Abstract P190: Validity and Reproducibility of a Food Frequency Questionnaire to Assess Compliance to a Cardioprotective Mediterranean Diet

Background: The cardioprotective effects of the Mediterranean diet have been well established in epidemiological studies. More recently, it has been shown to improve the cardiometabolic risk profile and endothelial function, as well as reduce markers of vascular inflammation, independent of weight loss. Since cardiovascular disease is the second cause of death in the Canadian and North American populations, randomized clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet in high-risk primary and secondary prevention are warranted. In order to conduct such studies, validated dietary assessment methods specific to population and food habits are needed. Therefore, the aim of our study was to assess the reproducibility and the relative validity of a quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to be used in clinical trials at the Montreal Heart Institute’s Prevention Center. Methods: Fifty (50) participants (54% (27 of 50) women) aged 19 to 86 years with and without coronary disease were recruited, and randomized in 3 groups in a crossover design where the sequence of administration of questionnaires differed in each group. The FFQ includes 157 food items and was designed to measure food intake over one month. It was administered twice 3 to 5 weeks apart to assess reproducibility and was compared to a 12-day dietary record carried out over a 1-month period to assess validity. Participants were asked not to modify their diet for the duration of the study. FFQs were self-administered and reviewed by a registered dietician. All questionnaires were analyzed using The Food Processor software. Results: Reproducibility (n = 49) assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) revealed good (ICC > 0.5) to very good (ICC > 0.7) correlations for energy and all nutrients (except vitamin A) with ICCs ranging from 0.48 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.23 to 0.67) for vitamin A to 0.91 (95% CI, 0.85 to 0.95) for alcohol (mean 0.68). Preliminary results for validity (n = 15) revealed very good significant correlations for EPA, DHA, selenium and alcohol and good significant correlation for energy, total fat, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, oleic acid, linolenic acid, trans fat, vitamin B3, vitamin D, iron and magnesium. Conclusions: Our FFQ demonstrates good to very good reproducibility. Furthermore, the FFQ appears valid for evaluating adherence to a Mediterranean diet, notably because it provides very good estimates of marine omega-3 fatty acid (EPA, DHA) intake. These results support the eventual use of our FFQ in clinical trials on the Mediterranean diet. Complete sample analysis will be available in March 2014.

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EVIDENT Smartphone App, a New Method for the Dietary Record: Comparison With a Food Frequency Questionnaire (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.11463 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Jose I Recio-Rodriguez ◽

Carmela Rodriguez-Martin ◽

Jesus Gonzalez-Sanchez ◽

Emiliano Rodriguez-Sanchez ◽

Carme Martin-Borras ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Food Intake ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Energy Intake ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Daily Intake ◽

Smartphone App ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Dietary Record ◽

Macro And Micronutrients

BACKGROUND More alternatives are needed for recording people’s normal diet in different populations, especially adults or the elderly, as part of the investigation into the effects of nutrition on health. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to compare the estimated values of energy intake, macro- and micronutrient, and alcohol consumption gathered using the EVIDENT II smartphone app against the data estimated with a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in an adult population aged 18 to 70 years. METHODS We included 362 individuals (mean age 52 years, SD 12; 214/362, 59.1% women) who were part of the EVIDENT II study. The participants registered their food intake using the EVIDENT app during a period of 3 months and through an FFQ. Both methods estimate the average nutritional composition, including energy intake, macro- and micronutrients, and alcohol. Through the app, the values of the first week of food recording, the first month, and the entire 3-month period were estimated. The FFQ gathers data regarding the food intake of the year before the moment of interview. RESULTS The intraclass correlation for the estimation of energy intake with the FFQ and the app shows significant results, with the highest values returned when analyzing the app’s data for the full 3-month period (.304, 95% CI 0.144-0.434; P<.001). For this period, the correlation coefficient for energy intake is .233 (P<.001). The highest value corresponds to alcohol consumption and the lowest to the intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (r=.676 and r=.155; P<.001), respectively. The estimation of daily intake of energy, macronutrients, and alcohol presents higher values in the FFQ compared with the EVIDENT app data. Considering the values recorded during the 3-month period, the FFQ for energy intake estimation (Kcal) was higher than that of the app (a difference of 408.7, 95% CI 322.7-494.8; P<.001). The same is true for the other macronutrients, with the exception g/day of saturated fatty acids (.4, 95% CI −1.2 to 2.0; P=.62). CONCLUSIONS The EVIDENT app is significantly correlated to FFQ in the estimation of energy intake, macro- and micronutrients, and alcohol consumption. This correlation increases with longer app recording periods. The EVIDENT app can be a good alternative for recording food intake in the context of longitudinal or intervention studies. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02016014; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02016014 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/760i8EL8Q)

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Mediterranean Adequacy Index in Young People in Syria

Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Health Care ◽

10.18311/ajprhc/2016/4595 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 112

Author(s):

Malda Atasi

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Young People ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Unsaturated Fatty Acids ◽

Saturated Fatty Acids ◽

Mediterranean Area ◽

Food Groups ◽

Syrian Population ◽

The Mediterranean

Objective: To assess, the degree of adherence to Mediterranean Diet (MD) in Syrian young people, and studying the effect of some variables on Mediterranean Adequacy Index (MAI) value and its comparison with other studies in Spain and Mediterranean area. Background: It has been observed that the Syrian population, especially the young ones, are abandoning the (MD), which affects in long term their health, the same has been observed in Spanish youth. The longitudinal study of the "seven counties" involved active rural population in Italy, was firstly demonstrated the progressively abandoning of MD. Methods: The sample under the study was 204 young people (41.7% men and 58.3% women) in the area of Damascus (65% were students). They filled in a semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire, then the Mediterranean Adequacy Index (MAI) was computed by dividing the sum in gram of typical Mediterranean food Groups (Cereals, Legumes, Fruits, Fish), by the sum in gram of non-typical Mediterranean food groups (Meats, Eggs, Cookies and cakes, dairy). It was used the SPSS program to study the correlation between the variables and MAI of the sample. Results: The average MAI of the young sample was (1.17) which is lower than another study in Spanish young people and much lower than 7.2 in Italy several decades ago. Those results demonstrated that the young Syrian are abandoning the Mediterranean Diet as well as the Spanish young people. The caloric profile has changed over time that results in lower consumption of carbohydrates and higher consumption of protein and lipids, similar to almost Mediterranean area. Moreover the war has an impact on the type of food consumed which affect MAI. The lipid profile (measured by the cocient of intake of Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA) and Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) divided by Saturated Fatty Acids (SFA) of the sample was 3.71 better than other studies in Spain 1,69, 1,71 (the recommended value should be > 2). This illustrates a moderate consumption of olive and vegetable oil, but poor consumption of meat and eggs in contrast of Spanish diet.

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Validity and reproducibility of a food frequency questionnaire focused on the Mediterranean diet for the Quebec population

Nutrition Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases ◽

10.1016/j.numecd.2015.11.003 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 154-161 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

J. Cantin ◽

E. Latour ◽

R. Ferland-Verry ◽

S. Morales Salgado ◽

J. Lambert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Food Frequency ◽

The Mediterranean

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Development and validation of a short culture specific Food Frequency Questionnaire for Greek pregnant women and adherence to the Mediterranean Diet.

Nutrition ◽

10.1016/j.nut.2021.111357 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 111357

Author(s):

Aikaterini Apostolopoulou ◽

Emmanuella Magriplis ◽

Eirini Tsekitsidi ◽

Artemis Christina Oikonomidou ◽

Efstathios Papaefstathiou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Food Frequency ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Development And Validation ◽

Specific Food

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Olive Oil and the Mediterranean Diet

International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research ◽

10.1024/0300-9831.71.3.179 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 71 (3) ◽

pp. 179-184 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

T.A.B. Sanders

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Oleic Acid ◽

Olive Oil ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Saturated Fatty Acids ◽

Low Density Lipoprotein ◽

Density Lipoprotein ◽

Hdl Cholesterol ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Low Incidence

The high intake of olive oil in the Mediterranean diet contributes to the low intake of saturated fatty acids among populations in Southern Europe and is associated with a low incidence of coronary heart disease. Replacement of saturated fatty acids with oleic acid leads to a reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol without decreasing the concentration of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Oleic acid, however, may not be neutral with regards to its effects on risk of thrombosis which may have adverse consequences in populations with established atherosclerosis.

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Greek Orthodox fasting rituals: a hidden characteristic of the Mediterranean diet of Crete

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1079/bjn20041197 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 92 (2) ◽

pp. 277-284 ◽

Cited By ~ 44

Author(s):

Katerina O. Sarri ◽

Manolis K. Linardakis ◽

Frosso N. Bervanaki ◽

Nikolaos E. Tzanakis ◽

Anthony G. Kafatos

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Saturated Fatty Acids ◽

Dietary Cholesterol ◽

Blood Collection ◽

Greek Orthodox ◽

Orthodox Christian ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

The Impact

The longevity and excellent health status of the population of Crete has been attributed to its lifestyle and dietary habits. The impact of Greek Orthodox Christian Church fasting on these dietary habits has never been studied. One hundred and twenty Greek Orthodox Christians living in Crete participated in a 1-year prospective study. One half of the subjects, who fasted regularly (fasters), and sixty non-faster controls were followed longitudinally for the three main fasting periods over 1 year; Christmas (40 d), Lent (48 d) and the Assumption (15 d). Pre- and end-holy days measurements were performed in each fasting period including: 24 h dietary recall, blood collection and anthropometric measurements. Based on the 24 h recall, fasters as compared with controls had lower intakes of end-holy days dietary cholesterol, total fat, saturated fatty acids, trans-fatty acids and protein (P>0·001). Fasters presented a decrease of 753 kJ (180 kcal) in end-holy days energy intake (P>0·05) compared with an increase of 573 kJ (137 kcal) in the controls (P>0·05). Fasters had a decrease in end-holy days Ca intake (P>0·001) and an increase in end-holy days total dietary fibre (P>0·001) and folate (P>0·05), attributed to their higher consumption of fruit and vegetables in end-holy periods (P>0·001). There were no differences for other vitamins or minerals between pre- and end-holy periods in both groups except for vitamin B2. The Orthodox Christian dietary regulations are an important component of the Mediterranean diet of Crete characterised by low levels of dietary saturated fatty acids, high levels of fibre and folate, and a high consumption of fruit, vegetables and legumes.

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Relative Validity of a Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire for Adolescents

Portuguese Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1159/000510464 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Ana Lúcia Silva ◽

Maria Isabel Caldas Januário Fragoso ◽

Francília Maria Carvalho dos Santos Neto ◽

Cristina Paula Fidalgo Negreiros Monteiro Bento ◽

Júlia Maria Vitorino Teles

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Vitamin C ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Saturated Fatty Acids ◽

Monounsaturated Fatty Acids ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Limits Of Agreement ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Relative Validity ◽

Portuguese Adolescents

Introduction: A valid food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) is a priority for epidemiological studies. We aimed to perform a relative validity of an FFQ for Portuguese adolescents. Methods: A semi-quantitative Portuguese FFQ (SQ-PortFood-FQ) was developed and the relative validity performed using the multiple-pass 24-h recall. Eighty adolescents (aged 10–17 years) completed both questionnaires to measure energy intake, macro- and specific micronutrient intake. We used the following methods for the relative validity: (1) Spearman’s correlation coefficient (r); (2) cross-classification into the same third (agreement) and into the opposite third (disagreement); (3) weighted κ-coefficient (κW); (4) and the Bland-Altman method. Results: We obtained acceptable correlation coefficients between questionnaires for energy (r =0.59; p < 0.001), protein (r =0.60; p< 0.001), fat (r = 0.55; p < 0.001), carbohydrates (r =0.51; p < 0.001) and sodium (r =0.51; p < 0.001). Tertile agreement for energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates and vitamin C intakes classified correctly more than 50% and grossly misclassified less than 10% of participants. Energy and protein produced moderate agreement between methods with a κW >0.40. The SQ-PortFood-FQ overestimated all analysed data when compared to the 24-h recall, although those estimations were <10% for energy, macronutrients and cholesterol. The 95% limits of agreement showed that all the variables (energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, fibre, calcium, sodium, iron, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol) were within the desirable limits of agreement of 50–200%, with the exception of vitamin C (76–296%) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (75–232%). Discussion/Conclusion: The SQ-PortFood-FQ showed acceptable relative validity at the individual level for energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, fibre, calcium, sodium, iron, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol. Non-significant relationships were found for vitamin C and PUFA. Our results are in line with previous studies carried out amongst adolescents. As far as we know this is the first FFQ validated for Portuguese adolescents.

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Validity of a food frequency questionnaire for the estimation of total polyphenol intake estimates and its major food sources in the Japanese population: the JPHC FFQ Validation Study

Journal of Nutritional Science ◽

10.1017/jns.2021.25 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

Author(s):

Nagisa Mori ◽

Norie Sawada ◽

Junko Ishihara ◽

Ayaka Kotemori ◽

Ribeka Takachi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Validation Study ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Japanese Population ◽

Alcoholic Beverages ◽

Food Sources ◽

Total Polyphenol ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Dietary Polyphenols ◽

Dietary Record ◽

Polyphenol Intake

Abstract We examine the validity and reproducibility of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in a subsample of participants in the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Cohort Study using a database of polyphenol-containing foods commonly consumed in the Japanese population. Participants of the validation study were recruited from two different cohorts. In Cohort I, 215 participants completed a 28-d dietary record (DR) and the FFQ, and in Cohort II, 350 participants completed DRs and the FFQ. The total polyphenol intake estimated from the 28-d DR and FFQ were log-transformed and adjusted for energy intake by the residual method. Spearman correlation coefficients (CCs) between estimates from the FFQ and 28-d DR as well as two FFQs administered at a 1-year interval were computed. Median intakes of dietary polyphenols calculated from the DRs were 1172 mg/d for men and 1024 mg/d for women in Cohort I, and 1061 mg/d for men and 942 mg/d for women in Cohort II. The de-attenuated CCs for polyphenol intake between the DR and FFQ were 0⋅47 for men and 0⋅37 for women in Cohort I and 0⋅44 for men and 0⋅50 for women in Cohort II. Non-alcoholic beverages were the main contributor to total polyphenol intake in both men and women, accounting for 50 % of total polyphenol intake regardless of cohort and gender, followed by alcoholic beverages and seasoning and spices in men, and seasoning and spices, fruits and other vegetables in women. The present study showed that this FFQ had moderate validity and reproducibility and is suitable for use in future epidemiological studies.

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

Nutrition Journal ◽

10.1186/s12937-021-00678-5 ◽

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.

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