Reproducibility and relative validity of dietary glycaemic index and glycaemic load assessed by the food-frequency questionnaire used in the Dutch cohorts of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition

Dietary glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) are indices used to quantify the effect of carbohydrate quality and quantity on postprandial glycaemia. GI/GL-health associations are widely studied but data on the validity of integrated GI/GL measurements are scarce. We evaluated the performance of a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) specifically developed to assess GI/GL. In total, 263 Dutch men and 212 women (aged 55 ± 11 years) completed a 58-item GI-FFQ, an 183-item general-FFQ and a 2-day 24 h-recall and donated blood for glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) determination. The level of agreement between these methods was evaluated by (1) cross-classification, (2) correlations and (3) Bland and Altman plots. The three dietary assessment methods provided comparable mean intake estimates for total carbohydrates (range: 214–237 g/day), mono/disaccharides (100–107 g/day), polysaccharides (114–132 g/day), as well as bread, breakfast cereals, potatoes, pasta, rice, fruit, dairy, cakes/cookies and sweets. Mean (±SD) GI estimates were also comparable between the GI-FFQ (54 ± 3), general-FFQ (53 ± 4) and 24 h-recalls (53 ± 5). Mean (±SD) GI-FFQ GL (117 ± 37) was slightly lower than the general-FFQ GL (126 ± 38) and 24 h-recalls GL (127 ± 37). Classification of GI in quartiles was identical for the GI-FFQ and general-FFQ for 43% of the population (r = 0.58) and with 24 h-recalls for 35% of the population (de-attenuated r = 0.64). For GL, this was 48% (r = 0.65) and 44% (de-attenuated r = 0.74). Correlations between GI and HbA1c were low (r = −0.09 for GI-FFQ, r = −0.04 for general-FFQ and r = 0.07 for 24 h-recalls). In conclusion, compared to a general-FFQ and 24 h-recalls, the GI-FFQ showed a moderate to good relative validity for carbohydrates, carbohydrate-rich foods and GI/GL. No metric predicted HbA1c.

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Validity of carbohydrate, glycaemic index and glycaemic load data obtained using a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980007001103 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 573-580 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Alan Winston Barclay ◽

Victoria Mary Flood ◽

Jennie Cecile Brand-Miller ◽

Paul Mitchell

Keyword(s):

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Linear Trend ◽

Weighted Kappa ◽

Glycaemic Index ◽

Total Carbohydrate ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Significant Linear Trend ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Glycaemic Load ◽

Good Agreement

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the ability of a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to rank Australians according to their intake of total carbohydrate, sugar, starch, fibre, glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL).DesignCross-sectional sample from a population cohort.SettingTwo postcode areas west of Sydney, Australia.SubjectsFrom 1992 to 1994, a total of 2868 older Australians provided dietary data using a 145-item Willett-derived FFQ. A representative sub-sample of 78 subjects completed three 4-day weighed food records (WFRs). Pearson and Spearman correlations, Bland–Altman plots and weighted kappa values were calculated.ResultsCompared with the WFR, the FFQ provided higher mean estimates of all nutrients except starch and GI. All Pearson and/or Spearman correlations were greater than 0.5, except for GL. For GI, sugar, starch and fibre, the regression lines from the Bland–Altman analysis indicated a non-significant linear trend (P = 0.07, P = 0.36, P = 0.28 and P = 0.10, respectively). For GL and total carbohydrate, however, there was a significant linear trend (P = 0.006 and P < 0.0001, respectively), indicating that as the GL and carbohydrate intake of individuals increased, so did the magnitude of the error between the FFQ and WFR. Weighted kappa values all indicated moderate to good agreement, with the exception of GL which was only fair. The proportions of subjects correctly classified within one quintile for all of the nutrients were over 50% and gross misclassification was low (<10%).ConclusionThis FFQ was able to rank individuals according to their intakes of total carbohydrate, sugar, starch, fibre and GI, but not as well for GL.

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Development and Relative Validity of a Semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire to Estimate Dietary Intake among a Multi-Ethnic Population in the Malaysian Cohort Project

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13041163 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 1163

Author(s):

Suzana Shahar ◽

Mohd Razif Shahril ◽

Noraidatulakma Abdullah ◽

Boekhtiar Borhanuddin ◽

Mohd Arman Kamaruddin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin C ◽

Correlation Coefficient ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Intraclass Correlation ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Weighted Kappa ◽

Dietary Intakes ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Relative Validity ◽

Spearman’S Correlation

Measuring dietary intakes in a multi-ethnic and multicultural setting, such as Malaysia, remains a challenge due to its diversity. This study aims to develop and evaluate the relative validity of an interviewer-administered food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in assessing the habitual dietary exposure of The Malaysian Cohort (TMC) participants. We developed a nutrient database (with 203 items) based on various food consumption tables, and 803 participants were involved in this study. The output of the FFQ was then validated against three-day 24-h dietary recalls (n = 64). We assessed the relative validity and its agreement using various methods, such as Spearman’s correlation, weighed Kappa, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Bland–Altman analysis. Spearman’s correlation coefficient ranged from 0.24 (vitamin C) to 0.46 (carbohydrate), and almost all nutrients had correlation coefficients above 0.3, except for vitamin C and sodium. Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from −0.01 (calcium) to 0.59 (carbohydrates), and weighted Kappa exceeded 0.4 for 50% of nutrients. In short, TMC’s FFQ appears to have good relative validity for the assessment of nutrient intake among its participants, as compared to the three-day 24-h dietary recalls. However, estimates for iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C should be interpreted with caution.

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Reproducibility and relative validity of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire for the Chinese lactating mothers

Nutrition Journal ◽

10.1186/s12937-021-00678-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ye Ding ◽

Fang Li ◽

Ping Hu ◽

Mei Ye ◽

Fangping Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Dietary Assessment ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Assessment Method ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Relative Validity ◽

Lactating Mothers ◽

Dietary Record ◽

Spearman’S Correlation

Abstract Background The dietary nutritional status of the lactating mothers is related to maternal health and has a significant impact on the growth and development of infants through the secretion of breast milk. The food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) is the most cost-effective dietary assessment method that can help obtain information on the usual dietary pattern of participants. Until now, the FFQs have been used for different populations in China, but there are few FFQs available for the lactating mothers. We aimed to develop a semi-quantitative, 156-item FFQ for the Chinese lactating mothers, and evaluate its reproducibility and relative validity. Methods A total of 112 lactating mothers completed two FFQs and one 3-d dietary record (3DR). The first FFQ (FFQ1) was conducted during postpartum at 60–65 days and the second FFQ (FFQ2) during subsequent follow-up at 5 weeks. The 3DR was completed with portion sizes assessed using photographs taken by the respondent before and after eating (instant photography) 1 week after FFQ1. Results For reproducibility, the Spearman’s correlation coefficients for food ranged from 0.34 to 0.68, and for nutrients from 0.25 to 0.61. Meanwhile, the intra-class correlation coefficients for food ranged from 0.48 to 0.87, and for nutrients from 0.27 to 0.70. For relative validity, the Spearman’s correlation coefficients for food ranged from 0.32 to 0.56, and for nutrients from 0.23 to 0.72. The energy-adjusted coefficients for food ranged from 0.26 to 0.55, and for nutrients from 0.22 to 0.47. Moreover, the de-attenuation coefficients for food ranged from 0.34 to 0.67, and for nutrients from 0.28 to 0.77. The Bland-Altman plots also showed reasonably acceptable agreement between the two methods. Conclusions This FFQ is a reasonably reproducible and a relative valid tool for assessing dietary intake of the Chinese lactating mothers.

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Relative Validity of an Italian EPIC Food Frequency Questionnaire for Dietary Factors in Children and Adolescents. A Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13041245 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 1245

Author(s):

Inge Huybrechts ◽

Rossella Miglio ◽

Lorenza Mistura ◽

Sara Grioni ◽

Irene Pozzebon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Secondary School ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Dietary Factors ◽

Food Groups ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Relative Validity ◽

Diary Method ◽

Italian Children ◽

The Impact

Dietary factors play a major role in the development of non-communicable diseases, however little is known regarding the impact of nutrition on rare diseases like sarcomas. This Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute study aimed to evaluate the relative validity of a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to measure the consumption of foods in comparison with a 3-days diary diet in a healthy Italian student population aged between 12 and 17 years. An extended version (including food groups for children) of the semi-quantitative FFQ used in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) was administered. The validity of the FFQ was assessed by comparing the intakes from the FFQ against the 3-day diary method. 254 Italian subjects were included in the analyses: 128 females; 126 males; 116 from High Secondary School (14–17 years); 138 from Low Secondary School (12–13 years). Mean and median intakes are overall higher in the FFQs than in the food diaries. Spearman correlations adjusted for within-person variability were highest for legumes, vegetables and coffee/tea (>0.5), followed by potatoes, meat, fruits, breakfast cereals, biscuits and candies, and milk/yoghurts (>0.4). Moderate correlations were found for alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, juices, and grains (>0.3). For some food groups, such as fish, potatoes, and bread, correlations tend to become higher when stratifying the analyses for age group. These results demonstrate that the adapted EPIC COS FFQ validated in Italian adults is also appropriate and well understood by Italian children and adolescents.

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