scholarly journals Quality of food-frequency questionnaire validation studies in the dietary assessment of children aged 12 to 36 months: a systematic literature review

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Lovell ◽  
Rhodi Bulloch ◽  
Clare R. Wall ◽  
Cameron C. Grant

AbstractA child's diet is an important determinant of growth and development. Because of this, the accurate assessment of dietary intake in young children remains a challenge. A systematic search of studies validating FFQ methodologies in children 12 to 36 months of age was completed. English-language articles published until March 2016 were searched using three electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL). Quality assessment of the identified studies was carried out using The Reduced Summary Score and EURopean micronutrient RECommendations Aligned (EURRECA) scoring system. Seventeen studies were included and categorised according to whether they reflected long-term (≥7 d) or short-term (<7 d) intake, or used a biomarker. A total score for each micronutrient was calculated from the mean of the correlation coefficients weighted by the study quality score. At least three validation studies per micronutrient were required for inclusion. Fifteen studies (83 %) that considered validity of the FFQ in assessing nutrient intakes had quality scores from 2·5 to 6·0. Of those, ten (67 %) studies found FFQ to have good correlations in assessing dietary intake (>0·4). Of the nutrients with three or more studies available, FFQ validated using a reference method reflecting short-term intake had a good weighted correlation for Ca (0·51), and acceptable weighted correlations for vitamin C (0·31) and Fe (0·33). Semi-quantitative FFQ were shown to be valid and reproducible when estimating dietary intakes at a group level, and are an acceptable instruments for estimating intakes of Ca, vitamin C and Fe in children 12 to 36 months of age.

2009 ◽  
Vol 102 (S1) ◽  
pp. S87-S117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Ortiz-Andrellucchi ◽  
Patricia Henríquez-Sánchez ◽  
Almudena Sánchez-Villegas ◽  
Luis Peña-Quintana ◽  
Michelle Mendez ◽  
...  

A systematic literature search identified studies validating the methodology used for measuring the usual dietary intake in infants, children and adolescents. The quality of each validation study selected was assessed using a European micronutrient Recommendations Aligned-developed scoring system. The validation studies were categorised according to whether the study used a reference method that reflected short-term intake ( < 7 d), long-term intake ( ≥ 7 d) or used biomarkers. A correlation coefficient for each nutrient was calculated from the mean of the correlation coefficients from each study weighted by the quality of the study. Thirty-two articles were included in the present review: validation studies from infants (1–23 months); child preschool (2–5 years); children (6–12 years); adolescents (13–18 years). Validation of FFQ studies in infants and preschool children using a reference method that reflected short-term intake showed good correlations for niacin, thiamin, vitamins B6, D, C, E, riboflavin, Ca, K, Mg, Fe and Zn (with correlations ranging from 0·55 for vitamin E to 0·69 for niacin).Regarding the reference method reflecting short-term intake in children and adolescents, good correlations were seen only for vitamin C (r 0·61) and Ca (r 0·51). Using serum levels of micronutrient demonstrated that the 3 d weighed dietary records was superior to the FFQ as a tool to validate micronutrient intakes. Including supplement users generally improved the correlations between micronutrient intakes estimated by any of the dietary intake methods and respective biochemical indices.


2009 ◽  
Vol 102 (S1) ◽  
pp. S38-S55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lluis Serra-Majem ◽  
Karina Pfrimer ◽  
Jorge Doreste-Alonso ◽  
Lourdes Ribas-Barba ◽  
Almudena Sánchez-Villegas ◽  
...  

The EURopean micronutrient RECommendations Aligned (EURRECA) Network of Excellence is working towards developing aligned micronutrient recommendations across Europe. The purpose of the present study was to conduct a review of methods used in validation studies carried out in adults assessing dietary intake of EURRECA priority minerals. A search strategy and inclusion criteria were defined and a scoring system was developed to rate the quality of each validation study that produced a quality index with possible scores obtained ranging from 0·5 to 7. A MEDLINE and EMBASE literature review was conducted. Articles/validation studies meeting the inclusion criteria included: 79/88 for Fe; 95/104 for Ca; 13/15 for Se; 29/30 for Zn; 7/9 for iodine. The most frequently used method to ascertain dietary intake was the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), whereas dietary records (DR) and 24 h recalls were the most used reference methods. The correlation coefficients (CC) between study mineral intakes estimated by FFQ and the reference method were weighted according to the study's quality index and obtained acceptable to good ratings, ranging from 0·36 to 0·60 when the reference method was DR and from 0·41 to 0·58 when the reference was 24 h recalls. A minority of studies (n9) used biomarkers for validation and among these, five included iodine obtaining a CC of 0·47. The FFQ was seen as a valid method for assessing mineral intake, particularly for Ca and, to a lower extent, for iodine and Zn. Se and Fe showed only acceptable correlations. The present review provides new insights regarding the characteristics that assessment methods for dietary mineral intakes should fulfil.


2009 ◽  
Vol 102 (S1) ◽  
pp. S10-S37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Henríquez-Sánchez ◽  
Almudena Sánchez-Villegas ◽  
Jorge Doreste-Alonso ◽  
Adriana Ortiz-Andrellucchi ◽  
Karina Pfrimer ◽  
...  

The EURRECA Network of Excellence is working towards the development of aligned micronutrient recommendations across Europe. The purpose of the present study was to define how to identify dietary intake validation studies in adults pertaining to vitamins. After establishing a search strategy, we conducted a MEDLINE and EMBASE literature review. A scoring system was developed to rate the quality of each validation study according to sample size, statistical methods, data collection procedure, seasonality and vitamin supplement use. This produced a quality index with possible scores obtained ranging from 0·5 to 7. Five thousand four-hundred and seventy-six papers were identified. The numbers meeting the inclusion criteria were: for vitamin A, 76; vitamin C, 108; vitamin D, 21; vitamin E, 75; folic acid, 47; vitamin B12, 19; vitamin B6, 21; thiamine, 49; riboflavin, 49; and niacin, 32. The most frequently used method to ascertain dietary intake was the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), whereas dietary records (DR) and 24-h recalls were the most used reference methods. The correlation coefficients (CC) between vitamin intakes estimated by FFQ and the reference method were weighted according to the study's quality index and ranged from 0·41 to 0·53 when the reference method was the DR and from 0·43 to 0·67 when the reference was 24-h recalls. A minority of studies (n33) used biomarkers for validation and in these the CC ranged from 0·26 to 0·38. The FFQ is an acceptable method of assessing vitamin intake. The present review provides new insights regarding the characteristics that assessment methods for dietary intake should fulfil.


2009 ◽  
Vol 102 (S1) ◽  
pp. S118-S149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Ortiz-Andrellucchi ◽  
Almudena Sánchez-Villegas ◽  
Jorge Doreste-Alonso ◽  
Jeanne de Vries ◽  
Lisette de Groot ◽  
...  

The European micronutrient recommendations aligned (EURRECA) Network of Excellence seeks to establish clear guidelines for assessing the validity of reported micronutrient intakes among vulnerable population groups. A systematic literature review identified studies validating the methodology used in elderly people for measuring usual dietary micronutrient intake. The quality of each validation study selected was assessed using a EURRECA-developed scoring system. The validation studies were categorised according to whether the reference method applied reflected short-term intake ( < 7 d), long-term intake ( ≥ 7 d) or used biomarkers (BM). A correlation coefficient for each micronutrient was calculated from the mean of the correlation coefficients from each study weighted by the quality of the study. Thirty-three papers were selected, which included the validation of twenty-five different FFQ, six diet histories (DH), one 24-h recall (24HR) and a videotaped dietary assessment method. A total of five publications analysed BM, which were used to validate four FFQ, and one 24HR, presenting very good correlations only for vitamin E. The analysis of weighted correlation coefficients classified by FFQ or DH showed that most of the micronutrients had higher correlations when the DH was used as the dietary method. Comparing only FFQ results showed very good correlations for measuring short-term intakes of riboflavin and thiamin and long-term intakes of P and Mg. When frequency methods are used for assessing micronutrient intake, the inclusion of dietary supplements improves their reliability for most micronutrients.


2009 ◽  
Vol 102 (S1) ◽  
pp. S64-S86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Ortiz-Andrellucchi ◽  
Jorge Doreste-Alonso ◽  
Patricia Henríquez-Sánchez ◽  
Irene Cetin ◽  
Lluís Serra-Majem

The EURopean micronutrient RECommendations Aligned (EURRECA) Network of Excellence needs clear guidelines for assessing the validity of reported micronutrient intakes among vulnerable population groups. A systematic literature search identified studies validating the methodology used for measuring usual dietary intake during pregnancy. The quality of each validation study selected was assessed using a EURRECA-developed scoring system. The validation studies were categorised according to whether the study used a reference method that reflected short-term intake ( < 7 d) long-term intake ( ≥ 7 d) or used biomarkers (BM). A correlation coefficient for each micronutrient was calculated from the mean of the correlation coefficients from each study weighted by the quality of the study. Seventeen papers were selected, which included the validation of fifteen FFQ, two dietary records (DR), one diet history and a Fe intake checklist. Estimates of twenty-six micronutrients by six FFQ were validated against 24-h recalls indicating good correlation for six micronutrients. Estimates of twenty-four micronutrients by two FFQ were validated against estimated DR and all had good or acceptable correlations. Estimates of fourteen micronutrients by three FFQ were validated against weighed DR indicating good correlations for five. Six FFQ were validated against BM, presenting good correlations only for folic acid. FFQ appear to be most reliable for measuring short-term intakes of vitamins E and B6 and long-term intakes of thiamin. Apart from folic acid, BM do not add any more certainty in terms of intake method reliability. When frequency methods are used, the inclusion of dietary supplements improves their reliability for most micronutrients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raíssa do Vale Cardoso LOPES ◽  
Juliana Araújo TEIXEIRA ◽  
Dirce Maria MARCHIONI ◽  
Luisa Lina VILLA ◽  
Anna Regina GIULIANO ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objective This study aimed to compare dietary intake estimates using two different methodological approaches: use of new portions obtained with the 24-Hour Diet Recall, which was applied in the current study population, and the application of calibration equations, which were estimated using the same 24h-recalls. Methods Calibration equations were estimated using linear regression. The medians and confidence intervals of energy and nutrient intakes were assessed using all the approaches. The U Mann Whitney test was applied to verify differences among dietary intakes obtained with the 24 Hour Recall and Food Frequency Questionnaire-based methods. The correlation between different measures was assessed with Spearman coefficient. Weighted Kappa was used to verify the capability of the Food Frequency Questionnaire -based methods to classify individuals in the same intake levels of the 24 Hour Recall. Results Nine of the eleven components that were analyzed using the Food Frequency Questionnaire with standard portions and calibrated had medians significantly different from those obtained using the 24 Hour Recall; only the measurements of vitamin E and energy were statistically equal. For the Food Frequency Questionnaire with 24 Hour Recall portions, only the medians of vitamin D and B12 did not significantly differ from the 24 Hour Recall medians. Finally, for the Food Frequency Questionnaire with 24 Hour Recall portions and calibrated, all components, except folate and iron, had medians statistically equal to those obtained using the 24 Hour Recall. Spearman correlation coefficients were higher for the Food Frequency Questionnaire with 24 Hour Recall portions calibrated for all the assessed components, and the values ranged from 0.27 (total fat) to 0.57 (iron). Higher Kappa correlation coefficients were found for the Food Frequency Questionnaire 24 Hour Recall portions calibrated. Conclusion Calibrated FFQ with portions estimated from the own target population obtained better estimates of dietary intake, with values considerably more similar to those obtained with the reference method.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Carter ◽  
Sarah Lewington ◽  
Carmen Piernas ◽  
Kathryn Bradbury ◽  
Timothy J. Key ◽  
...  

Abstract To detect modest associations of dietary intake with disease risk, observational studies need to be large and control for moderate measurement errors. The reproducibility of dietary intakes of macronutrients, food groups and dietary patterns (vegetarian and Mediterranean) was assessed in adults in the UK Biobank study on up to five occasions using a web-based 24-h dietary assessment (n 211 050), and using short FFQ recorded at baseline (n 502 655) and after 4 years (n 20 346). When the means of two 24-h assessments were used, the intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) for macronutrients varied from 0·63 for alcohol to 0·36 for polyunsaturated fat. The ICC for food groups also varied from 0·68 for fruit to 0·18 for fish. The ICC for the FFQ varied from 0·66 for meat and fruit to 0·48 for bread and cereals. The reproducibility was higher for vegetarian status (κ > 0·80) than for the Mediterranean dietary pattern (ICC = 0·45). Overall, the reproducibility of pairs of 24-h dietary assessments and single FFQ used in the UK Biobank were comparable with results of previous prospective studies using conventional methods. Analyses of diet–disease relationships need to correct for both measurement error and within-person variability in dietary intake in order to reliably assess any such associations with disease in the UK Biobank.


2009 ◽  
Vol 102 (S1) ◽  
pp. S56-S63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina C. Øverby ◽  
Lluis Serra-Majem ◽  
Lene Frost Andersen

In order to assess nutritional adequacy, valid estimates of nutrient intake are required. Specifically, the EURopean micronutrient RECommendations Aligned (EURRECA) Network of Excellence needs clear guidelines for assessing the validity of reported micronutrient intakes and n-3 fatty acid (FA) intakes. The aim of the present study was to review the validity of methods used to measure the usual n-3 FA intake of a population. A systematic literature search was conducted for studies validating the methodology used for measuring the dietary intake of n-3 FA. The quality of the validation studies and the quality of the different dietary assessment methods were assessed using scoring systems developed by EURRECA. Fourteen papers, describing twenty studies, were identified for inclusion. According to the score system developed by EURRECA, all the studies were ranked as average, except two that were ranked as poor. The correlation coefficients between FA in subcutaneous fat and dietary intake of n-3 FA from four FFQ, one weighed record and one 24-h recall ranged between 0·40 and 0·60. Correlations between intake of n-3 FA from five FFQ, one dietary history and three weighed records and blood lipids were similar to the ones observed for subcutaneous fat. The summarised quality of the n-3 FA estimates derived from the FFQ was judged as good or acceptable according to the EURRECA scoring system. The literature describes subcutaneous fat as the best reference method, and the studies where this was used had moderate correlation coefficients and no dietary intake method was superior to any other.


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.


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Nur Hana Hamzaid ◽  
Helen T. O’Connor ◽  
Victoria M. Flood

Background: There is limited information on the dietary intakes of people with intellectual disability (ID) living in group homes. Objective: To describe and evaluate dietary intake in people with ID. Method: Dietary intake was assessed in a convenience sample of people with ID living in group homes. Dietary assessment used three-day weighed food records and digital food photography. Intakes were compared to the Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) and dietary recommendations. Results: A sample of 33 adults, (men (M): n = 14; women (W): n = 19), mean age 51 ± 14 years, was recruited from seven group homes. Mean daily energy intake was low (M: 7.4 MJ; W: 7.0 MJ; p = 0.46), similar to levels recommended for bed rest. Many participants had intakes below the estimated average requirements (EARs) for the nutrients, magnesium (M: 86%; W: 63%), calcium (M: 43%; W: 78%), iodine (M: 43%; W: 47%) and zinc (M: 43%). Less than half of the recommended daily servings were consumed for vegetables (men and women) and dairy foods (women). Conclusion: Nutrient intake and diet quality of the participants in the group homes studied was poor. Education and policy to support healthier diets is required to improve dietary intake of people with intellectual disability, living in group homes.


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