based system.

Portion sizes are estimated using various aids to help the respondent recall accurately, including food models, photographs, or measuring guides with standard household units.

The AMPM is a standardized, computer-based version of the multiple-pass 24-hour recall developed by the USDA to improve data collection consistency and efficiency.

The main advantage is the improved accuracy. By systematically probing for details and forgotten items, the multiple-pass method provides a more complete and precise record of consumption than a simple, single-pass interview.

Yes, but often with modifications. For young children, a parent or caregiver acts as a proxy reporter. For older children, an assisted reporting approach involving both the child and caregiver is used to ensure all intake is captured.