scholarly journals Validation of a short food frequency questionnaire to assess folate intake

2002 ◽  
Vol 87 (4) ◽  
pp. 383-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Pufulete ◽  
Peter W. Emery ◽  
Michael Nelson ◽  
Thomas A. B. Sanders
Keyword(s):  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
The Self ◽  
Folate Intake ◽  
Serum Folate ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Folate Status ◽  
Erythrocyte Folate ◽  
Biochemical Indices

A short quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to assess folate intake was developed and validated against a 7-d weighed food intake record (7d-WR) and biochemical indices of folate status. Thirty-six men and women completed the self-administered FFQ on two occasions a month apart, kept a 7d-WR and gave two fasting blood samples at the beginning and end of the study for measuring serum and erythrocyte folate, respectively. Mean folate intakes were similar by repeat FFQ and correlated strongly (r 0·77 and r 0·72, P<0·001, for men and women, respectively). All other comparisons were done using the results of the FFQ administered on the first occasion. Men reported similar folate intakes on the FFQ and 7d-WR, but women reported greater intakes on the FFQ compared with the 7d-WR (P<0·05). There was a statistically significant correlation (partial, controlling for gender) between folate intakes reported by FFQ and 7d-WR (r 0·53, P<0·01). Folate intakes estimated by FFQ correlated significantly with serum (r 0·47, P<0·01), but not erythrocyte folate (r 0·25, P>0·05); the strength of the association was greater in men than in women. Validity coefficients estimated using the method of triads were higher for the FFQ than for the 7d-WR when serum folate was used as the biomarker. Overall, these results suggest that this short FFQ is a useful method for assessing folate intake, particularly in men.

scholarly journals Folate status of Ghanaian populations in London and Accra

2009 ◽  
Vol 103 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matilda Owusu ◽  
Jane Thomas ◽  
Edwin Wiredu ◽  
Maria Pufulete
Keyword(s):  
Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase ◽  
Plasma Homocysteine ◽  
Folate Intake ◽  
Serum Folate ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Folate Status ◽  
Supplement Use ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Erythrocyte Folate ◽  
The Uk

Migration to the UK is associated with higher incidence of stroke in African populations. A low folate status has been associated with increased risk of stroke, likely to be mediated through raised plasma homocysteine concentrations. We conducted a cross-sectional study to compare blood folate and homocysteine concentrations in eighty healthy Ghanaian migrants living in London matched by sex, age and occupation to 160 individuals from an urban population in Accra, Ghana. Folate intake was determined using three 24 h recalls. Fasting blood samples were collected for the determination of serum and erythrocyte folate and plasma homocysteine concentrations and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C → T polymorphism. Reported mean folate intake was 20 % lower in London compared with Accra (P < 0·001). However, serum folate was 44 % higher, erythrocyte folate 30 % higher and plasma homocysteine was 26 % lower in subjects from London compared with those from Accra (P < 0·001). These differences persisted after adjusting for confounders including the MTHFR 677C → T mutation, which was rare in both populations. Although there were no associations between dietary folate intake and blood folates (P>0·05), folic acid supplement use, which was more prevalent in London than Accra (25 and 10 %, respectively,P = 0·004) was associated with erythrocyte folate in both populations (P < 0·01). The main predictors of plasma homocysteine concentrations were erythrocyte folate and male sex (P < 0·001). Findings from the present study suggest that migration from Ghana to the UK results in improvement of biomarkers of folate status despite the fact that reported dietary intake of folate was apparently lower in subjects from London.

scholarly journals Validity and reproducibility of an interviewer-administered food frequency questionnaire for healthy French-Canadian men and women

2004 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Goulet ◽  
Geneviève Nadeau ◽  
Annie Lapointe ◽  
Benoît Lamarche ◽  
Simone Lemieux
Keyword(s):  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
French Canadian ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Men And Women

Ratios of Food Amounts across Three Portion Size Categories on a Food Frequency Questionnaire in Men and Women

2020 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 258-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minji Kang ◽  
Song-Yi Park ◽  
Carol J. Boushey ◽  
Lynne R. Wilkens ◽  
Loïc Le Marchand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Portion Size ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Men And Women

scholarly journals Considering Gender Differences in Portion Sizes to Improve the Accuracy of Nutrient Intakes from A Food Frequency Questionnaire

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minji Kang ◽  
Song-Yi Park ◽  
Carol J. Boushey ◽  
Lynne R. Wilkens ◽  
Loïc Le Marchand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Portion Size ◽  
Nutrient Intakes ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Intake Assessment ◽  
Nutrient Density ◽  
Multiethnic Cohort ◽  
Calibration Study ◽  
Using Data

The aim of this study was to examine whether using gender specific-portion size (GS-PS) improves the accuracy of nutrient intake assessment by a quantitative food frequency questionnaire (QFFQ). For GS-PS quantification, a gram amount was assigned to each PS category for each food item for men and women separately using data from three 24 h dietary recalls (24HDRs) in a calibration study of the Multiethnic Cohort (men = 1141, women = 1150). Nutrient intakes were calculated from the QFFQ using the original-PS and the GS-PS, and were compared with 24HDRs. When intakes of energy and 15 nutrients were compared, absolute intakes calculated using the GS-PS were closer to intake levels of 24HDRs in both men and women. Using GS-PS did not affect intakes expressed as nutrient density or correlations between 24HDRs and the QFFQ. The current findings indicate that considering gender in PS determination can increase the accuracy of intake assessment by QFFQ for absolute nutrient intakes, but not for nutrient densities.

scholarly journals Nutritional methods in the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer in Norfolk

2001 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 847-858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila A Bingham ◽  
Ailsa A Welch ◽  
Alison McTaggart ◽  
Angela A Mulligan ◽  
Shirley A Runswick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin C ◽  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Nutrient Intake ◽  
Plasma Vitamin ◽  
Nutrient Intakes ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Food And Nutrient Intake ◽  
The Uk

AbstractObjective:To describe methods and dietary habits of a large population cohort.Design:Prospective assessment of diet using diet diaries and food-frequency questionnaires, and biomarkers of diet in 24-h urine collections and blood samples.Setting:Free living individuals aged 45 to 75 years living in Norfolk, UK.Subjects:Food and nutrient intake from a food-frequency questionnaire on 23 003 men and women, and from a 7-day diet diary from 2117 men and women. Nitrogen, sodium and potassium excretion was obtained from single 24-h urine samples from 300 individuals in the EPIC cohort. Plasma vitamin C was measured for 20 846 men and women.Results:The food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and the food diary were able to determine differences in foods and nutrients between the sexes and were reliable as judged by repeated administrations of each method. Plasma vitamin C was significantly higher in women than men. There were significant (P<0.001) differences in mean intake of all nutrients measured by the two different methods in women but less so in men. The questionnaire overestimated dairy products and vegetables in both men and women when compared with intakes derived from the diary, but underestimated cereal and meat intake in men. There were some consistent trends with age in food and nutrient intakes assessed by both methods, particularly in men. Correlation coefficients between dietary intake assessed from the diary and excretion of nitrogen and potassium in a single 24-h urine sample ranged from 0.36 to 0.47. Those comparing urine excretion and intake assessed from the FFQ were 0.09 to 0.26. The correlations between plasma vitamin C and dietary intake from the first FFQ, 24-h recall or diary were 0.28, 0.35 and 0.40.Conclusions:EPIC Norfolk is one of the largest epidemiological studies of nutrition in the UK and the largest on which plasma vitamin C has been obtained. Methods for obtaining food and nutrient intake are described in detail. The results shown here for food and nutrient intakes can be compared with results from other population studies utilising different methods of assessing dietary intake. The utility of different methods used in different settings within the main EPIC cohort is described. The FFQ is to be used particularly in pooled analyses of risk from diet in relation to cancer incidence within the larger European EPIC study, where measurement error is more likely to be overcome by large dietary heterogeneity on an international basis. Findings in the UK, where dietary variation between individuals is smaller and hence the need to use a more accurate individual method greater, will be derived from the 7-day diary information on a nested case–control basis. 24-h recalls can be used in the event that diary information should not be forthcoming from some eventual cases. Combinations of results utilising all dietary methods and biomarkers may also be possible.

scholarly journals Dietary patterns in middle-aged Irish men and women defined by cluster analysis

2004 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 1017-1024 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Villegas ◽  
A Salim ◽  
MM Collins ◽  
A Flynn ◽  
IJ Perry
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Dietary Patterns ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Vitamin B ◽  
Irish Population ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Prudent Diet

AbstractObjectives:To identify and characterise dietary patterns in a middle-aged Irish population sample and study associations between these patterns, sociodemographic and anthropometric variables and major risk factors for cardiovascular disease.Design:A cross-sectional study.Subjects and methods:A group of 1473 men and women were sampled from 17 general practice lists in the South of Ireland. A total of 1018 attended for screening, with a response rate of 69%. Participants completed a detailed health and lifestyle questionnaire and provided a fasting blood sample for glucose, lipids and homocysteine. Dietary intake was assessed using a standard food-frequency questionnaire adapted for use in the Irish population. The food-frequency questionnaire was a modification of that used in the UK arm of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer study, which was based on that used in the US Nurses' Health Study. Dietary patterns were assessed primarily by K-means cluster analysis, following initial principal components analysis to identify the seeds.Results:Three dietary patterns were identified. These clusters corresponded to a traditional Irish diet, a prudent diet and a diet characterised by high consumption of alcoholic drinks and convenience foods. Cluster 1 (Traditional Diet) had the highest intakes of saturated fat (SFA), monounsaturated fat (MUFA) and percentage of total energy from fat, and the lowest polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) intake and ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fat (P:S). Cluster 2 (Prudent Diet) was characterised by significantly higher intakes of fibre, PUFA, P:S ratio and antioxidant vitamins (vitamins C and E), and lower intakes of total fat, MUFA, SFA and cholesterol. Cluster 3 (Alcohol & Convenience Foods) had the highest intakes of alcohol, protein, cholesterol, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, folate, iron, phosphorus, selenium and zinc, and the lowest intakes of PUFA, vitamin A and antioxidant vitamins (vitamins C and E). There were significant differences between clusters in gender distribution, smoking status, physical activity, body mass index, waist circumference and serum homocysteine concentrations.Conclusion:In this general population sample, cluster analysis methods yielded two major dietary patterns: prudent and traditional. The prudent dietary pattern is associated with other health-seeking behaviours. Study of dietary patterns will help elucidate links between diet and disease and contribute to the development of healthy eating guidelines for health promotion.

scholarly journals Validity and Reproducibility of the Self-administered Food Frequency Questionnaire in the JPHC Study Cohort I: Study Design, Conduct and Participant Profiles

2003 ◽  
Vol 13 (1sup) ◽  
pp. 2-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shoichiro Tsugane ◽  
Satoshi Sasaki ◽  
Minatsu Kobayashi ◽  
Yoshitaka Tsubono ◽  
Masayuki Akabane
Keyword(s):  
Study Design ◽  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
The Self ◽  
Study Cohort ◽  
Food Frequency

scholarly journals Folate contents in human milk and casein-based and soya-based formulas, and folate status in Korean infants

2008 ◽  
Vol 101 (12) ◽  
pp. 1769-1774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young-Hee Han ◽  
Miyong Yon ◽  
Heon-Seok Han ◽  
Kwang-Yup Kim ◽  
Tsunenobu Tamura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Human Milk ◽  
The Other ◽  
Folate Intake ◽  
Serum Folate ◽  
Folate Status ◽  
Solid Foods ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Total Homocysteine

We assessed folate nutritional status from birth to 12 months in fifty-one infants who were fed human milk (HM;n20), casein-based formula (CBF;n12) or soya-based formula (SBF;n19). Folate contents in ninety-five HM samples obtained from twenty mothers for the first 6-month period and twelve CBF and nineteen SBF samples were measured by bioassay after trienzyme extraction. Folate intake was estimated by weighing infants before and after feeding in the HM group and by collecting formula intake records in the formula-fed groups. After solid foods were introduced, all foods consumed were included to estimate folate intake. Serum folate and total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations were determined at 5 and 12 months of age, and infant growth was monitored for the first 12 months. Mean HM folate contents ranged from 201 to 365 nmol/l with an overall mean of 291 nmol/l, and the contents peaked at 2 months postpartum. HM folate contents were higher than those reported in North America. Folate contents in CBF and SBF were markedly higher than those in HM and those claimed on the product labels. The overall folate intakes in formula-fed infants were significantly higher than those in HM-fed infants, and this was associated with significantly higher folate and lower tHcy in formula-fed infants than HM-fed infants at 5 months. At 12 months, serum folate was significantly higher in the SBF group than the other groups, whereas serum tHcy and overall growth were similar among all groups.

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