A Belgian study on the reliability and relative validity of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children food-frequency questionnaire

2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 581-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carine A Vereecken ◽  
Lea Maes
Keyword(s):  
Health Behaviour ◽  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Weighted Kappa ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Soft Drinks ◽  
Food Diary ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Relative Validity ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Food Items

AbstractObjective:In the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey, the frequency of consumption of a limited number of food items – focusing on fibre, calcium and less healthy items – is queried using a 15-item food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The present study was conducted to assess the reliability and relative validity of the HBSC FFQ among school pupils in Belgium.Design and subjects:To assess the reliability of the FFQ, 207 pupils aged 11–12 years and 560 pupils aged 13–14 years completed the questionnaire twice, with a test–retest interval of 6 to 15 days. To assess the relative validity of the FFQ, in a first study data were collected as part of the Flemish HBSC 2000 survey: 7072 pupils (11–18 years) completed the FFQ and a 24-hour food behaviour checklist (FBC). In a second study, 101 pupils (11–12 years) completed the FFQ and a 7-day food diary (FD).Results:Reliability – weighted kappa values between test and retest ranged from 0.43 to 0.70, percentage agreement from 37 to 87%, and Spearman correlations from 0.52 to 0.82. Relative validity – comparison of the FBC with the percentage of respondents who should have consumed the food items on a random day, computed from the FFQ, showed good agreement between the FFQ and the FBC for most items. Only for cereals, diet soft drinks and other milk products were considerably higher food frequencies than expected found from the FBC. Comparison of the FFQ with the FD showed overestimation for all but three food items (cheese, soft drinks and chips). Spearman correlations ranged between 0.10 for crisps and 0.65 for semi-skimmed milk.Conclusion:The HBSC FFQ is a reliable questionnaire that can be used for ranking subjects for most food items, although one must consider the overestimation when the FFQ is used for estimating prevalences.

scholarly journals Relative validity of a food frequency questionnaire for obesity surveillance in school-aged children – The Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative in Ireland

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Bel-Serrat ◽  
Mairéad Madigan ◽  
Rachel Sheane ◽  
Celine M. Murrin ◽  
Cecily C. Kelleher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Weighted Kappa ◽  
Food Group ◽  
Soft Drinks ◽  
Food Diary ◽  
Relative Validity ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Level Of Agreement

AbstractIntroductionValidation studies are indispensable to test the appropriateness of dietary assessment methods used within epidemiological surveys to accurately assess food intake in young populations. The aim of this study was to examine the relative validity of the food group frequency questionnaire (FGFQ) used to assess dietary intake in the Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative.Materials and MethodsThis study was undertaken in a convenience sample of 33 Irish children aged 7–9 years old from urban Dublin-based primary schools. Food group intake estimates were collected with the FGFQand compared with those obtained with a 7-day semi-weighed food diary. Agreement between frequencies of intake between the two instruments were examined using Spearman's correlation coefficient, cross-classification analyses and weighted kappa.ResultsThe FGFQ over-estimated the number of portions for most of the food groups as compared with the reference method. Spearman correlation coefficients ranged from 0.75 (cheese) to 0.03 (flavoured milk). Level of agreement was moderate with an average correlation coefficient of 0.45. The proportion of children classified in the same category ranged from 96.9% (sweet treats) to 60.6% (vegetables). Misclassification was less than 15% for fruit, soft drinks, low fat milk, fish, savoury snacks and sweet treats and above 30% for vegetables, dairy products and pastries & biscuits. Weighted kappa statistic values ranged from 0.84 (sweet treats) to 0.10 (vegetables). Mean level of agreement was moderate (0.39). No agreement (< 0.0) was found for soft drinks.DiscussionAlthough the strength of association estimates varied by food group, strong to moderate levels of relative validity were observed. Our results show that the FGFQ gives acceptable estimates of food group intakes among Irish school-aged children and that the tool can be used for ranking subjects according to food group intakes.

scholarly journals Development and Relative Validity of a Semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire to Estimate Dietary Intake among a Multi-Ethnic Population in the Malaysian Cohort Project

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1163
Author(s):  
Suzana Shahar ◽  
Mohd Razif Shahril ◽  
Noraidatulakma Abdullah ◽  
Boekhtiar Borhanuddin ◽  
Mohd Arman Kamaruddin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin C ◽  
Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Weighted Kappa ◽  
Dietary Intakes ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Relative Validity ◽  
Spearman’S Correlation

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.

scholarly journals Relative validity of a food frequency questionnaire to assess fruit and vegetable intake in healthy older adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Neville ◽  
Michelle McKinley ◽  
Frank Kee ◽  
Ian Young ◽  
Chris Cardwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Objective Assessment ◽  
Reference Method ◽  
Weighted Kappa ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Food Diary ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Time Points

AbstractAccurate assessment of dietary intake in older populations is important for determining the role of diet in healthy ageing. The food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) is a commonly used dietary assessment tool, however there is limited evidence regarding its utility for accurately assessing fruit and vegetable (FV) intake in older adults. The objective of this study was to validate FV intakes estimated from the FFQ used in the Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing (NICOLA) against a food diary (FD).A dietary validation study was conducted in a sub-sample of 95 participants (45 males, 50 females, aged > 50 years) from NICOLA. Participants were asked to complete a FFQ and 4-day FD (reference method) at two time-points (Month 0 and Month 6). Self-reported FV intakes were compared between methods using Spearman's correlation coefficients, examining the percentage of participants classified into the same or adjacent quartile of FV intake, weighted kappa and Bland-Altman plots.Median fruit, vegetable and total FV intake were significantly higher in the FFQ than the FD at both Month 0 and Month 6 (all p < 0.001). Significant positive correlations (all p < 0.05) were observed between the FFQ and FD estimates of FV intake at both time-points (Month 0, r = 0.57, 0.50 and 0.49 for fruit, vegetables, total FV, respectively; Month 6 r = 0.56, 0.42 and 0.50, respectively). When FV intakes were classified into fourths (based upon quartiles of total FV portions by FD or FFQ), 80 % and 79 % of participants were classified into the same or adjacent quartile at Month 0 and Month 6, respectively. Weighted kappa indicated a fair-moderate agreement between the two methods for FV intake (weighted kappa = 0.35 and 0.37 at Month 0 and Month 6, respectively). Bland-Altman plots showed that, as FV intake increased, there was a widening in limits of agreements, between the FFQ and FD. There was also a significant positive correlation noted between total FV intakes reported at Month 0 and those reported at Month 6 (r = 0.70, p < 0.001).Over-reporting of FV intake was evident with the FFQ compared to the FD, however, the results showed good comparability between the methods in being able to rank older adults according to their FV intake. An additional analysis of FV biomarkers obtained from this sample will provide a more objective assessment of FV intake by each method.

scholarly journals A Food Frequency Questionnaire for Hemodialysis Patients in Bangladesh (BDHD-FFQ): Development and Validation

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 4521
Author(s):  
Shakil Ahmed ◽  
Tanjina Rahman ◽  
Md Sajjadul Haque Ripon ◽  
Harun-Ur Rashid ◽  
Tasnuva Kashem ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Weighted Kappa ◽  
Serum Biomarkers ◽  
Kappa Statistics ◽  
Altman Analysis ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Relative Validity ◽  
Bland Altman Analysis

Diet is a recognized risk factor and cornerstone for chronic kidney disease (CKD) management; however, a tool to assess dietary intake among Bangladeshi dialysis patients is scarce. This study aims to validate a prototype Bangladeshi Hemodialysis Food Frequency Questionnaire (BDHD-FFQ) against 3-day dietary recall (3DDR) and corresponding serum biomarkers. Nutrients of interest were energy, macronutrients, potassium, phosphate, iron, sodium and calcium. The BDHD-FFQ, comprising 132 food items, was developed from 606 24-h recalls and had undergone face and content validation. Comprehensive facets of relative validity were ascertained using six statistical tests (correlation coefficient, percent difference, paired t-test, cross-quartiles classification, weighted kappa, and Bland-Altman analysis). Overall, the BDHD-FFQ showed acceptable to good correlations (p < 0.05) with 3DDR for the concerned nutrients in unadjusted and energy-adjusted models, but this correlation was diminished when adjusted for other covariates (age, gender, and BMI). Phosphate and potassium intake, estimated by the BDHD-FFQ, also correlated well with the corresponding serum biomarkers (p < 0.01) when compared to 3DDR (p > 0.05). Cross-quartile classification indicated that <10% of patients were incorrectly classified. Weighted kappa statistics showed agreement with all but iron. Bland-Altman analysis showed positive mean differences were observed for all nutrients when compared to 3DDR, whilst energy, carbohydrates, fat, iron, sodium, and potassium had percentage data points within the limit of agreement (mean ± 1.96 SD), above 95%. In summary, the BDHD-FFQ demonstrated an acceptable relative validity for most of the nutrients as four out of the six statistical tests fulfilled the cut-off standard in assessing dietary intake of CKD patients in Bangladesh.

scholarly journals Development of a food frequency questionnaire for children from 7 to 10 years old

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 479-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrícia de Fragas Hinnig ◽  
Aline Brandão Mariath ◽  
Silvia Rafaela Mascarenhas Freaza ◽  
Ana Maria Dianezi Gambardella ◽  
Denise Pimentel Bergamaschi
Keyword(s):  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Methodological Study ◽  
Food Diary ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Food Items ◽  
The One ◽  
Serving Sizes

Objective: To present and discuss the process of the development of a Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (QFFQ) aimed to 7-10 year-old children. Methods: A methodological study was performed based on the application of a Food Diary (FD) fulfilled by 85 children. Based on registered foods, the diet composition in relation to energy and macronutrients was calculated. Foods were grouped into items and the percentage of the contribution of each item to the diet in terms of calories and macronutrients were calculated. Results: The QFFQ was constructed with 92 food items, 76 were selected by Block's method and 16 were identified from other instruments from literature developed for children and adolescents. The food items were grouped in 17 food groups with 3 serving sizes and 7 categories to measure food frequency. Conclusion: Among the food items, the rice was the one that showed the biggest percentage of contribution for energy and carbohydrates. For other nutrients, the meat and the milk were the ones that contributed most to the consumption of proteins and lipids, respectively.

scholarly journals Statistical approaches for assessing the relative validity of a food-frequency questionnaire: use of correlation coefficients and the kappa statistic

2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
LF Masson ◽  
G MCNeill ◽  
JO Tomany ◽  
JA Simpson ◽  
HS Peace ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Kappa Statistic ◽  
Weighted Kappa ◽  
Collaborative Group ◽  
Spearman Correlation ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Relative Validity

AbstractObjective:To compare different statistical methods for assessing the relative validity of a self-administered, 150-item, semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) with 4-day weighed diet records (WR).Design:Subjects completed the Scottish Collaborative Group FFQ and carried out a 4-day WR. Relative agreement between the FFQ and WR for energy-adjusted nutrient intakes was assessed by Pearson and Spearman rank correlation coefficients, the percentages of subjects classified into the same and opposite thirds of intake, and Cohen's weighted kappa.Subjects:Forty-one men, mean age 36 (range 21-56) years, and 40 women, mean age 33 (range 19-58) years, recruited from different locations in Aberdeen, Scotland.Results:Spearman correlation coefficients tended to be lower than Pearson correlation coefficients, and were above 0.5 for 10 of the 27 nutrients in men and 17 of the 27 nutrients in women. For nutrients with Spearman correlation coefficients above 0.5, the percentage of subjects correctly classified into thirds ranged from 39 to 78%, and weighted kappa values ranged from 0.23 to 0.66.Conclusions:Both Spearman correlation coefficients and weighted kappa values are useful in assessing the relative validity of estimates of nutrient intake by FFQs. Spearman correlation coefficients above 0.5, more than 50% of subjects correctly classified and less than 10% of subjects grossly misclassified into thirds, and weighted kappa values above 0.4 are recommended for nutrients of interest in epidemiological studies.

scholarly journals Development and validation of a food frequency questionnaire for Japanese athletes (FFQJA)

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuko Ishikawa-Takata ◽  
Kaori Okamoto ◽  
Motoko Taguchi
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽  
Kappa Statistic ◽  
Portion Size ◽  
Vitamin B ◽  
Kappa Index ◽  
Food Frequency ◽  
Supplement Use ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Dietary Records

Abstract Background Food frequency questionnaires are considered an effective method for assessing habitual dietary intake, but they must be developed or validated with the target population. Portion size, supplement use and food choice are thought to be especially important methodological considerations for assessing athletes’ dietary intake. This study aimed to develop and validate a food frequency questionnaire for Japanese athletes using data from this population. Methods We used dietary records from 440 Japanese athletes involved in our previous projects. Food items were analyzed using cumulative percentage contributions and multiple regression analysis, to give a selection of 62 basic food items and four supplemental items. The validity of the questionnaire was evaluated among another 77 Japanese athletes by comparing nutrient intakes assessed using the questionnaire with dietary records. Reproducibility was evaluated by comparing a second questionnaire completed 2–3 weeks later by 36 of the athletes in the validation study. Validity was assessed using crude Spearman’s correlation coefficients (CCs), energy-adjusted CCs, intraclass CCs (ICCs), and Kappa index values. Reproducibility was assessed by CCs, energy-adjusted CCs, and ICCs. Results In the validation analysis, the median crude CC for all of the nutrients was 0.407, ranging from 0.222 for dietary fiber to 0.550 for carbohydrate. The median energy-adjusted CC was 0.478, and the median ICC was 0.369. When we divided the athletes into quartiles, 65% (vitamin B1) to 86% (iron) of athletes were classified into the same or adjacent categories using the questionnaire and dietary records, with a median Kappa statistic of 0.32. In the reproducibility analysis, the median crude CC between the two completed questionnaires was 0.654, ranging from 0.582 (carbohydrate) to 0.743 (vitamin B2). The median energy-adjusted CC was 0.643, and the median ICC was 0.647. Conclusions The new 62-item food frequency questionnaire is both reliable and valid and may be useful for assessing food intake in Japanese athletes.

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

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.

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

Nutrients ◽  
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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