Measuring the dietary intake of Samoans living in New Zealand: Comparison of a food frequency questionnaire and a 7 day diet record

There is no recent validated short food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for use in New Zealand (NZ) adults. This study aimed to evaluate the relative validity and reproducibility of a short FFQ in free-living NZ adults aged 30–59 years. A 57-item, semi-quantitative FFQ was developed and pre-tested. During a 12-month study period the FFQ was administrated twice with a 9-month interval between administrations. Four two-day diet records were collected at months 0, 3, 6, and 9 and a blood sample was taken at month 9. Spearman correlations were used to evaluate the validity of the FFQ with the eight-day diet records and selected biomarkers. Cross-classification analysis and the Bland–Altman method were used to assess the agreement between the FFQ and the diet record. Reproducibility over nine months was assessed using intra-class correlations. A total of 132 males and females completed both FFQs, the eight-day diet record, and provided a blood sample. The highest energy-adjusted correlation coefficients were observed for alcohol (0.81), cholesterol (0.61), and carbohydrate (0.61), with the lowest for sodium (0.29), thiamin (0.33), and niacin equivalents (0.34). More than three quarters of the participants were correctly classified into the same or adjacent quartile for most nutrients, with a low proportion of participants being grossly misclassified (<10%). For most nutrients, the limits of agreement from the Bland–Altman analyses were between 50% and 250%. A positive correlation was observed between dietary intakes and plasma biomarkers for all selected nutrients. The FFQ showed moderate to good reproducibility, with almost all reliability coefficients ranging from 0.60 to 0.80. This short FFQ was shown to validly and reliably rank individuals by their habitual intake of most major nutrients, indicating that the FFQ will offer a time-efficient way to assess the nutrient intake of NZ adults in future research.

Download Full-text

Evaluation of a food frequency questionnaire to determine dietary intake in a large cohort: The SAPALDIA study

Aktuelle Ernährungsmedizin ◽

10.1055/s-0032-1312542 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 37 (03) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

N Steinemann ◽

IU Leonhäuser ◽

N Probst-Hensch ◽

L Grize ◽

C Brombach

Keyword(s):

Dietary Intake ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Large Cohort ◽

Food Frequency

Download Full-text

Development and validation of a food frequency questionnaire for Japanese athletes (FFQJA)

Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition ◽

10.1186/s12970-021-00433-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kazuko Ishikawa-Takata ◽

Kaori Okamoto ◽

Motoko Taguchi

Keyword(s):

Dietary Intake ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Kappa Statistic ◽

Portion Size ◽

Vitamin B ◽

Kappa Index ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Supplement Use ◽

Food Items ◽

Dietary Records

Abstract Background Food frequency questionnaires are considered an effective method for assessing habitual dietary intake, but they must be developed or validated with the target population. Portion size, supplement use and food choice are thought to be especially important methodological considerations for assessing athletes’ dietary intake. This study aimed to develop and validate a food frequency questionnaire for Japanese athletes using data from this population. Methods We used dietary records from 440 Japanese athletes involved in our previous projects. Food items were analyzed using cumulative percentage contributions and multiple regression analysis, to give a selection of 62 basic food items and four supplemental items. The validity of the questionnaire was evaluated among another 77 Japanese athletes by comparing nutrient intakes assessed using the questionnaire with dietary records. Reproducibility was evaluated by comparing a second questionnaire completed 2–3 weeks later by 36 of the athletes in the validation study. Validity was assessed using crude Spearman’s correlation coefficients (CCs), energy-adjusted CCs, intraclass CCs (ICCs), and Kappa index values. Reproducibility was assessed by CCs, energy-adjusted CCs, and ICCs. Results In the validation analysis, the median crude CC for all of the nutrients was 0.407, ranging from 0.222 for dietary fiber to 0.550 for carbohydrate. The median energy-adjusted CC was 0.478, and the median ICC was 0.369. When we divided the athletes into quartiles, 65% (vitamin B1) to 86% (iron) of athletes were classified into the same or adjacent categories using the questionnaire and dietary records, with a median Kappa statistic of 0.32. In the reproducibility analysis, the median crude CC between the two completed questionnaires was 0.654, ranging from 0.582 (carbohydrate) to 0.743 (vitamin B2). The median energy-adjusted CC was 0.643, and the median ICC was 0.647. Conclusions The new 62-item food frequency questionnaire is both reliable and valid and may be useful for assessing food intake in Japanese athletes.

Download Full-text