Development of a Technology-Assisted Food Frequency Questionnaire for Elementary and Middle School Children: Findings from a Pilot Study (original) (raw)
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Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 2010
Background: It is important to assess the dietary habits of children as they progress from early childhood to adolescence. However, there are few validated tools available to assess the diet of this group of children. The present study aimed to investigate the relative validity of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) developed for use in a biennial longitudinal study. Methods: The parents of 216 Belgian-Flemish preschool children completed a FFQ (including questions on 77 food groups) and an online dietary assessment tool for three nonconsecutive days on their child's diet. Intakes of energy, macronutrients, fibre, calcium and 20 food groups recorded by both methods were compared using Spearman's correlations, Wilcoxon's signed rank test and Bland and Altman analyses. Results: At the group level, good agreement was found for energy, fat and protein intake, an overestimation was found for carbohydrates (5.6%) and fibre (13.3%), and an underestimation was found for calcium (9%). For the food groups, overestimation as well as underestimation and good agreement were found, although overestimation was most common.
Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 2013
Background: The increased availability of computers and the efficiency and user-acceptability of computer-assisted questioning have increased the attractiveness of computer-administered querying for large-scale population nutrition research during the last decade. The Young Adolescents' Nutrition Assessment on Computer (YANA-C), a computer-based 24-h dietary recall, was originally developed to collect dietary data among Belgian-Flemish adolescents. A web-based version was created to collect parentally reported dietary data of preschoolers, called Young Children's Nutrition Assessment on the Web (YCNA-W), which has been improved and adapted for use in young adolescents: Children and Adolescents' Nutrition Assessment and Advice on the Web (CANAA-W). The present study describes recent developments and the formative evaluation of the dietary assessment component. Methods: A feasibility questionnaire was completed by 131 children [mean (SD) age: 11.3 (0.7) years] and 53 parents. Eight focus groups were held with children (n = 65) and three with parents (n = 17). Results: Children (C) and parents (P) found the instrument clear (C
Validation of a Youth/Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire
Preventive Medicine, 1997
Background.To address limited longitudinal nutrition data on children and adolescents, a self-administered food frequency questionnaire was designed for older children and adolescents. Initially, the Youth/Adolescent Questionnaire (YAQ) was developed and demonstrated to be reproducible. This study was conducted to evaluate its validity.Methods.The form was administered twice to a sample of 261 youths (ages 9 to 18) at an approximate interval of 1 year (1993–1994), and three 24-hr dietary recalls were collected during this period. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated on nutrient data.Results.Validity was first evaluated by comparing the average of the three 24-hr recalls to the average of the two YAQs. Similar mean nutrients were found by both methods. Correlation coefficients between the mean energy-adjusted nutrients computed by the two methods ranged from 0.21 for sodium to 0.58 for folate. After correction for within-person error, the average correlation coefficient was 0.54, similar to that found among adults.Conclusion.A simple self-administered questionnaire completed by older children and adolescents can provide nutritional information about this age group.
Reliability and validity of a short food frequency questionnaire to assess diet among 2–5 year olds
Objective: A simple FFQ which ranks young children's dietary habits is necessary for population-based monitoring and intervention programmes. The aim of the present study was to determine the reliability and validity of a short FFQ to assess the dietary habits of young children aged 2-5 years. Design: Parents completed a seventeen-item FFQ for their children by telephone on two occasions, two weeks apart. Sixty-four parents also completed 3 d food records for their children. The FFQ included daily servings of fruit and vegetables, frequency of eating lean meat, processed meats, take-away food, snack foods (biscuits, cakes, doughnuts, muesli bars), potato crisps and confectionery, and cups of soft drinks/cordials, juice, milk and water. Weighted kappa and intra-class correlation coefficients were used to assess FFQ reliability and the Bland-Altman method was used to assess validity of the FFQ compared with the 3 d food record. Setting: Seven pre-school centres in metropolitan Sydney, Australia. Subjects: Seventy-seven children aged 2-5 years. Results: The majority of questions had moderate to good reliability: k w ranged from 0?37 (lean meat) to 0?85 (take-away food consumption). Validity analysis showed a significant increase in mean values from the food record with increasing ordered categories from the FFQ for servings of vegetables and fruit and cups of drinks (all trend P # 0?01). Spearman rank correlation coefficient was .0?5 for vegetables, fruit, diet soft drinks and fruit juice. Conclusions: The FFQ provides reliable and moderately valid information about the dietary intakes and habits of children aged 2-5 years, in particular for fruit, vegetables and beverages.
The reliability of a food frequency questionnaire for use among adolescents
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2009
Background: Accurate measurement of dietary intake is essential for understanding the long-term effects of adolescent diet on chronic disease risk. However, adolescents may have limited food knowledge and ability to quantify portion sizes and recall dietary intake. Therefore, food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) deemed appropriate for use among adults may not be suitable for adolescents. Objectives: To evaluate an FFQ in comparison with a 3-day food record (FR) in 14-year olds participating in a population-based cohort study in Western Australia. Methods: Nutrient intakes estimated by a semi-quantitative FFQ were compared with those from a 3-day FR using Bland & Altman limits of agreement (LOA), tertile classifications and Pearson's correlation coefficients. Results: A total of 785 adolescents provided data from both dietary methods. Mean agreement between the FR and FFQ ranged from 73 (starch) to 161% (vitamin C). The LOA ranged from 27 (retinol) to 976% (carotene), with most nutrients being overestimated by the FFQ. For most nutrients, agreement between the two methods varied significantly with the magnitude of intake. Pearson's r ranged from 0.11 (polyunsaturated fats) to 0.52 (riboflavin). The FFQ classified 80 to 90% of subjects' nutrient intakes into the same or adjacent tertile as their FR. Boys performed slightly better for all of these indices. Conclusions: Agreement between individual FFQ and FR nutrient intakes was less than ideal. However, the FFQ was able to correctly rank a reasonable proportion of adolescents.
Food & nutrition research, 2015
A new web-based food frequency questionnaire (the ASSO-FFQ) was developed within the ASSO Project funded by the Italian Ministry of Health. The aim of the present study is to assess the validity of the ASSO-FFQ at food groups, energy, and nutrients level. The validation study compared the ASSO-FFQ against a weighted food record (WFR) measuring foods, beverages and supplements intake, compiled during the week following the ASSO-FFQ administration. Ninety-two subjects aged 14-17, recruited from secondary schools in Palermo (Italy), completed the ASSO-FFQ and WFR. The intake of 24 food groups, energy, and 52 nutrients were taken as main outcomes. Tests for paired observations, Spearman and Pearson's correlation coefficients (cc), kappa statistics and classification in quintiles, Bland-Altman plots and multiple regressions, on untransformed and transformed data were used for the statistical analysis. High cc (≥0.40) were found for soft drinks, milk, tea/coffee, vegetables, and lacto...
Dietary Assessment Methods among School-Aged Children: Validity and Reliability
Preventive Medicine, 2000
Background. Assessing the diets of children presents Recent dietary intake surveys suggest that the usual unique methodological challenges. Validity and reliadiet of American children is higher in total fat and bility studies of recalls, records, food frequency quessaturated fat and lower in calcium, fruit, and vegetable tionnaires (FFQs), diet histories, and observations consumption than is recommended [1-3]. Measuring among children were reviewed. the diets of school-aged children is an imprecise process Methods. Forty-seven studies were published in peerbecause dietary assessment techniques are cumberreviewed English journals between January 1970 and some and methodologically limited and usually rely on April 1999 of children 5-18 years of age with a sample a child or parent's recall of food intake. Nevertheless, size of at least 30. descriptions of dietary intake behavior among school-Results. Most of the 24-h recall validation studies asaged children are important to nutrition monitoring, sessed only a portion of the day, not a 24-h period, with research and intervention efforts [1], and the validity higher agreements for meal versus complete day inand reliability of current assessment methods must be take. Food records underestimated energy intake understood in order to provide evidence on what chilwhen compared to doubly labeled water. Few studies dren are consuming. Valid and reliable dietary assessevaluated children's ability to complete records alone ment techniques are needed for the general population or to record an entire day. FFQs overestimated energy of school-aged children and for specific age, gender, and intake; however, validation standards may have overethnic subgroups [4]. or underestimated intake or used different referent This review of 47 studies examines the validity and/ periods. Reliability studies were identified for FFQs or reliability of dietary assessment methods used for and diet history; results showed higher energy intake school-aged children during the past three decades and in first compared to subsequent administrations. Limdiscusses the challenges of measuring children's dietary ited data were available on age, ethnicity, and genbehaviors. Recommendations on the use of available der effects. assessment methods are discussed. Finally, gaps in our Conclusions. Correlations between the validation knowledge of dietary assessment in children are outstandard and dietary method were generally higher lined, along with suggestions for future research. for recalls and records than FFQs. It was difficult to generalize the validity and reliability results of dietary REVIEW METHODOLOGY assessment methods because of discrepancies in study design, referent periods, and validation standards. The studies included in this review cover a variety ᭧ 2000 American Health Foundation and Academic Press of dietary assessment methods including the 24-h re-Key Words: validity; reliability; child; adolescent; diet call, food record, food frequency questionnaire, diet hisassessment; nutrient intake; food intake. tory, and observation. A total of 38 validity and 9 reliability studies used at least one of these methodologies and met the three review criteria: (a) publication in a peer-reviewed English journal article between January
2009
Background: Dietary intake during childhood and adolescence is of increasing interest due to its influence on adult health, particularly obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. There is a need to develop and validate dietary assessment methods suitable for large epidemiologic studies of children and adolescents. Limited large scale dietary studies of youth have been undertaken in Australia, due partly to the lack of a suitable dietary intake tool. A self-administered, semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ), the 'Australian Child and Adolescent Eating Survey' (ACAES), was developed for youth aged 9-16 years. This study evaluated reproducibility and comparative validity of the ACAES FFQ using assisted food records (FRs) as the reference method.
1999
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 αand 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.