Relative Validity of Three Food Frequency Questionnaires for Assessing Dietary Intakes of Guatemalan Schoolchildren.

• Authors: Jessica Marcinkevage, Emory University; Ana-Lucia Mayén, Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama; Clara Zuleta, Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama; Aryeh Stein, Emory University; Ann DiGirolamo, Emory University; Manuel Ramirez-Zea, Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama
• Journal Title: PLoS ONE
• Volume: Volume 10, Number 10
• Publisher: Public Library of Science | 2015-10-14, Pages e0139125-e0139125
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0139125
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Nutrition; Health Sciences, Public Health
• Keywords: Nutrients; Children; Cholesterol; Cobalamins; Food consumption; Niacin; Vitamin A; Schoolchildren

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relative validity of three food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) compared with results from 24-hour dietary recalls for measuring dietary intakes in Guatemalan schoolchildren. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study of primary caregivers (mothers or grandmothers) of 6-11 year-old children. Caregivers completed one of three constructed FFQs to measure the child's dietary consumption in the last week: FFQ1 did not incorporate portion sizes; FFQ2 provided portion sizes; and FFQ3 incorporated pictures of median portion sizes. During the same week, each caregiver also completed three 24-hour dietary recalls. Results from the FFQ were compared with corresponding results from the 24-hour dietary recalls. SETTING: Santa Catarina Pinula, peri-urban Guatemala City. SUBJECTS: Caregivers (n = 145) of 6-11 year-old children: 46 completed FFQ1, 49 completed FFQ2, and 50 completed FFQ3. RESULTS: The mean values for all nutrients obtained from the 24-hour dietary recall were lower than for those obtained from the FFQs, excluding folic acid in FFQ3, cholesterol and zinc in FFQ2, and cholesterol, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and zinc in FFQ1. Energy-adjusted Pearson correlation coefficients ranged from 0.07 (protein) to 0.54 (cholesterol) for FFQ1 and from 0.05 to 0.74 for FFQ2 and FFQ3. Agreement by both methods (FFQ and 24-hour dietary recalls) of classifying children into the same or adjacent quartiles of energy-adjusted nutrient consumption ranged from 62.0% for cholesterol to 95.9% for vitamin B12 across all three FFQs. CONCLUSIONS: Our FFQs had moderate to good relative validity in measuring energy and nutrient intakes for 6-11 year-old Guatemalan children. More evidence is needed to evaluate their reproducibility and applicability in similar populations.