Reliability and validity of a food-frequency questionnaire for Chinese postmenopausal women

AbstractObjectives:(1) To determine the reliability and validity of a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for use in epidemiological research in postmenopausal women; and (2) to compare the volume estimation (VE) and weight estimation (WE) method of administration of this questionnaire.Design:An initial list of foods was derived and modified after pre-testing in 22 subjects. Test-retest reliability was assessed in 21 subjects who had repeat administrations of the questionnaire 14 days apart (FFQ1, FFQ2). The validity of the FFQ was assessed by comparing nutrient intakes with those from a 4-day food record.Setting:Chengdu, People's Republic of China.Subjects:Twenty-two postmenopausal women (50–70 years) were recruited from The Second University Hospital, West China University of Medical Sciences, Chengdu and participated in the pre-test. Another 21 women (50–70 years) were randomly selected from the general population of all five districts of Chengdu and participated in the reliability and validity sub-studies.Results:Energy, protein, carbohydrate, magnesium and sodium intakes in this sample were less than the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for 45–70-year-old women in China. Intake of non-cooking fat was higher than the Chinese RDA. Pearson correlation coefficients and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) for reliability of the VE FFQ ranged from 0.51 to 0.85 and from 0.51 to 0.81, respectively; for the WE FFQ, they ranged from 0.22 to 0.86 and from 0.21 to 0.81. Correlation coefficients and ICCs for validity of the WE FFQ ranged from 0.36 to 0.69 and from 0.34 to 0.57, respectively; corresponding values for the VE FFQ were −0.30 to 0.65 and −0.14 to 0.65.Conclusions:Both the VE and WE FFQs were reliable and valid except for sodium intake. The VE FFQ provided more valid estimates of nutrient intakes than did the WE FFQ.

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

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/s0102-311x2010001100008 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 26 (11) ◽

pp. 2068-2079 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

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.

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Validation and reliability of a simplified food frequency questionnaire: A cross sectional study among physical health examination adults in southwest region of China

10.21203/rs.2.23239/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Zhengyan Cheng ◽

Ping Shuai ◽

Qichuan Qiao ◽

Tingxin Li

Keyword(s):

Physical Health ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Health Examination ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Southwest Region

Abstract Background In China, many people are apt to participate in regular physical examination as a precaution. Some simplified food frequency questionnaire have been designed and used. However, the effectiveness of questionnaire is absent. This study was conducted to examine the reliability and validity of simplified food frequency questionnaire (SFFQ) used among physical examination adults in southwest region of China. Methods This study was a cross sectional study among physical health examination adults in Southwest region of China. A total of 239 participants aged 20-65 were conducted during February to June in 2019. The performance of the SFFQ was evaluated by the mean of three-day 24-hour dietary recalls (3R24). The relative validity and agreement was assessed by the Pearson`s correlation and intra-class correlation coefficients(ICC) respectively. Results The median energy-adjusted ICC of food groups between SFFQ2 and SFFQ1 was 0.59 (range: 0.49-0.73) and the ICC of nutrients was 0.47(range: 0.39-0.76). The Pearson correlation showed the validity between the SFFQ1 and 3R24, which ranged from -0.086 to 0.93 for food and and 0.21 to 0.71 for nutritions, respectively. Energy-adjustment slightly increased the correlation coefficients. Conclusions The reliability and validity of the SFFQ was acceptable. It could be an appropriate dietary assessment tool for future epidemiological studies in physical health examination adults among Chinese in southwest China.

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Development and Validation of a Data-Based Food Frequency Questionnaire for Adults in Eastern Rural Area of Rwanda

Nutrition and Metabolic Insights ◽

10.4137/nmi.s38374 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. NMI.S38374 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ayumi Yanagisawa ◽

Noriko Sudo ◽

Yukiko Amitani ◽

Yuko Caballero ◽

Makiko Sekiyama ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin A ◽

Rural Area ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Nutrient Intakes ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Food Records ◽

Percent Contribution ◽

Cross Classification ◽

Development And Validation

This study aimed to develop and evaluate the validity of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for rural Rwandans. Since our FFQ was developed to assess malnutrition, it measured energy, protein, vitamin A, and iron intakes only. We collected 260 weighed food records (WFRs) from a total of 162 Rwandans. Based on the WFR data, we developed a tentative FFQ and examined the food list by percent contribution to energy and nutrient intakes. To assess the validity, nutrient intakes estimated from the FFQ were compared with those calculated from three-day WFRs by correlation coefficient and cross-classification for 17 adults. Cumulative contributions of the 18-item FFQ to the total intakes of energy and nutrients reached nearly 100%. Crude and energy-adjusted correlation coefficients ranged from -0.09 (vitamin A) to 0.58 (protein) and from -0.19 (vitamin A) to 0.68 (iron), respectively. About 50%-60% of the participants were classified into the same tertile. Our FFQ provided acceptable validity for energy and iron intakes and could rank Rwandan adults in eastern rural area correctly according to their energy and iron intakes.

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

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980099000403 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 301-315 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

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.

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

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/s0102-311x2010001100007 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 26 (11) ◽

pp. 2059-2067 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

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.

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

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1079/phn2002333 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 5 (5) ◽

pp. 691-698 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

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.

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What do babies eat? Evaluation of a food frequency questionnaire to assess the diets of infants aged 6 months

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980007001292 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 751-756 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

LD Marriott ◽

SM Robinson ◽

J Poole ◽

SE Borland ◽

KM Godfrey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Rank Correlation ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Population Based ◽

Spearman Rank Correlation ◽

Nutrient Intakes ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Spearman Rank ◽

Healthy Infants ◽

Mean Differences

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the relative validity of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for assessing nutrient intakes in 6-month-old infants.Design and settingThe FFQ was developed to assess the diets of infants born to women in the Southampton Women’s Survey (SWS), a population-based survey of young women and their offspring. The energy and nutrient intakes obtained from an interviewer-administered FFQ were compared with those obtained from a 4-day weighed diary.Subjects and methodsA sub-sample of 50 infants aged 6 months from the SWS had their diets assessed by both methods. The FFQ recorded the frequencies and amounts of milks, baby foods, regular foods and drinks consumed by the infants over the previous seven days. The diaries recorded the weights of all foods and drinks consumed by the infants on four separate days within 15 days following FFQ completion.ResultsSpearman rank correlation coefficients for intakes of energy, macronutrients and 18 micronutrients, determined by the two methods, ranged from r = 0·39 to 0·86; adjustment for energy intake tended to increase the correlation coefficients, range ra = 0·55 to 0·89. Bland–Altman statistics showed that mean differences between methods were in the range of −12·5 % to +12·5 % except for vitamin B12 (−18·9 %).ConclusionAlthough there were differences in absolute energy and nutrient intakes between methods, Spearman rank correlation coefficients indicated reasonable agreement in the ranking of intakes. The interviewer-administered FFQ is a useful tool for assessing energy and nutrient intakes of healthy infants aged about 6 months.

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Reproducibility and Validity of a Food Frequency Questionnaire for Dietary Assessment in Adolescents in a Self-Reported Way

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12072081 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 2081

Author(s):

Leyre Notario-Barandiaran ◽

Carmen Freire ◽

Manuela García-de-la-Hera ◽

Laura Mª Compañ-Gabucio ◽

Laura Torres-Collado ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Dietary Assessment ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Food Group ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Food Groups ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Male Adolescents

Tools to assess diet in a reliable and efficient way are needed, particularly in children and adolescents. In this study, we assess the reproducibility and validity of a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) among adolescents in Spain. We analyzed data of 51 male adolescents aged 15–17 years from a prospective birth cohort study. Participants answered the FFQ twice in a self-administered way over a 12-month period. Reproducibility was assessed by comparing nutrient and food intakes from the FFQs, and validity by comparing nutrient intakes from the average of two FFQs and the average of two 24-Hour Dietary Recalls obtained in the period. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated. The average of reproducibility correlation coefficients for food group intakes was 0.33, with the highest correlation for vegetable intake (r = 0.81); and the average for nutrient intake was 0.32, with the highest coefficients for α- and β-carotene (r = 0.65). Validity correlation coefficients ranged from 0.07 for carbohydrates to 0.53 for dietary fiber. The average of the validity correlation coefficients was r = 0.32. This study suggests that our FFQ may be a useful tool for assessing dietary intake of most nutrient and food groups among Spanish male adolescents in a self-administered way, despite reproducibility and, particularly validity, being low for some nutrients and food groups.

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FFQ for the adult population of the capital of Ecuador (FFQ-Quito): development, reliability and validity

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980014003346 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 18 (14) ◽

pp. 2540-2549 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Katherine M Silva-Jaramillo ◽

Marilda B Neutzling ◽

Michele Drehmer

Keyword(s):

Correlation Coefficient ◽

Nutrient Intake ◽

Communicable Disease ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Adult Population ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Weighted Kappa ◽

Nutrient Intakes ◽

Relative Validity

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the reliability and validity of a semi-quantitative FFQ designed to evaluate the usual nutrient intake of adults in Quito, Ecuador.DesignDietary data using 24 h recalls (24hR) were used to design a list of commonly consumed foods. The relative validity of a 111-item FFQ was evaluated by comparing nutrient intakes against three non-consecutive 24hR. All nutrients were energy-adjusted. Reliability was assessed using two FFQ (FFQ1 and FFQ2) and assessed by the intra-class correlation coefficient. The comparisons between the FFQ and the 24hR were assessed by the de-attenuated Pearson correlation coefficient, weighted kappa and by Bland–Altman plots.SettingQuito, Ecuador.SubjectsOverall, 345 adults were enrolled in the present study. Two hundred and fifty participated in FFQ development and ninety-five participated in the FFQ validity and reliability.ResultsThe FFQ produced higher energy and nutrient intakes. Reliability correlation coefficients after adjusting for energy ranged from 0·62 to 0·88 for protein and Ca, respectively. For the validity study, energy-adjusted and de-attenuated correlation coefficients between the questionnaire and the 24hR ranged from 0·21 for fat to 0·65 for Ca. Only 4 % of the participants were grossly misclassified and 46 % had weighted kappa higher than 0·42. The Bland–Altman plot showed a constant bias with a tendency to increase according to the intake level.ConclusionsThe FFQ showed reasonably good relative validity and reliable measurements, especially for nutrients considered protective and risk markers of non-communicable disease, and can be used to assess usual nutrient intake in this population.

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