Reproducibility and validity of a food-frequency questionnaire designed for use in girls age 7 to 12 years

Abstract

This study focused on a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) designed to measure nutrient intake in girls aged 7 to 12 years, inclusive. The instrument's reproducibility and validity were assessed using food records (FRs) as gold standards of measurement. Log-transformed nutrient intake estimates were compared from two FFQs and between FFQs and FRs. Intraclass correlation coefficients measuring the reproducibility of the FFQ ranged from 0.11 (starch) to 0.69 (fiber). Intraclass correlation coefficients measuring agreement between FFQ and 14l-day FR data varied between 0.15 (starch) and 0.68 (vitamin B2) for the first, and between 0.06 (starch) and 0.95 (vitamin B1) for the second FFQ. FFQs were in the best agreement with FRs for the following nutrients: fiber, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. Joint classifications revealed that overall, 36% of subjects were similarly categorized by FFQ and FR, and 70% of those in the lowest or highest FR quartiles were were found in the lowest or highest FR quartiles were found in the lowest or highest two FFQ quartiles, respectively.