Table 2 Survey improvement suggestions and representative quotations

Revise survey structure

“I think dietary questionnaires should have less ‘yes’/‘no’ questions. They should be more open ended so that you can obtain richer data” (Female participant, Colombo).

“The short questionnaire can ask the same thing meal by meal” (Female participant, Colombo).

Expand survey content

“There should be more detailed questions on oil consumption” (Female participant, Colombo)

“If you asked about alcohol consumption you may be able to get a better idea of the calorie intake” (Female participant, Colombo).

Reduce participation burden

“[Researchers] must categorise the data into food groups after obtaining the food data as meals. When you ask a participant to recall what he ate as a food group you are trying to get him to do your job” (Male participant, Colombo).

“Better to make these questionnaires self-administered and let the participant fill” (Male participant, Trincomalee).

“It is very important to develop questionnaires that will not consume so much time. If not, people do not have the time to waste on things like this” (Male participant, Colombo).

Maintain current format

“I don’t think they need improvement. Especially the short diet questionnaire [which] adequately captures the Sri Lankan ways of eating” (Male participant, Colombo).