The data

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The data are from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) – Nutrition, which was designed to collect information about the food and nutrient intake of the household population. The CCHS excludes members of the regular Canadian Forces and residents of the three territories, Indian reserves, institutions and some remote areas, as well as all residents (military and civilian) of Canadian Forces bases. Detailed descriptions of the CCHS design, sample and interview procedures are available in a published report.⁴ 

This article is based on data from the "24-hour dietary recall" component of the 2004 CCHS. Respondents were asked to list all foods and beverages consumed during the 24 hours before the day of their interview (midnight to midnight). Interviewers used the "Automated Multi-pass Method,"^5, 6 with a five-step approach to help respondents remember what they had to eat and drink:

•  quick list (respondents reported all foods and beverages consumed in whatever order they wished);
•  questions about specific food categories and frequently forgotten foods;
•  questions about the time of consumption and type of meal (for example, lunch, dinner);
•  questions seeking more detailed, precise descriptions of foods and beverages and quantities consumed; and
•  a final review.

A subsample of the population responded to a second 24-hour recall a few days later to help assess day-to-day variations in food and beverage intake. Information for children younger than 6 was collected from their parents, and interviews for children aged 6 to 11 were conducted with parental help. When parents were unable to provide details (for example, foods and/or beverages eaten at daycare or at school), they were asked to get as much information as possible from those who had been in charge of their children. The energy and nutrient content of the food and beverages was derived from Health Canada's Canadian Nutrient File 2001b, Supplement.⁷ 

A total of 35,107 people completed the initial 24-hour dietary recall, and a subsample of 10,786 completed the second recall three to ten days later. Response rates were 76.5% and 72.8%, respectively. A total of 128 recalls were excluded for various reasons: invalid or "null" recalls, breastfeeding children and children younger than age 1. The first 24-hour recall for 14,493 children and teens aged 1 to 18 years was used for this study. The bootstrap method, which takes into account the complex survey design, was used to estimate standard errors, coefficients of variation, and confidence intervals.^8, 9 The significance level was set at p < 0.05.

The beverage categories are based in groupings created by Health Canada's Bureau of Nutritional Sciences. Recipes and basic foods have separate categories. The categories were revised to eliminate double-counting. Beverages used in food recipes belonging to a non-beverage food category (milk in a cake recipe, for example) are excluded from the beverage categories.

The water category refers to municipal, bottled, well and distilled water consumed as such. It excludes water required to prepare another beverage (for instance, water in coffee is included in the coffee category).

The milk category includes all milk regardless of fat content, evaporated milk and milk added to tea or coffee. It also includes goat milk and infant formulas. Condensed milk and milk added to ready-to-eat or hot cooked cereals (on average, 45 grams of milk daily) are excluded.

The fruit juice category refers to 100% pure juice, and includes the juice portion of alcoholic beverages and juice recipes (concentrate and water). Fruit and vegetable juice is a different category, separate from fruit juice and also from vegetable juice.

The fruit drinks category comprises beverages that contain less than 100% fruit juice. Together, fruit drinks and regular soft drinks make up the sweetened beverages category.

Total beverages includes all of the above categories, as well as tea and coffee (excluding added items such as cream), milk-based beverages (mix of milk and a powder, eggnog, and milkshakes), other types of milk (soy and rice beverages, buttermilk), diet soft drinks, beer (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), spirit, liqueurs, wine, and coolers.

The methods used to gather information about food and beverage consumption are generally associated with some under-reporting. The 24-hour dietary recall is not immune to this problem, even when the Automated Multiple-pass Method, which maximizes respondent recall, is used. Another report¹⁰ estimated calorie under-reporting at close to 10% for CCHS respondents aged 12 or older. Under-reporting of beverages will strongly correlate with that of energy.

It is possible that some traces of a beverage category are found in another category in cases where it is impossible to separate certain ingredients in a mixture.