scholarly journals Statistical approaches for assessing the relative validity of a food-frequency questionnaire: use of correlation coefficients and the kappa statistic

2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
LF Masson ◽  
G MCNeill ◽  
JO Tomany ◽  
JA Simpson ◽  
HS Peace ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Kappa Statistic ◽  
Weighted Kappa ◽  
Collaborative Group ◽  
Spearman Correlation ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Relative Validity

AbstractObjective:To compare different statistical methods for assessing the relative validity of a self-administered, 150-item, semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) with 4-day weighed diet records (WR).Design:Subjects completed the Scottish Collaborative Group FFQ and carried out a 4-day WR. Relative agreement between the FFQ and WR for energy-adjusted nutrient intakes was assessed by Pearson and Spearman rank correlation coefficients, the percentages of subjects classified into the same and opposite thirds of intake, and Cohen's weighted kappa.Subjects:Forty-one men, mean age 36 (range 21-56) years, and 40 women, mean age 33 (range 19-58) years, recruited from different locations in Aberdeen, Scotland.Results:Spearman correlation coefficients tended to be lower than Pearson correlation coefficients, and were above 0.5 for 10 of the 27 nutrients in men and 17 of the 27 nutrients in women. For nutrients with Spearman correlation coefficients above 0.5, the percentage of subjects correctly classified into thirds ranged from 39 to 78%, and weighted kappa values ranged from 0.23 to 0.66.Conclusions:Both Spearman correlation coefficients and weighted kappa values are useful in assessing the relative validity of estimates of nutrient intake by FFQs. Spearman correlation coefficients above 0.5, more than 50% of subjects correctly classified and less than 10% of subjects grossly misclassified into thirds, and weighted kappa values above 0.4 are recommended for nutrients of interest in epidemiological studies.

scholarly journals 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 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Relative Validity and Reproducibility of a Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire for Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes: Validity of a Food Frequency Questionnaire

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosana de Moraes Borges Marques ◽  
Amanda Cristine de Oliveira ◽  
Sheylle Almeida da Silva Teles ◽  
Maria Luiza Ferreira Stringuini ◽  
Nélida Shimid Fornés ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 1 Diabetes ◽  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Relative Validity ◽  
Intraclass Correlation Coefficients

Background.Food frequency questionnaires are used to assess dietary intake in epidemiological studies.Objective.The aim of the study was to assess the relative validity and reproducibility of a quantitative food frequency questionnaire (QFFQ) for adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Methods: Validity was evaluated by comparing the data generated by QFFQs to those of 24-hour recalls (24 hrs). QFFQs were applied twice per patient to assess reproducibility. Statistical analysis included performingt-tests, obtaining Pearson correlation coefficients when necessary, correcting measurements for randomness by the weightedkappamethod, calculating intraclass correlation coefficients, and generating Bland-Altman plots (P<0,05).Results.The total energy and nutrient intake as estimated by the QFFQs were significantly higher than those from 24 hrs. Pearson correlation coefficients for energy-adjusted, deattenuated data ranged from 0.32 (protein) to 0.75 (lipid, unsaturated fat and calcium). Weightedkappavalues ranged from 0.15 (vitamin C) to 0.45 (calcium). Bland-Altman plots indicated acceptable validity. As for reproducibility, intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.24 (calcium) to 0.65 (lipid), and the Bland-Altman plots showed good agreement between the two questionnaires. Conclusion: The QFFQ presented an acceptable ability to classify correctly and with good reproducibility, adolescents with type 1 diabetes according to their levels of dietary intake.

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

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.

scholarly journals Comparison of a picture-sort food-frequency questionnaire with 24-hour dietary recalls in an elderly Utah population

2001 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 961-970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi J Wengreen ◽  
Ronald G Munger ◽  
Siew Sun Wong ◽  
Nancy A West ◽  
Richard Cutler
Keyword(s):  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Dietary Assessment ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Impaired Hearing ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Dietary Recall ◽  
Memory Skill

AbstractObjective:To evaluate the 137-item Utah Picture-sort Food-frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) in the measurement of usual dietary intake in older adults.Design:The picture-sort FFQ was administered at baseline and again one year later. Three seasonal 24-hour dietary recall interviews were collected during the year between the two FFQs. Mean nutrient intakes were compared between methods and between administrations of the FFQ.Setting:The FFQ interviews were administered in respondents' homes or care-centres. The 24-hour diet recalls were conducted by telephone interview on random days of the week.Subjects:Two-hundred-and-eight men and women aged 55–84 years were recruited by random sample of controls from a case–control study of nutrition and bone health in Utah.Results:After adjustment for total energy intake, median Spearman rank correlation coefficients between the two picture-sort FFQs were 0.69 for men aged ≤69 years, 0.66 for men aged >69 years; and 0.68 for women aged ≤69 years, 0.67 for women aged >69 years. Median correlation coefficients between methods were 0.50 for men ≤69 years old, 0.52 for men >69 years old; 0.55 for women ≤69 years old, 0.46 for women >69 years old.Conclusions:We report intake correlations between methods and administrations comparable to those reported in the literature for traditional paper-and-pencil FFQs and one other picture-sort method of FFQ. This dietary assessment method may improve ease and accuracy of response in this and other populations with low literacy levels, poor memory skill, impaired hearing, or poor vision.

scholarly journals Development and validation of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ-Porto Alegre) for adolescent, adult and elderly populations from Southern Brazil

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 2068-2079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Liane Henn ◽  
Sandra Costa Fuchs ◽  
Leila Beltrami Moreira ◽  
Flavio Danni Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Porto Alegre ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Dietary Recall ◽  
Epidemiological Surveys ◽  
Adolescents And Adults

This study assessed the validity of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ-Porto Alegre), covering 135 food items, in comparison with the average of two consecutive 24-hour dietary recall questionnaires for adolescents, adults, and elderly who were randomly selected from a population-based survey. The Pearson correlation coefficients and cross-classification by quartiles of intake were used. The nutrients were log transformed and energy adjusted. The mean of adjusted de-attenuated correlation coefficient for adolescents was 0.44 and ranged from 0.18 (zinc) to 0.69 (folate) and for adult and elderly participants they were, respectively, 0.42, ranging from 0.16 (iron) to 0.73 (energy) and 0.52, ranging from 0.25 (vitamin E) to 0.84 (energy). The average classification percentage into the same or adjacent quartile for the two methods was 74.6% for adolescents, 74.9% for adults, and 81.2% for the elderly population. The FFQ showed fair relative validity for adolescents and adults, and may be used to study the dietary determinants of obesity and non-transmissible diseases in epidemiological surveys.

scholarly journals Relative validity of a food frequency questionnaire among tin miners in China: 1992/93 and 1995/96 diet validation studies

1999 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
MR Forman ◽  
J Zhang ◽  
L Nebeling ◽  
S-X Yao ◽  
MJ Slesinski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Validation Study ◽  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Validation Studies ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Average Frequency ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Food Recalls

AbstractObjectiveDiet validation research was conducted to compare the respondents' reporting of dietary intake in a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) with intake reported in food recalls. Because the population received annual salary increments that could modify food intake, diet validation studies (DVSs) were conducted during two time intervals.DesignA 99-item FFQ was administered by an interviewer twice in a 1-year interval, and responses to each FFQ item were compared with 28 days of interviewer-administered food recalls that were collected in four 1-week intervals during each season of 1992/93. The second validation study in 1995/96 had a similar design to the earlier one.SettingA prospective cohort study of lung cancer among tin miners in China was initiated in 1992, with dietary and other risk factors updated annually.SubjectsAmong a cohort of high risk tin miners for lung cancer, two different samples (n = 141 in 1992/93, and n = 113 in 1995/96) for each diet validation study were randomly selected from four mine units, that were representative of all worker units.ResultsMiners reported a significantly higher average frequency of intake of foods in the food recalls than the FFQ, with few exceptions. Deattenuated Pearson correlation coefficients of the frequency of food intake between the FFQ and food recalls were in the range of –0.40 to 0.72 in both studies, with higher positive correlations for beverages and cereal staples than for animal protein sources, vegetables, fruits and legumes. The percentage of individuals with exact agreement in the extreme quartiles of intake in the food recalls and FFQ ranged from 0 to 100% in both studies.ConclusionsAmong Chinese miners, the range in correlations between the food recalls and the FFQ were due to: (i) market availability of foods during the food recall weeks compared to their annual reported intake in the FFQ; (ii) cultural perception of time; and (iii) differences in how the intake of mixed dishes and their multi-ingredient foods were reported in the recalls vs. the FFQ. The range in the percentage of agreement in the same quartiles and the changes in food intake over time may have implications for the analysis of the diet-disease relationship in this cohort.

A Belgian study on the reliability and relative validity of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children food-frequency questionnaire

2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 581-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carine A Vereecken ◽  
Lea Maes
Keyword(s):  
Health Behaviour ◽  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Weighted Kappa ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Soft Drinks ◽  
Food Diary ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Relative Validity ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Food Items

AbstractObjective:In the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey, the frequency of consumption of a limited number of food items – focusing on fibre, calcium and less healthy items – is queried using a 15-item food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The present study was conducted to assess the reliability and relative validity of the HBSC FFQ among school pupils in Belgium.Design and subjects:To assess the reliability of the FFQ, 207 pupils aged 11–12 years and 560 pupils aged 13–14 years completed the questionnaire twice, with a test–retest interval of 6 to 15 days. To assess the relative validity of the FFQ, in a first study data were collected as part of the Flemish HBSC 2000 survey: 7072 pupils (11–18 years) completed the FFQ and a 24-hour food behaviour checklist (FBC). In a second study, 101 pupils (11–12 years) completed the FFQ and a 7-day food diary (FD).Results:Reliability – weighted kappa values between test and retest ranged from 0.43 to 0.70, percentage agreement from 37 to 87%, and Spearman correlations from 0.52 to 0.82. Relative validity – comparison of the FBC with the percentage of respondents who should have consumed the food items on a random day, computed from the FFQ, showed good agreement between the FFQ and the FBC for most items. Only for cereals, diet soft drinks and other milk products were considerably higher food frequencies than expected found from the FBC. Comparison of the FFQ with the FD showed overestimation for all but three food items (cheese, soft drinks and chips). Spearman correlations ranged between 0.10 for crisps and 0.65 for semi-skimmed milk.Conclusion:The HBSC FFQ is a reliable questionnaire that can be used for ranking subjects for most food items, although one must consider the overestimation when the FFQ is used for estimating prevalences.

scholarly journals Assessing the validity of a food frequency questionnaire among low-income women in São Paulo, southeastern Brazil

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 2059-2067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marly Augusto Cardoso ◽  
Luciana Yuki Tomita ◽  
Elaine Cristina Laguna
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Low Income Women

This study describes the validity of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in 93 low-income women (20-65 years), participating in a case-control study in São Paulo, Brazil. Two FFQ (FFQ1 and FFQ2, 12 months apart) and three 24-hour dietary recalls (24hR) were conducted between 2003 and 2004 to estimate dietary intake during the past year. The Pearson correlation coefficients (crude, energy-adjusted and de-attenuated) were used for comparisons between FFQ and 24hR. The agreement between the methods was further examined by the Bland-Altman analysis. For the assessment of long-term reliability, the energy-adjusted intra-class correlation coefficients were mostly around 0.40, but higher for vitamin A and folate (0.50-0.56). Energy-adjusted, attenuation-corrected Pearson validity correlations between FFQ and DR ranged from 0.30-0.54 for macronutrients to 0.20-0.48 for micronutrients, with higher value for calcium (0.75). There were small proportions of grossly misclassified nutrient intakes, while Bland-Altman plots indicated that the FFQ is accurate in assessing nutrient intake at a group level.

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

2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 821-827 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Validation of a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire for use among adults in Guatemala

2002 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 691-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica M Rodríguez ◽  
Humberto Méndez ◽  
Benjamín Torún ◽  
Dirk Schroeder ◽  
Aryeh D Stein
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin C ◽  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Micronutrient Intake ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Cross Classification

AbstractObjective:The purpose of the study was to assess the validity of a 52-item semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) by comparing it with multiple 24-hour dietary recalls.Design:Three non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls and one FFQ were administered over a one-month period.Setting:Four communities of El Progreso, Guatemala.Subjects:Seventy-three individuals aged 22–55 years.Results:Intakes of energy and other nutrients as measured by the FFQ were higher than intakes measured by 24-hour recalls. Energy was overestimated by 361 kcal, and nutrient overestimates were particularly great for vitamin C and iron. Pearson correlation coefficients for crude energy and nutrients intakes ranged from 0.64 for energy to 0.12 for vitamin C. Exact agreement for both methods (measured by the concordance correlation coefficient) ranged from 0.59 (fat) to 0.06 (vitamin C). Pearson correlation coefficients for energy-adjusted nutrients ranged from 0.59 (carbohydrates) to 0.11 (thiamin). Pearson correlation coefficients for the proportion of total energy derived from specific foods ranged from 0.59 (tortillas) to 0.01 (sugared beverages). Cross-classification of quartiles of crude nutrient intakes for both methods indicated that <11% were grossly misclassified; after adjusting for energy intake, <13% were grossly misclassified.Conclusions:This FFQ provides good measures of energy and macronutrient intakes and a reasonably reliable measure of micronutrient intake, indicating its suitability for comparing exposures within a study population in reference to heath-related endpoints. Our results highlight the need to adapt any FFQ to specific cultural needs – in this case, the Guatemalan ‘core foods’ (tortilla, bread and beans), for which inter-individual variability in intake is high.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document