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ASA24 (Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Dietary Assessment Tool) is a free, web-based tool from the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) that lets study participants complete automatically coded 24-hour dietary recalls and single- or multi-day food records without an interviewer. This page explains what it does, how it relates to interviewer-administered recalls, and what to check before building it into a study. It is general information for researchers and is not dietary or medical advice.
Definition and scope
NCI describes ASA24 as a freely available web-based tool that collects “multiple, automatically coded, self-administered 24-hour diet recalls and/or single or multi-day food records.” NCI positions it for epidemiologic, interventional, behavioral and clinical research, and notes that clinicians and educators also use it (NCI Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, ASA24 page, read 2026-11-11).
The tool has two parts: a Respondent website where participants report what they ate, and a Researcher website used for study logistics and data analyses. It sits within the wider field of nutrition science, specifically dietary assessment in nutritional epidemiology.
How ASA24 works in practice
The NCI Dietary Assessment Primer (Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, DOI 10.1016/j.jand.2015.08.016) states that ASA24 uses a computer interface rather than an interviewer. It is modeled on the USDA Automated Multiple-Pass Method (AMPM), incorporates multiple passes through the day’s intake, and uses USDA food composition databases for fully automated coding. The Primer lists the resulting advantages as standardized data collection, automated analysis and reduced cost compared with interviewer-administered methods.
NCI’s ASA24 page adds that the tool was adapted from the AMPM and from FIRSSt.
Recall versus food record versus interviewer-administered recall
The table lists only what the sources above state about each approach as it relates to ASA24.
| Approach | How it is delivered | What the sources state |
|---|---|---|
| ASA24 24-hour recall | Self-administered on the Respondent website | Multiple recalls per study are supported; coding is automated against USDA food composition databases (NCI Primer; NCI ASA24 page). |
| ASA24 food record | Self-administered on the Respondent website | Single-day or multi-day records are available alongside recalls (NCI ASA24 page). |
| Interviewer-administered multiple-pass recall (USDA AMPM) | Conducted by an interviewer | The AMPM is the model on which ASA24’s multiple-pass design is based; ASA24 replaces the interviewer with a computer interface (NCI Primer). |
Versions, languages and respondent fit check
Before committing to ASA24, check the study design against the constraints NCI publishes (NCI ASA24 page, read 2026-11-11):
- Version. The current US version is ASA24-2024. Canadian (ASA24-Canada-2018) and Australian versions are also current. NCI states that US versions are typically released every two years and remain available for about three years, so a long study may span a version change.
- Language. The US version is offered in English and Spanish; the Canadian version in English and French.
- Reading level. The respondent site is suited to people reading at or above a fifth-grade level in the available language.
- Age. NCI says research suggests respondents aged 12 and over can usually complete it independently. It recommends piloting with your target population, and notes that some studies have used parent or caregiver report for children.
A cohort that fails any of these checks, for example respondents who do not read English or Spanish in a US-version study, needs a different instrument or an interviewer-administered approach.
Where it matters for study planning
Dietary intake from recalls is usually analysed against reference diet-quality measures; see the CASRAI guide to the Healthy Eating Index for one such measure. Because ASA24 is a self-report instrument, general questionnaire-design and survey-methods considerations apply to the way you recruit, schedule and remind participants; see survey research methods and advantages and disadvantages of surveys.
Common misunderstandings
- “ASA24 is only a recall tool.” NCI describes it as supporting both 24-hour recalls and food records.
- “It needs a trained interviewer.” It is self-administered through a computer interface; that is its stated purpose.
- “It is a commercial product.” NCI describes it as freely available.
- “One version covers every country.” There are separate US, Canadian and Australian versions.
FAQ
What does ASA24 stand for?
Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Dietary Assessment Tool, developed by the National Cancer Institute.
Is ASA24 free?
Yes. NCI describes it as a freely available web-based tool.
Who can use the Respondent website?
NCI says it suits people who read at or above a fifth-grade level in English or Spanish (US version), with research suggesting those aged 12 and over can usually complete it independently.
Which versions exist?
US (currently ASA24-2024), Canadian (ASA24-Canada-2018) and Australian versions.
Is ASA24 based on an interviewer method?
It is modeled on the USDA Automated Multiple-Pass Method and replaces the interviewer with a computer interface.
Sources
- National Cancer Institute, ASA24 Dietary Assessment Tool, read 2026-11-11.
- NCI Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24), read 2026-11-11.
- NCI Dietary Assessment Primer, J Acad Nutr Diet, DOI 10.1016/j.jand.2015.08.016 (PMC4663113), read 2026-11-11.
