Objective The Cholesterol-Saturated Fat Index (CSI) Scorecard was developed and tested as a self-monitoring tool for patients consuming a cholesterol-lowering diet.

Subjects/design Twelve nutritionists used the CSI Score-card to estimate the CSI score of the same five food records. Subsequently, using a revised tool, 12 subjects with hyper-cholesterolemia estimated the CSI score of their 4-day food records and 11 participated in evaluation meetings.

Statistical analyses Two-tailed, one-sample t tests and the Spearman p correlation test were used, respectively, to compare CSI Scorecard estimates of nutritionists and participants to CSI scores obtained from computer calculations.

Results The CSI scores estimated by the nutritionists were close to the computed scores at the 25th and 75th food record percentiles. The correlation of the estimated CSI scores of participants to the computed scores was r_s=.8 (P<.05).

Application The CSI Scorecard is a new, simple, quick, and accurate dietary self-monitoring tool patients can use in research centers and primary care settings. By numerically illustrating the saturated fat and cholesterol content of foods, the CSI Scorecard facilitates dietary self-monitoring and, thus, self-efficacy in the adoption and maintenance of a cholesterol-lowering dietary pattern. J Am Diet Assoc. 1996; 96:132-136.