Nutritional methods in the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer in Norfolk

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.

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Reproducibility and validity of a food-frequency questionnaire for use among low-income Brazilian workers

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1079/phn2003505 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 6 (8) ◽

pp. 821-827 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Nélida Schmid Fornés ◽

Maria Luiza Ferreira Stringhini ◽

Berenice Müller Elias

Keyword(s):

Vitamin C ◽

Total Energy ◽

Low Income ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Reference Method ◽

Nutrient Intakes ◽

Low Literacy ◽

Food Frequency

AbstractObjectives:To assess the reproducibility and validity a 127-item, habitual intake, food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ), developed for low-income and low-literacy Brazilian workers, by comparison with a 24-hour dietary recall (24-HDR).Design:The FFQ and 24-HDR were interviewer-administered at the local workplace to each subject twice, with a period of 6 months between estimates; and four 24-HDRs were conducted during the 4-month period between the two FFQs (FFQ1 and FFQ2). Reproducibility was tested by comparing mean nutrient intakes from the two FFQs. Validity was determined by comparing the mean nutrient intakes from the FFQs with the corresponding averages of the six 24-HDRs (reference method).Setting:Goiânia City, in Central West Brazil.Subjects:The study was based on 104 (62 women and 42 men) subjects, aged 18 to 60 years, who were randomly selected.Results:Dietary intake from the FFQ was higher than from the 24-HDR. Reproducibility was assessed by Pearson correlation coefficients for nutrients from FFQ1 and FFQ2, and ranged from 0.23 for retinol to 0.69 for total energy (mean 0.52). Intra-class coefficients for nutrients averaged by the 24-HDRs ranged from 0.29 for vitamin C to 0.76 for total energy; retinol was not significant. In the validation study, correlation between the FFQ and the 24-HDR ranged between 0.21 for vitamin C and 0.70 for total energy (mean 0.50). Adjusting for total energy lowered the coefficients, except for calcium, retinol and vitamin C. Coefficients increased with attenuation, ranging from 0.35 for carbohydrate to 0.65 for calcium.Conclusions:Results indicate that this questionnaire had satisfactory reproducibility and reasonable validity.

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Estimating food and nutrient intake from food frequency questionnaire data by reference to a standard weighed diet survey

Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics ◽

10.1046/j.1365-277x.2000.00231.x ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 219-224 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

M. E. Tefft ◽

D. R. Boniface

Keyword(s):

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Nutrient Intake ◽

Questionnaire Data ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Diet Survey ◽

Food And Nutrient Intake

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

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11071449 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 1449 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

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.

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Reproducibility and validity of a food frequency questionnaire among fourth to seventh grade inner-city school children: implications of age and day-to-day variation in dietary intake

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980099000397 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 293-300 ◽

Cited By ~ 117

Author(s):

Alison E Field ◽

Karen E Peterson ◽

Steve L Gortmaker ◽

Lilian Cheung ◽

Helaine Rockett ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High School Students ◽

Vitamin C ◽

Inner City ◽

Dietary Intake ◽

Junior High School ◽

Low Income ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Fifth Grade ◽

Seventh Grade ◽

Food Frequency

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the reproducibility and validity of a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to classify children and adolescents in terms of daily servings of fruits and vegetables and intake of calories, protein, fat, carbohydrate, dietary fibre, vitamin C, phosphorous, calcium and iron.DesignFFQs were collected in the autumn of 1993 and 1994. Four 24-hour diet recalls were collected during the same 1-year period and their mean was compared to the FFQ diet estimates.SettingLow income, inner-city state schools.SubjectsA sample of 109 inner-city fourth to seventh grade students.ResultsThe 1-year reproducibility of the FFQ, assessed with Spearman correlations, was lower among the fourth and fifth (range: r = −0.26 to 0.40) than the sixth and seventh grade students (range: r = 0.18–0.47). After adjusting for day-to-day variation in dietary intake, for most nutrients and foods the correlations between the FFQ and the 24-hour recalls remained greater among the junior high school students (fourth to fifth grade range: r = 0.0–0.42; sixth to seventh grade range: = 0.07–0.76).ConclusionsInner-city sixth and seventh grade students demonstrated the ability to provide valid estimates of intake of calories, carbohydrate, calcium, phosphorous, iron and vitamin C over the past year. However, children in the fourth and fifth grades experienced some difficulty in completing the FFQ. Our results suggest that, before using this instrument with fourth and fifth grade children, investigators should assess whether study participants can think abstractly and are familiar with the concept of ‘average intake’.

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Reproducibility and validity of the EatWellQ8 web-based food frequency questionnaire against a paper-based food frequency questionnaire and a 4-day weighed food record (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.13591 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Balqees Alawadhi ◽

Rosalind Fallaize ◽

Rodrigo Franco ◽

Faustina Hwang ◽

Julie Lovegrove

Keyword(s):

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Nutrient Intake ◽

Food Groups ◽

Food Record ◽

Nutrient Intakes ◽

Web Based ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Moderate Agreement ◽

Exact Agreement ◽

Cross Classification

BACKGROUND The web-based EatWellQ8 food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was developed as a dietary assessment tool for healthy adults in Kuwait. Validation against reliable instruments and an assessment of its reproducibility are required to ensure its accuracy in computing nutrient intake OBJECTIVE To assess the reproducibility and validity of the EatWellQ8 FFQ against a paper based (PFFQ) and a 4-day weighed food record (WFR). METHODS Reproducibility of the EatWellQ8 FFQ was assessed using test-retest methodology. Participants were required to complete the FFQ at two time points, 4 weeks apart. To assess validity of the EatWellQ8 FFQ, a subset of the participants were asked to complete a PFFQ or a 4-day WFR 1 week after administration of the EatWellQ8 FFQ. The level of agreement between nutrient and food group intakes estimated by repeated EatWellQ8 FFQ and the EatWellQ8 FFQ and the PFFQ and the 4-day WFR were evaluated using Bland-Altman methodology and classification into quartiles of daily intake. Crude unadjusted correlation coefficients were also calculated. RESULTS A total of 99 participants (65% female: 35% male) completed the study, 53 participated in the reproducibility study and the 4-day WFR validity study (mean age 37 years) and a further 46 participated in the PFFQ validity study (mean age 36 years). Crude unadjusted correlations for repeated EatWellQ8 FFQ ranged from (0.37-0.82) (P<0.01). Mean cross-classification into “exact agreement plus adjacent” was 88% for nutrient intakes, 86% for food groups, and Bland-Altman plots showed good agreement for energy-adjusted macronutrient intakes. Agreement between the EatWellQ8 FFQ and PFFQ varied, with crude unadjusted correlations ranging from (0.42-0.73) (P<0.05). Mean cross-classification into “exact agreement plus adjacent” was 84% for nutrient intake and 74% for food groups. Bland-Altman plots showed moderate agreement for both energy and energy-controlled nutrient intakes. Crude unadjusted correlations for the EatWellQ8 FFQ and the 4-day WFR ranged from (0.40-0.88) (P<0.01). Mean cross-classification into “exact agreement plus adjacent” was 85% for nutrient intake and 83% for food groups. Bland-Altman plots showed moderate agreement for energy-adjusted macronutrient intakes. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that the web-based EatWellQ8 FFQ is reproducible for assessing nutrient and food group intake and has moderate agreement compared to a PFFQ and a 4-day WFR for measuring energy and nutrient intakes.

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Contributions of food categories to absolute nutrient intake and between-person variation within a representative sample of 2677 Norwegian men and women

Norsk Epidemiologi ◽

10.5324/nje.v10i1.511 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Annhild Mosdøl ◽

Gerd Holmboe-Ottesen ◽

Lars Johansson ◽

Kari Solvoll ◽

Elin Bjørge-Løken ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Regression Model ◽

Representative Sample ◽

Nutrient Intake ◽

Stepwise Regression ◽

Frequency Data ◽

Font Size ◽

Nutrient Intakes ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Men And Women

ABSTRACTSemi-quantitative food frequency data from a nation-wide, representative sample of 2677 Norwegianmen and women were analysed to identify food categories contributing most to absolute intake andbetween-person variation in intake of energy and nine nutrients. The 149 food categories in the questionnairewere ranked according to their contribution to absolute nutrient intake, and categories contributingat least 0.5% to the average absolute intake were included in a stepwise regression model. Thenumber of food categories explaining 90% of the between-person variation varied from 2 categories forb -carotene to 33 for a-tocopherol. The models accounted for 53–76% of the estimated absolute nutrientintakes. These analyses present a meaningful way of restricting the number of food categories inquestionnaires aimed at capturing the between-person variation in energy or specific nutrient intakes.NORSK SAMMENDRAGSemikvantitative matvarefrekvensdata fra et landsrepresentativt utvalg av 2677 norske menn og kvinnerble analysert for å identifisere de matvarekategoriene som bidro mest til absolutt inntak og til variasjoni inntak mellom individer for energi og ni næringsstoffer. De 149 matvarekategoriene ble rangert iforhold til deres bidrag til inntaket av et næringsstoff, og de kategoriene som bidro med minst 0,5% avgjennomsnittlig inntak ble inkludert i en trinnvis regresjonsmodell. Antallet kategorier som forklarte90% av variasjonen mellom individer varierte fra 2 kategorier for b-karoten til 33 for a-tokoferol.Modellene inkluderte 53–76% av det estimerte absoluttinntaket av næringsstoffene. Disse analysenepeker på en meningsfylt måte å redusere antall kostspørsmål i spørreskjema som er rettet mot å fangeopp variasjonen i inntak av energi og utvalgte næringsstoffer mellom personer.

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Self-Administered Food Frequency Questionnaire: The Effect of Different Designs on Food and Nutrient Intake Estimates

International Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.1093/ije/23.3.570 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 570-576 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

A WOLK ◽

R BERGSTRÖM ◽

H-O ADAMI ◽

E-M OHLANDER ◽

Å BRUCE ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Nutrient Intake ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Food And Nutrient Intake

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Design and validation of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for the nutritional evaluation of food intake in the Peruvian Amazon

Journal of Health Population and Nutrition ◽

10.1186/s41043-019-0199-8 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

Author(s):

María García Rodríguez ◽

Manuel Romero Saldaña ◽

José Manuel Alcaide Leyva ◽

Rafael Moreno Rojas ◽

Guillermo Molina Recio

Keyword(s):

Dietary Intake ◽

Correlation Coefficient ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Nutrient Intake ◽

Peruvian Amazon ◽

Pearson’S Correlation ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Pearson’S Correlation Coefficient ◽

Pearson's Correlation ◽

Pearson's Correlation Coefficient

Abstract Background Food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) are dietary surveys widely used in studies of nutritional epidemiology because they are inexpensive, easy to complete and provide significant information on dietary intake over a long period of time. FFQs should be written specifically for each study group since diet may be influenced by ethnicity, culture, economic status and environmental factors. The aim of the authors on this work was to design and validate a food frequency questionnaire for the Peruvian Amazon population. Methods Three hundred three individuals were selected and completed three 24-h recalls (R24). Two FFQs were conducted on two different occasions (FFQ.1 and FFQ.2). The validity of the FFQ was evaluated by comparing the relationship between the average daily nutrient intake estimated by the FFQs and that obtained by the three R24. The reproducibility was measured by comparing the mean nutrient intake of the two FFQs carried out. The correlations were assessed using the Pearson correlation coefficient, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), the Lin correlation coefficient (CCC) and the Bland–Altman plot. Results The results obtained to establish the validity showed a high correlation, with an average Pearson’s correlation coefficient of 0.70, a CCI of 0.65 and a CCC of 0.60. Approximately 60% of the nutrients had a CCC above 0.60. In terms of reproducibility, better results were obtained, with an average Pearson’s correlation coefficient of 0.67, 0.64 for CCI and 0.58 for CCC. Conclusions The correlation coefficients show good validity and reproducibility, and therefore, the FFQ we have developed may be considered a useful and valid tool to estimate the dietary intake of the Peruvian Amazon population.

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Reproducibility of a Self-administered Food Frequency Questionnaire Used in the 5-year Follow-up Survey of the JPHC Study Cohort I to Assess Food and Nutrient Intake

Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.2188/jea.13.1sup_115 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 13 (1sup) ◽

pp. 115-124 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Satoshi Sasaki ◽

Junko Ishihara ◽

Shoichiro Tsugane

Keyword(s):

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Nutrient Intake ◽

Study Cohort ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Food And Nutrient Intake

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Validity of a short food frequency questionnaire for estimating nutrient intake in elderly people

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1079/bjn19930100 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 70 (1) ◽

pp. 3-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

C. C. Horwath

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Elderly People ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Nutrient Intake ◽

Elderly Subjects ◽

Nutrient Intakes ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Food Records ◽

Diet Records ◽

Similar Information

Nutrient intakes estimated using a short self-administered semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) were compared with results obtained from five 2 d diet records using household measures in a group of fifty-three elderly people (mean age 70 years) in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1989. Mean intakes for most nutrients were less than 5% different between the two methods. Correlations between the nutrient intake values (excluding supplements) from the diet records and those from the FFQ ranged from 0·34 for Zn in women to more than 0·75 for protein, Zn and Ca in men. For most nutrients, at least 70% of the subjects when classified by the food records fell into the same quintile or into the within-one- quintile category when classified by the FFQ. These data indicate that in elderly subjects a simple self- administered semi-quantitative FFQ can provide very similar information (for both group and individual intakes for many nutrients) to that obtained from 10 d of careful diet recording.

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