Relative Validity and Reproducibility of a Web-Based Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire in the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health—Next Generations MAX Study
Journal article, 2023

The food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) is designed to capture an individual’s habitual dietary intake and is the most applied method in nutritional epidemiology. Our aim was to assess the relative validity and reproducibility of the FFQ used in the Diet, Cancer, and Health—Next Generations cohort (DCH-NG). We included 415 Danish women and men aged 18–67 years. Spearman’s correlations coefficients, Bland–Altman limits of agreement and cross-classification between dietary intakes estimated from the FFQ administered at baseline (FFQbaseline), and the mean of three 24-h dietary recalls (24-HDRs) and the FFQ administered after 12 months (FFQ12 months) were determined. Nutrient intakes were energy-adjusted by Nutrient Density and Residual methods. Correlation coefficients ranged from 0.18–0.58 for energy and energy-adjusted nutrient intakes, and the percentage of participants classified into the same quartile ranged from 28–47% between the FFQbaseline and the 24-HDRs. For the FFQ12 months compared with FFQbaseline, correlation coefficients ranged from 0.52–0.88 for intakes of energy, energy-adjusted nutrients, and food groups, and the proportion of participants classified into the same quartiles ranged from 43–69%. Overall, the FFQ provided a satisfactory ranking of individuals according to energy, nutrient, and food group intakes, making the FFQ suitable for use in epidemiological studies investigating diet in relation to disease outcomes.

relative validity

epidemiology

web-based

food frequency questionnaire

reproducibility

cancer

nutrition

diet

24-h dietary recall

Author

Agnetha Rostgaard-Hansen

Danish Cancer Research Society Center

Chalmers, Life Sciences, Food and Nutrition Science

Susanne Rosthøj

Danish Cancer Research Society Center

Carl Brunius

Chalmers, Life Sciences, Food and Nutrition Science

Sjurdur Frodi Olsen

University of Copenhagen

Statens Serum Institut

Anne Ahrendt Bjerregaard

Bispebjerg Hospital

Statens Serum Institut

Janet Elisabeth Cade

University of Leeds

Anne Tjønneland

Danish Cancer Research Society Center

University of Copenhagen

Rikard Landberg

Chalmers, Life Sciences, Food and Nutrition Science

Jytte Halkjær

Danish Cancer Research Society Center

Nutrients

2072-6643 (ISSN) 20726643 (eISSN)

Vol. 15 10 2389

Discovery and valdiation of novel biomarkers of gut microbiota, diet and their interactions associated with type 2 diabetes risk

Swedish Research Council (VR) (2019-01264), 2020-01-01 -- 2022-12-31.

Subject Categories

Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology

Cancer and Oncology

Nutrition and Dietetics

DOI

10.3390/nu15102389

More information

Latest update

6/16/2023