Concordance of the scoring system for controlling the serum levels of cholesterol and fat.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the comprehension of the scoring system for controlling the serum levels of cholesterol and fat as an instrument of dietary intervention for hypercholesterolemic patients. METHODS The study comprised 153 individuals of both sexes, with ages ranging from 20 to 65 years, who sought medical care in a hospital or in a basic health unit. They were divided into the following 3 groups: hypercholesterolemic individuals, individuals with no diagnosis of hypercholesterolemia, and health care professionals. A 24-hour recall was used with each individual, who applied the cholesterol/saturated-fat index to their diets, consulting the scoring system. The researcher confirmed the calculation of each participant, considering her calculation as the a reference pattern. Understanding of the system was assessed through comparison between the reference pattern and the data obtained by the interviewees, using the intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS The patients without a diagnosis of hypercholesterolemia obtained a high correlation in all meals. The morning and afternoon snacks and supper were the meals with the greatest correlation (r = 1). In hypercholesterolemic individuals, supper was the meal with the greatest concordance with the reference score (r = 1), and the health care professionals obtained a correlation coefficient of 1 in all meals, except lunch (r = 0.99). CONCLUSION The scoring system was fast, simple, and easy to be understood and accepted by the population studied.