Basic Coding Directions YAQ:

  1. This form should be completed ONLY BY NO. 2 OR NO. 1 PENCIL. The YAQ is read by an optical scanner, which will not recognize ink whether blue or black. If the respondent completes the questionnaire in ink, the response must be COVERED WITH PENCIL.
  1. Researchers must code and pencil in an ID for each participant if you the researcher is self coding.
  1. Please DO NOT FOLD the form once completed as this too may interfere with the scanning of these forms, adding error dietary data.
  1. Please DO NOT SCOTCH TAPE, STALE, HOLE PUNCH ANY PART OF THE YAQ or submit questionnaires that are damaged. If the YAQ is torn it will not be accepted by the scanner.
  1. The forms must be separated along the fold for scanning. Please rip off spines.
  1. When explaining to children how to complete the form the following might need additional explanation:
  1. This is NOT A TEST. There are no right or wrong answers. Children need to choose the answer that best describes what they usually eat.
  1. This is CONFIDENTIAL. The results will not be shared with teachers or parents.
  1. Only ONE answer per question. The children should choose the answer that best describes what they eat (This is for the amount of foods eaten not type of oil, milk, dairy, or taco. These questions can have more than one response).
  1. The questionnaire is based on foods eaten in the last year. The children may need to be reminded that the answer they choose should be WHAT THEY ACTUALLY EAT not what they LIKE TO EAT.
  1. The following words may need additional clarification (You may want to circle your copy so you will remember to clarify these when giving initial directions):

-“Never” means never or less than Once per month.

-“Multi-vitamins”- an acceptable alternative is vitamins.

-“pat” in referring to butter or margarine is the size of the individual serving or packet you receive in a restaurant. A pat is also equal to 1 teaspoon.

-“dark and other fish” refer to fish that is not processed or packaged in any way. Fish from fast food restaurants would be a “fish cake, fish sticks, or fish sandwich”.

  1. Foods the child might not be familiar with such as tofu or bagels: explain what they are and that never is probably the appropriate answer if they have never heard of it.
  1. Foods eaten only during certain times of the year (i.e. watermelon strawberries): explain that eating them two times during the week during the summer does not mean you choose the response two or more times a week. It means that two or more times a week times 10 in a summer equals 20 times a year of 52 weeks which would be 1-3 times a month.
  1. If the child does not know the brand name she/he can leave cereal, margarine, vitamins, and type of oil, leave blank.
  1. Must code age and sex.