Dataset Information

Validity and reliability of a food frequency questionnaire to estimate dietary intake among Lebanese children.

ABSTRACT: Nutritional status during childhood is critical given its effect on growth and development as well as its association with disease risk later in life. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is experiencing alarming rates of childhood malnutrition, both over- and under-nutrition. Hence, there is a need for valid tools to assess dietary intake for children in this region. To date, there are no validated dietary assessment tools for children in any country of the MENA region. The main objective of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) for the assessment of dietary intake among Lebanese children.Children, aged 5 to 10 years (n = 111), were recruited from public and private schools of Beirut, Lebanon. Mothers (proxies to report their children's dietary intake) completed two FFQs, four weeks apart. Four 24-hour recalls (24-HRs) were collected weekly during the duration of the study. Spearman correlations and Bland-Altman plots were used to assess validity. Linear regression models were used to derive calibration factors for boys and girls. Reproducibility statistics included Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and percent agreement.Correlation coefficients between dietary intake estimates derived from FFQ and 24-HRs were significant at p < 0.001 with the highest correlation observed for energy (0.54) and the lowest for monounsaturated fatty acids (0.26). The majority of data points in the Bland-Altman plots lied between the limits of agreement, closer to the middle horizontal line. After applying the calibration factors for boys and girls, the mean energy and nutrient intakes estimated by the FFQ were similar to those obtained by the mean 24-HRs. As for reproducibility, ICC ranged between 0.31 for trans-fatty acids and 0.73 for calcium intakes. Over 80 % of study participants were classified in the same or adjacent quartile of energy and nutrients intake.Findings of this study showed that the developed FFQ is reliable and is also valid, when used with calibration factors. This FFQ is a useful tool in dietary assessment and evaluation of diet-disease relationship in this age group.

SUBMITTER: Moghames P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4709981 | biostudies-other | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:Few studies exist on the validity of food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) administered to elderly people. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of a short FFQ on present dietary intake, developed specially for the AGES-Reykjavik Study, which includes 5,764 elderly individuals. Assessing the validity of FFQs is essential before they are used in studies on diet-related disease risk and health outcomes.128 healthy elderly participants (74 y ± 5.7; 58.6% female) answered the AGES-FFQ, and subsequently filled out a 3-day weighed food record. Validity of the AGES-FFQ was assessed by comparing its answers to the dietary data obtained from the weighed food records, using Spearman's rank correlation, Chi-Square/Kendall's tau, and a Jonckheere-Terpstra test for trend.For men a correlation ? 0.4 was found for potatoes, fresh fruits, oatmeal/muesli, cakes/cookies, candy, dairy products, milk, pure fruit juice, cod liver oil, coffee, tea and sugar in coffee/tea (r = 0.40-0.71). A lower, but acceptable, correlation was also found for raw vegetables (r = 0.33). The highest correlation for women was found for consumption of rye bread, oatmeal/muesli, raw vegetables, candy, dairy products, milk, pure fruit juice, cod liver oil, coffee and tea (r = 0.40-0.61). An acceptable correlation was also found for fish topping/salad, fresh fruit, blood/liver sausage, whole-wheat bread, and sugar in coffee/tea (r = 0.28-0.37). Questions on meat/fish meals, cooked vegetables and soft drinks did not show a significant correlation to the reference method. Pearson Chi-Square and Kendall's tau showed similar results, as did the Jonckheere-Terpstra trend test.A majority of the questions in the AGES-FFQ had an acceptable correlation and may be used to rank individuals according to their level of intake of several important foods/food groups. The AGES-FFQ on present diet may therefore be used to study the relationship between consumption of several specific foods/food groups and various health-related endpoints gathered in the AGES-Reykjavik Study.

Project description:ObjectiveFood frequency questionnaires (FFQs) must be validated among the population of interest due to the specificities in dietary habits, culture and food in each country of the Mediterranean region. The objective of this study was to determine the relative validity and reproducibility of a 157 item semi-quantitative FFQ among Lebanese adult population.Material and methodsDietary intake was assessed through dietary recalls, a FFQ with food items, and traditional recipes from the Mediterranean cuisine. Validity of the FFQ was measured by comparing the intake of calories, macro and micronutrients to the mean values derived from three dietary recalls (DR). Reproducibility of the FFQ was evaluated after repeating the same FFQ among the participant after a four-month period.Results114 healthy adults aged between 18 and 60 years of which 52.6% are men participated in this study. 53 of these adults participated in the reproducibility study. Intra class correlation coefficient (ICC) between the two FFQ measurements ranged from 0.822 for sodium to 0.998 for energy indicating excellent reproducibility. The FFQ showed slightly higher intakes than the dietary recalls for most of the nutrients and foods reaching 2.1% for nutrients (polyunsaturated fatty acids) and 18% for food groups (olive oil). Correlation coefficients ranged between 0.783 (sodium) and 0.996 (carbs) for nutrients and between 0.906 (fish) and 1 (fruits and nuts) for food groups, with a significant p value (p = 0.038 for folate). Cross-classification of nutrients into quartiles showed that more than 81% of the participants were classified in the same quartile. Misclassifications were low for most nutrients with one to three persons misclassified at the extreme quartiles.ConclusionThe FFQ used in this research contained western and Mediterranean type of dishes and foods. Statistical analysis showed good reproducibility and validity of the tested tool in a heterogeneous sample of adults living in a Mediterranean country. It is a useful tool for future investigations and strategies promoting the comeback of this traditional diet.

Dataset Information

Validity and reliability of a food frequency questionnaire to estimate dietary intake among Lebanese children.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure