Prevalence of fermented foods in the Dutch adult diet and validation of a food frequency questionnaire for estimating their intake in the NQplus cohort

Abstract Background Humans have a long history of consuming fermented foods. However, their prevalence in human diets remains largely undetermined, and there is a lack of validated dietary assessment tools assessing the intake of different fermented products. This study aimed to identify fermented foods consumed in The Netherlands and determine the relative validity of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) compared to multiple 24-h recalls for estimating their intake. Methods The validation population consisted of 809 participants (53.1 ± 11.9 years) from a Dutch observational cohort (NQplus) who completed a FFQ and multiple 24-h recalls. Fermented foods from the FFQ and recalls were identified and aggregated into conventional food groups. Percent difference in mean intakes, quintile cross-classification, Spearman’s correlations, and Bland-Altman analyses were used to evaluate the agreement between the two dietary assessment methods. Results Approximately 16–18% of foods consumed by this population were fermented, and a further 9–14% were dishes containing a fermented ingredient. Fermented foods with the highest consumption included coffee (~ 453 g/day;~ 0.5% of daily energy intake), yoghurts (~ 88 g/day;~ 2.2%), beer (~ 84 g/day;~ 1.7%), wholegrain bread (~ 81 g/day;~ 9.4%), wine (~ 65 g/day;~ 2.7%), and cheese (~ 32 g/day;~ 5.0%). Mean percent difference between the FFQ and recalls was small for fermented beverages (coffee), breads (brown, white, wholegrain, rye), and fermented dairy (cheeses) (0.3–2.8%), but large for buttermilk and quark (≥53%). All fermented food groups had > 50% of participants classified into the same or adjacent quintile of intake (58%-buttermilk to 89%-fermented beverages). Strong Spearman’s correlations (crude/energy-adjusted rs ≥ 0.50) were obtained for fermented beverages (coffee, beer, wine), cereals/grains (wholegrain bread), and dairy (yoghurts). For ‘other bread’, quark, and buttermilk, correlations were low (rs < 0.20). Bland-Altman analyses revealed good agreement for fermented beverages (coffee, beer), breads (brown, wholegrain, rye, other), pastries, chocolate, and fermented dairy (cheeses) (mean difference: 0.1–9.3). Conclusions Fermented food groups with acceptable or good validity across all measures included commonly consumed foods in The Netherlands: fermented beverages (coffee), wholegrain and rye bread, and fermented dairy (cheeses). However, for less frequently consumed foods, such as quark and buttermilk, the levels of agreement were poor and estimates of intake should be interpreted with caution. This report provides the basis for developing a FFQ specific for fermented foods.

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Validation of an interviewer-administered seven-day semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire for the dietary assessment of preschool children in rural Bangladesh

Journal of Nutritional Science ◽

10.1017/jns.2021.19 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

Author(s):

Sabuktagin Rahman ◽

Patricia Lee ◽

Santhia Ireen ◽

Moudud ur-Rahman Khan ◽

Faruk Ahmed

Keyword(s):

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Statistical Tests ◽

Dietary Assessment ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Preschool Age ◽

Food Groups ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Preschool Age Children ◽

Absolute Agreement

Abstract A validation study of an interviewer-administered, seven-day semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (7-d SQFFQ) was conducted in Bangladeshi rural preschool age children. Using a cross-sectional study design, 105 children from 103 households were randomly selected. For the SQFFQ, a list of commonly consumed foods was adapted from the Bangladesh national micronutrient survey 2011–12. The data on the actual number of times and the amount of the children's consumption of the foods in the preceding 1 week were collected by interviewing the mothers. The intake was compared with two non-consecutive days 24-h dietary recalls conducted within 2 weeks after the SQFFQ. Validity was assessed by the standard statistical tests. After adjusting for the energy intake and de-attenuation for within-subject variation, the food groups (cereals, animal source foods, milk and the processed foods) had ‘good’ correlations between the methods (rho 0⋅65–0⋅93; P < 0⋅001). Similarly, the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein and fats) had ‘good’ correlations (rho 0⋅50–0⋅75; P < 0⋅001) and the key micronutrients (iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin A, etc.) demonstrated ‘good’ correlations (rho 0⋅46–0⋅85; P < 0⋅001). The variation in classifying the two extreme quintiles by the SQFFQ and the 24-h recalls was <10 %. The results from Lin's concordance coefficients showed a ‘moderate’ to ‘excellent’ absolute agreement between the two methods for food groups, and nutrients (0⋅21–0⋅90; P < 0⋅001). This interviewer-administered, 7-d SQFFQ with an open-ended intake frequency demonstrated adequate validity to assess the dietary intake for most nutrients and suitable for dietary assessments of young children in Bangladesh.

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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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PrimeScreen, a brief dietary screening tool: reproducibility and comparability with both a longer food frequency questionnaire and biomarkers

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1079/phn200061 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 249-254 ◽

Cited By ~ 93

Author(s):

Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman ◽

Walter C Willett ◽

Rebecca Lobb ◽

Jamie Kotch ◽

Charles Dart ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New England ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Plasma Levels ◽

Dietary Assessment ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Care Organization ◽

Food Groups ◽

Or Education ◽

Food Frequency ◽

The Mean

AbstractObjectiveDiet is an important determinant of health outcomes, but physicians have few ways to identify persons with suboptimal diets. The purposes of this study were to examine the reproducibility of a short dietary assessment questionnaire (PrimeScreen) and to compare its results with those of a longer food frequency questionnaire and with plasma levels of selected nutrients.DesignEach subject completed two PrimeScreen questionnaires at an interval of 2 weeks and one full length, 131-item, semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (SFFQ), and had a sample of blood drawn. We compared the PrimeScreen with two reference standards, the SFFQ and plasma levels of selected nutrients.SettingA large managed care organization in New England.SubjectsA total of 160 men and women, aged 19–65 years, participated.ResultsFor foods and food groups, the mean correlation coefficient (r) was 0.70 for reproducibility and 0.61 for comparability with the SFFQ. For nutrients, the mean r was 0.74 for reproducibility and 0.60 for comparability with the SFFQ. No substantial differences were evident by sex, race, body mass index, occupation or education. Correlation coefficients for the comparison of vitamin E, β-carotene and lutein/zeaxanthin intakes from the PrimeScreen with plasma levels were 0.33, 0.43 and 0.43, respectively. These values were similar to those comparing the SFFQ with plasma levels. The median time to complete PrimeScreen was 5 min; 87% of participants required fewer than 10 min.ConclusionsA quick way to assess quality of diet among adults, PrimeScreen has adequate reproducibility and its results compare well with a longer food frequency questionnaire and biomarkers.

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Long-term reproducibility of a food-frequency questionnaire and dietary changes in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Heidelberg cohort

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114507691636 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 98 (1) ◽

pp. 194-200 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Gabriele Nagel ◽

Dorothee Zoller ◽

Tilla Ruf ◽

Sabine Rohrmann ◽

Jakob Linseisen

Keyword(s):

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Dietary Assessment ◽

Alcoholic Beverage ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Alcoholic Beverages ◽

Food Groups ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Dietary Changes ◽

Prospective Investigation

Within a prospective cohort study, we explored the long-term reproducibility of the food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and dietary changes in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Heidelberg cohort. After a mean follow-up time of 68·8 (sd 4·1) months the dietary assessment by means of a validated FFQ was repeated in 21 462 participants in the EPIC-Heidelberg cohort. The correlation and test–retest reproducibility of both dietary intake measurements was explored. The long-term correlation coefficients ranged from 0·41 (vegetables in men) to 0·77 (alcoholic beverage consumption in women). The median intake of potatoes, added fat, sugar/confectionary, cakes and alcoholic beverages was lower in the second than in the first FFQ, whereas the median intake of fruits, vegetables, cereals/cereal products and non-alcoholic beverages were higher. Consistently for food groups, 60–70 % of the participants in both genders were re-classified to the same or adjacent quintile of intake. The results of fairly high correlation coefficients indicate good agreement between both measurements. It is acknowledged that this result reflects to a substantial extent the measurement error of the FFQ and conclusions on real changes in the diet should be drawn very carefully. For some nutrients the dietary changes were consistent with results from independent national surveys. The performance of the FFQ gives confidence in the dietary data to be used as long-term exposure variables.

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Reproducibility and Validity of a Short Food Frequency Questionnaire for Dietary Assessment in Children Aged 7–9 Years in Spain

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11040933 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 933 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jesus Vioque ◽

Manuela Garcia-de-la-Hera ◽

Sandra Gonzalez-Palacios ◽

Laura Torres-Collado ◽

Leyre Notario-Barandiaran ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Dietary Assessment ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Food Group ◽

Food Groups ◽

Average Correlation ◽

Blood Concentrations ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Wide Range ◽

Β Carotene

The purpose of this study was to examine if the short semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) is a reliable and valid tool to assess the diet of Spanish children aged 7–9 years. We collected data from 156 children of the birth cohort INMA (Infancia y Medio Ambiente (Environment and Childhood)). Children’s parents or care-givers completed a 46-item FFQ on two occasions over a 9–12-month period about the children’s diet. To explore the reproducibility of the FFQ, the nutrient and food group intake collected from the both FFQs were compared, while validity was examined by contrasting the nutrient values from the FFQs and the average of three 24-hour dietary recalls (24hDRs) taken in this period, and also with the concentration of several vitamins in the blood (carotenoids, vitamin D and α-tocopherol). Pearson and de-attenuated correlation coefficients were calculated. The average correlation coefficients for nutrient intake’s reproducibility was 0.41, ranging from 0.25 (calcium) to 0.65 (β-carotene), and for food group intake was 0.45, ranging from 0.18 (cereals) to 0.68 (sweetened beverages). Correlation coefficients slightly improved when we compared energy-adjusted intakes. The average correlation coefficients for validity against 24hDRs was 0.34 for energy-adjusted intakes, and 0.39 when de-attenuation coefficients were used. The validity coefficients against the blood concentrations of vitamins were 0.38 for β-cryptoxanthin, 0.26 for lycopene, 0,23 for α-carotene and 0.15 for β-carotene, all of them statistically significant (p < 0.05). This study suggests that our brief FFQ is a suitable tool for the dietary assessment of a wide range of nutrients and food groups in children 7–9 years, despite the low to moderate reproducibility and validity observed for some nutrients.

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Cultural Relevance of a Fruit and Vegetable Food Frequency Questionnaire

Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research ◽

10.3148/66.4.2005.231 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 66 (4) ◽

pp. 231-236 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Judy Paisley ◽

Marlene Greenberg ◽

Jess Haines

Keyword(s):

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Dietary Assessment ◽

Cultural Relevance ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Comparative Approach ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Research And Practice ◽

Vegetable Food ◽

Nutrition Research

Purpose: Canada’s multicultural population poses challenges for culturally competent nutrition research and practice. In this qualitative study, the cultural relevance of a widely used semiquantitative fruit and vegetable food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was examined among convenience samples of adults from Toronto’s Cantonese-, Mandarin-, Portuguese-, and Vietnamesespeaking communities. Methods: Eighty-nine participants were recruited through community-based organizations, programs, and advertisements to participate in semi-structured interviews moderated in their native language. Data from the interviews were translated into English and transcribed for analysis using the constant comparative approach. Results: Four main themes emerged from the analysis: the cultural relevance of the foods listed on the FFQ, words with multiple meanings, the need for culturally appropriate portionsize prompts, and the telephone survey as a Western concept. Conclusions: This research highlights the importance of investing resources to develop culturally relevant dietary assessment tools that ensure dietary assessment accuracy and, more important, reduce ethnocentric biases in food and nutrition research and practice. The transferability of findings must be established through further research.

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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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Relative Validity of an Italian EPIC Food Frequency Questionnaire for Dietary Factors in Children and Adolescents. A Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13041245 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 1245

Author(s):

Inge Huybrechts ◽

Rossella Miglio ◽

Lorenza Mistura ◽

Sara Grioni ◽

Irene Pozzebon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Secondary School ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Dietary Factors ◽

Food Groups ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Relative Validity ◽

Diary Method ◽

Italian Children ◽

The Impact

Dietary factors play a major role in the development of non-communicable diseases, however little is known regarding the impact of nutrition on rare diseases like sarcomas. This Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute study aimed to evaluate the relative validity of a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to measure the consumption of foods in comparison with a 3-days diary diet in a healthy Italian student population aged between 12 and 17 years. An extended version (including food groups for children) of the semi-quantitative FFQ used in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) was administered. The validity of the FFQ was assessed by comparing the intakes from the FFQ against the 3-day diary method. 254 Italian subjects were included in the analyses: 128 females; 126 males; 116 from High Secondary School (14–17 years); 138 from Low Secondary School (12–13 years). Mean and median intakes are overall higher in the FFQs than in the food diaries. Spearman correlations adjusted for within-person variability were highest for legumes, vegetables and coffee/tea (>0.5), followed by potatoes, meat, fruits, breakfast cereals, biscuits and candies, and milk/yoghurts (>0.4). Moderate correlations were found for alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, juices, and grains (>0.3). For some food groups, such as fish, potatoes, and bread, correlations tend to become higher when stratifying the analyses for age group. These results demonstrate that the adapted EPIC COS FFQ validated in Italian adults is also appropriate and well understood by Italian children and adolescents.

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Development and Validation of a Functional Foods Frequency Questionnaire for Greek Adults

Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research ◽

10.37290/ctnr2641-452x.19:373-381 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 373-381

Author(s):

Papagianni Olga ◽

Staramou Athanasia ◽

Rigopoulos Nikolaos ◽

Dimou Charalampia ◽

Koutelidakis Antonios

Keyword(s):

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Functional Food ◽

Functional Foods ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Greek Population ◽

Rank Test ◽

Food Groups ◽

Food Frequency ◽

The Past ◽

Significant Difference

The aim of the study was to investigate whether a food frequency questionnaire is a valid tool for recording and evaluating the frequency of consumption of different functional foods in a sample of the Greek population. Ninety healthy adults aged 18-75 years, not on a specific diet for the past six months and residing in the same location during the past one year were randomly selected to participate in this study. They answered a functional food frequency questionnaire, which included 76 food groups, and filled three consecutive 24-h recalls. The functional food frequency questionnaire was weighted by grams of each food group consumed per day. SPSS-21 program was used for the interpretation of the results. The nonparametric Wilcoxon sign rank test was used to correlate the variables derived from the functional food frequency questionnaire and those derived from the mean of the 24-h recall. The functional food frequency questionnaire was validated at the rate of 80.3%, especially for 61 of 76 functional food subgroups, and there was no statistically significant difference between the two assessment tools, concerning food frequency consumption. These findings showed that the developed functional food frequency questionnaire is a valid tool to investigate the frequency of functional foods consumption in the Greek population.

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