Validation of a Short, Qualitative Food Frequency Questionnaire in French Adults Participating in the MONA LISA-NUT Study 2005-2007

• Published in: Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Vol. 114; no. 4; pp. 552 - 561
• Main Authors: Giovannelli, Jonathan, MD, Dallongeville, Jean, MD, PhD, Wagner, Aline, MD, PhD, Bongard, Vanina, MD, PhD, Laillet, Brigitte, Marecaux, Nadine, Ruidavets, Jean Bernard, MD, PhD, Haas, Bernadette, MD, Ferrieres, Jean, MD, PhD, Arveiler, Dominique, Simon, Chantal, MD, PhD, Dauchet, Luc, MD, PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier 01.04.2014
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Body Mass Index; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dairy Products; Diet Records; Diet Surveys; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Docosahexaenoic Acids - administration & dosage; Docosahexaenoic Acids - blood; Edible Grain; Eicosapentaenoic Acid - administration & dosage; Eicosapentaenoic Acid - blood; European Continental Ancestry Group; Feeding Behavior; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; France; Fruit; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Humans; Internal Medicine; Life Sciences; Male; Meat; Middle Aged; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vegetables; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; France; Europe; Biomarkers; Food groups; Food frequency questionnaire; Food records; Human; Validation; French; Nuts; Adult; Metabolic diseases; Food Frequency Questionnaire; Body Mass Index; Vegetables; Fruit; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet Surveys; Humans; Middle Aged; Diet Records; Dietary Fats/administration & dosage; European Continental Ancestry Group; Male; Food Habits; Meat; Eicosapentaenoic Acid/administration & dosage/blood; Female; Biomarkers/blood; Surveys and Questionnaires; Aged; Edible Grain; France; Dairy Products; Docosahexaenoic Acids/administration & dosage/blood
• ISSN: 2212-2672; 2212-2680
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2013.07.002

Abstract Background Food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) are often used to evaluate individuals' food intakes in epidemiologic studies because of their simplicity and low cost. Objective To assess the validity of a short (24 items), qualitative FFQ used in the MONA LISA-NUT study. Design Cross-sectional study of a representative sample in three French counties. Participants/setting The sample included 2,630 participants aged 35 to 65 years from the MONA LISA-NUT study. Main outcome measures Food consumption was measured with the FFQ and via food records for 3 consecutive days. Plasma fatty acids were measured from a subset of participants. Statistical analyses performed The FFQ items' validity was assessed by calculating crude and deattenuated Pearson correlation coefficients between frequencies reported by the FFQ and average weights reported by the food records. Furthermore, the validity of some items of the FFQ measuring the consumption of fatty foods was assessed by calculating Pearson correlation coefficients between frequencies of consumption of these foods and dosages of the corresponding plasma fatty acids: fish and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), olive oil and oleic acid, margarine and elaidic acid, and dairy products and pentadecanoic and heptadecanoic acids. Results The mean of the deattenuated Pearson correlation coefficients for all items was 0.46, with values ranging from 0.22 (fried food) to 0.77 (breakfast cereal). The correlation coefficient was ≤0.4 for one third of the 24 items. Moderate correlations were found between fish and EPA/DHA (EPA: r =0.43, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.51; DHA: r =0.39, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.47), but not for other food items. Conclusions One third of the 24 items in the short, qualitative FFQ evaluated here were not sufficiently valid. However, for the food groups most commonly studied in the literature, this FFQ had the same degree of validity as other questionnaires designed to classify subjects according to their level of intake.