scholarly journals Validity and Reproducibility of a Culture-Specific Food Frequency Questionnaire in Lebanon

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3316
Author(s):  
Raeda El Sayed Ahmad ◽  
Mariam Baroudi ◽  
Hibeh Shatila ◽  
Lara Nasreddine ◽  
Fatima Al Zahraa Chokor ◽  
...  

This study aims to assess the validity and reproducibility of a culture-specific semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for Lebanese adults. The 94-item FFQ captures intake of traditional Mediterranean dishes and Western food, reflective of current Lebanese nutrition transition. Among 107 participants (18–65 years), the FFQ was administered at baseline (FFQ-1) and one year thereafter (FFQ-2); 2–3 24-h recalls (24-HRs)/season were collected for a total of 8–12 over four seasons. A subset (n = 67) provided a fasting blood sample in the fall. Spearman-correlation coefficients, Bland–Altman plots, joint-classification and (ICC) were calculated. Mean intakes from FFQ-2 were higher than from the total 24-HRs. Correlations for diet from FFQ-2 and 24-HRs ranged from 0.17 for α-carotene to 0.65 for energy. Joint classification in the same/adjacent quartile ranged from 74.8% to 95%. FFQ-2-plasma carotenoid correlations ranged from 0.18 for lutein/zeaxanthin to 0.59 for β-carotene. Intra-class correlations for FFQ-1 and FFQ-2 ranged from 0.36 for β-cryptoxanthin to 0.85 for energy. 24-HRs carotenoid intake varied by season; combining season-specific 24-HRs proximal to biospecimen collection to the FFQ-2 improved diet-biochemical correlations. By applying dietary data from two tools with biomarkers taking into consideration seasonal variation, we report a valid, reproducible Lebanese FFQ for use in diet-disease research.

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 750
Author(s):  
Leyre Notario-Barandiaran ◽  
Eva-María Navarrete-Muñoz ◽  
Desirée Valera-Gran ◽  
Elena Hernández-Álvarez ◽  
Encarnación Donoso-Navarro ◽  
...  

Reliable tools to evaluate diet are needed, particularly in life periods such as adolescence in which a rapid rate of growth and development occurs. We assessed the biochemical validity of a self-administered food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in a sample of Spanish male adolescents using carotenoids and vitamin E and D data. We analyzed data from 122 male adolescents aged 15–17 years of the INMA-Granada birth cohort study. Adolescents answered a 104-item FFQ and provided a non-fasting blood sample. Mean daily nutrient intakes and serum concentration were estimated for main carotenoids (lutein-zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, α-carotene and β-carotene), vitamins E and D and also for fruit and vegetable intake. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) and the percentage of agreement (same or adjacent quintiles) between serum vitamin concentrations and energy-adjusted intakes were estimated. Statistically significant correlation coefficients were observed for the total carotenoids (r = 0.40) and specific carotenoids, with the highest correlation observed for lutein–zeaxanthin (r = 0.42) and the lowest for β-carotene (0.23). The correlation coefficient between fruit and vegetable intake and serum carotenoids was 0.29 (higher for vegetable intake, r = 0.33 than for fruit intake, r = 0.19). Low correlations were observed for vitamin E and D. The average percentage of agreement for carotenoids was 55.8%, and lower for vitamin E and D (50% and 41%, respectively). The FFQ may be an acceptable tool for dietary assessment among male adolescents in Spain.


2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 2090-2100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betzabeth Slater ◽  
Carla Cristina Enes ◽  
Rossana Verónica Mendoza López ◽  
Nágila Raquel Teixeira Damasceno ◽  
Silvia Maria Voci

The aim of this study was to validate the intake of carotenoids, fruits and vegetables estimated by the Food Frequency Questionnaire for Adolescents (FFQA) using the method of triads. Blood samples were collected from 80 elementary school adolescents to assess serum levels of β-carotene. Partial correlation coefficients (r) were calculated between an estimated intake of carotenoids, fruits and vegetables and the serum levels of β-carotene. Validity coefficients were calculated using the method of triads. With the exception of carotenoids, partial r from the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) were greater than those of the 24-hour recall (24hR). The fruit/vegetable group showed the highest partial r for the FFQ (r = 0.235) and the 24hR (r = 0.137). The highest validity coefficient was obtained for the vegetable group, as assessed by the FFQ (r = 0.873). On average, the validity coefficient values for the FFQ were greater than those obtained for the 24hR or the β-carotene serum levels. The FFQA is an accurate tool for estimating the intake of carotenoids, fruits and vegetables in this population group.


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 933 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesus Vioque ◽  
Manuela Garcia-de-la-Hera ◽  
Sandra Gonzalez-Palacios ◽  
Laura Torres-Collado ◽  
Leyre Notario-Barandiaran ◽  
...  

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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Sarin S. Jose ◽  
T. Shalini ◽  
N. Balakrishna ◽  
M.S. Radhika ◽  
G.N.V Brahmam ◽  
...  

Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) is a commonly used tool for the measurement of food intake of a large population. However, FFQ could be influenced by the cultures, seasons and food habits. Thus FFQ should be validated against a known or standard tool like a multiple 24-hour dietary recalls (24h) and also needs to be tested for its reproducibility. Hence, in this study, the reproducibility of a Raw food based quantitative FFQ (RFFQ) was assessed and validated against the standard multiple 24h method. A community-based longitudinal study was conducted among 106 urban adult subjects in Hyderabad Metropolitan city of South India. The reproducibility of RFFQ was assessed at two reference periods of a year and seasonal variation was investigated across three seasons. Further, RFFQ was validated against 24h across three seasons of the year. The median and Inter Quartile Range (IQR) of food and nutrient intakes have shown that the RFFQ was comparable to 24h of four months duration and also between baseline and final RFFQs. No significant seasonal difference in food and nutrient intake was observed by the RFFQs (p&gt;0.05). Bland-Altman analysis showed an agreement between the RFFQ and 24h indicating relative validity of the RFFQ in the study population. The reproducibility of the RFFQs was found to be good as observed by Intra class Correlation Coefficients (ICC). The RFFQ of one year duration is thus a valid tool to elicit long-term habitual dietary intake pattern of urban adult subjects in South India. As the RFFQ used in this study is raw food based it could be adopted to other parts of the country.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1163
Author(s):  
Suzana Shahar ◽  
Mohd Razif Shahril ◽  
Noraidatulakma Abdullah ◽  
Boekhtiar Borhanuddin ◽  
Mohd Arman Kamaruddin ◽  
...  

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Ding ◽  
Fang Li ◽  
Ping Hu ◽  
Mei Ye ◽  
Fangping Xu ◽  
...  

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.


1998 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R Hebert ◽  
Prakash C Gupta ◽  
Ramesh B Bhonsle ◽  
PR Murti ◽  
Hemali Mehta ◽  
...  

AbstractObjective:To develop and test a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for use in rural areas of Kerala, India.Design:Based on food use and market surveys of the study area, a quantitative 81-item interviewer-administered FFQ was developed. A validation study was conducted consisting of 24-h diet recalls (24HR) administered on 8 days randomly selected over an entire year and two administrations of the FFQ, one at the beginning of the l-year period and the other at the end. FFQ and 24HR-derived nutrient scores were compared using correlation and regression analyses and by examining differences in the nutrient scores.Setting:Rural villages in Ernakulum district, Kerala, South India.Subjects:In each of 30 households, the male head of household and female food preparer were enrolled.Results:Pearson (parametric) correlation coefficients (rp) averaged about 0.50 in comparing nutrient scores derived from the 24HR with those from the first FFQ and about 0.55 in comparing the second FFQ. On average, Spearman correlation coefficients (rs) were slightly lower than the rp in comparing the scores derived from the first FFQ, but virtually identical for the second FFQ. Regression analyses indicated better agreement in the comparison of the 24HR-derived scores with the first FFQ than the second FFQ. Difference scores, however, tended to be larger in comparing the first FFQ scores with the 24HR.Conclusions:This FFQ produces results broadly comparable to those used in Europe and North America, indicating its suitability for comparing exposures within a study population in reference to health-related endpoints.


2001 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 961-970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi J Wengreen ◽  
Ronald G Munger ◽  
Siew Sun Wong ◽  
Nancy A West ◽  
Richard Cutler

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.


2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keiko Ogawa ◽  
Yoshitaka Tsubono ◽  
Yoshikazu Nishino ◽  
Yoko Watanabe ◽  
Takayoshi Ohkubo ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectives:To examine the validity and reproducibility of a self-administered food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) used for two cohort studies in Japan.Design:Cross-sectional study.Setting:Two rural towns in the Miyagi Prefecture, in north-eastern Japan.Subjects:Fifty-five men and 58 women.Results:A 40-item FFQ was administered twice, 1 year apart. In the mean time, four 3-day diet records (DRs) were collected in four seasons within the year. We calculated daily consumption of total energy and 15 nutrients, 40 food items and nine food groups from the FFQs and the DRs. We computed Spearman correlation coefficients between the FFQs and the DRs. With adjustment for age, total energy and deattenuation for measurement error with the DRs, the correlation coefficients for nutrient intakes ranged from 0.25 to 0.58 in men and from 0.30 to 0.69 in women, with median of 0.43 and 0.43, respectively. Median (range) of the correlation coefficients was 0.35 (−0.30 to 0.72) in men and 0.34 (−0.06 to 0.75) in women for food items and 0.60 (−0.10 to 0.76) and 0.51 (0.28–0.70) for food groups, respectively. Median (range) of the correlation coefficients for the two FFQs administered 1 year apart was 0.49 (0.31–0.71) in men and 0.50 (0.40–0.64) in women for nutrients, 0.43 (0.14–0.76) and 0.45 (0.06–0.74) respectively for food items, and 0.50 (0.30–0.70) and 0.57 (0.39–0.66) respectively for food groups. Relatively higher agreement percentages for intakes of nutrients and food groups with high validity were obtained together with lower complete disagreement percentages.Conclusions:The FFQ has a high reproducibility and a reasonably good validity, and is useful in assessing the usual intakes of nutrients, foods and food groups among a rural Japanese population.


2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 2068-2079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Liane Henn ◽  
Sandra Costa Fuchs ◽  
Leila Beltrami Moreira ◽  
Flavio Danni Fuchs

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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