Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T19:04:11.949Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Validity and reproducibility of a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire for estimating calcium intake in Belgian preschool children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2007

Inge Huybrechts ,
Dirk De Bacquer ,
Christophe Matthys ,
Guy De Backer  and
Stefaan De Henauw
Inge Huybrechts*
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Dirk De Bacquer
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Christophe Matthys
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Guy De Backer
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Stefaan De Henauw
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium Department of Health Sciences, Vesalius, Hogeschool Gent, Belgium
*
*Corresponding author: Inge Huybrechts, fax +32 9 240 49 94, email [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Relative validity and reproducibility of a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for measuring preschool children's usual Ca intake were assessed using parents or guardians as a proxy. Estimated diet records (EDR; 3d) were used as the reference method and reproducibility was measured by repeated FFQ administrations 5 weeks apart. From 2095 preschool children (2·5–6·5 years) randomly selected in Flanders (Flemish region of Belgium), 1052 returned a FFQ and EDR. Stringent exclusion procedures reduced the sample for validity analyses to 509 children. From a separate sample of 244 preschool children, 124 returned two FFQ, of whom sixty were included in the reproducibility analysis. Mean Ca intakes were 838 (sd 305) and 777 (sd 296) mg/d for EDR and FFQ respectively, indicating a mean difference of 60·9 (sd 294·4) mg/d (p<0·001). Pearson's correlation was 0·52. Cross-classification analysis of the FFQ and EDR classified 83%of the subjects in the same or adjacent category and 2·4% in extreme quartiles. Actual values for surrogate FFQ quartiles showed a progressive increase in Ca intake (p<0·001). The FFQ correctly identified 77% of the children consuming less Ca than the age-specific RDA (800mg/d). Correlation between repeated administrations was 0·79. No significant difference between mean Ca intakes was established by two administrations (23·8 (sd 161·2) mg/d). Cross-classification of repeated administrations classified 93·4% of the subjects in the same or adjacent category and no subjects in extreme categories. This FFQ tended to underestimate preschool children's Ca intake when administered by a proxy. However, it demonstrated good repeatability and fairly good ability to classify subjects into extremes of Ca intake.

Keywords

CalciumDietary assessmentFood-frequency questionnairesChildrenValidation
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 95 , Issue 4 , April 2006 , pp. 802 - 816
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2006

References

Altman, DGPractical Statistics for Medical Research London: Chapman & Hall. (1991)Google Scholar
Anonymous Energy and protein requirements. Report of a joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation. World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser (1985) 724, 1–206.Google Scholar
Bland, JM & Altman, DGStatistical methods for assessing agreement between two methods of clinical measurement. Lancet (1986) i, 307–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brunner, E, Stallone, D, Juneja, M, Bingham, S & Marmot, MDietary assessment in Whitehall II: comparison of 7 d diet diary and food-frequency questionnaire and validity against biomarkers. Br J Nutr (2001) 86, 405–414.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cade, J, Thompson, R, Burley, V & Warm, DDevelopment, validation and utilisation of food-frequency questionnaires – a review. Public Health Nutr (2002) 5, 567–587.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cole, TJ, Bellizzi, MC, Flegal, KM & Dietz, WHEstablishing a standard definition for child overweight and obesity worldwide: international survey. BMJ (2000) 320, 1240–1243.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Commission of the European Communities Report of the Scientific Committee for Food: Nutrient and Energy Intakes for the European Community (Thirty-first series of Food – Science and Techniques) Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Community. (1993)Google Scholar
Davies, JH, Evans, BA & Gregory, JWBone mass acquisition in healthy children. Arch Dis Child (2005) 90, 373–378.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davies, PS, Coward, WA, Gregory, J, White, A & Mills, ATotal energy expenditure and energy intake in the pre-school child: a comparison. Br J Nutr (1994) 72, 13–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Flemish Institute for Health Promotion De Voedingsdriehoek: een Praktische Voedingsgids. Brussels: Vlaams Instituut voor Gezondheidspromotie (2004)Google Scholar
Food Standards Agency McCance and Widdowson's The Composition of Foods 6th summary ed. Cambridge, UK: Royal Society of Chemistry (2002)Google Scholar
Gibson, RSSources of error and variability in dietary assessment methods: a review. J Can Diet Assoc (1987) 48, 150–155.Google Scholar
Goulet, J, Nadeau, G, Lapointe, A, Lamarche, B & Lemieux, SValidity and reproducibility of an interviewer-administered food frequency questionnaire for healthy French-Canadian men and women. Nutr J (2004) 3, 13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Institut Paul Lambin Table de Composition des Aliments 2004. Bruxelles: Institut Paul Lambin. (2004)Google Scholar
Johnston, CC, Miller, JZ, Slemenda, CW, Reister, TK, Hui, S, Christian, JC & Peacock, MCalcium supplementation and increases in bone mineral density in children. N Engl J Med (1992) 327, 82–87.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kalkwarf, HJKhoury, JC & Lanphear, BPMilk intake during childhood and adolescence, adult bone density, and osteoporotic fractures in US women. Am J Clin Nutr (2003) 77, 257–265.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lanigan, JA, Wells, JC, Lawson, MS & Lucas, AValidation of food diary method for assessment of dietary energy and macronutrient intake in infants and children aged 6-24 months. Eur J Clin Nutr (2001) 55, 124–129.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Matkovic, VOsteoporosis as a pediatric disease: role of calcium and heredity. J Rheumatol (1992) 33, 54–59.Google ScholarPubMed
Matthys, C, de Henauw, SDevos, C & De Backer, GEstimated energy intake, macronutrient intake and meal pattern of Flemish adolescents. Eur J Clin Nutr (2003) 57, 366–375.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Montomoli, M, Gonnelli, S, Mattei, R, Cuda, C, Rossi, S & Gennari, CValidation of a food frequency questionnaire for nutritional calcium intake assessment in Italian women. Eur J Clin Nutr (2002) 56, 21–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nationale Raad voor de Voeding Voedingsaanbevelingen voor België 2005 Hoge, Gezondheidsraad, Ministerie van Sociale, ZakenBrussels: Volksgezondheid en Leefmilieu. (2005)Google Scholar
Nelson, M, Black, AE, Morris, JA & Cole, TJBetween- and within-subject variation in nutrient intake from infancy to old age: estimating the number of days required to rank dietary intakes with desired precision. Am J Clin Nutr (1989) 50, 155–167.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
NEVO Foundation NEVO Tabel, Nederlands Voedingsstoffenbestand (Dutch Food Composition Table) Zeist, The Netherlands: NEVO Foundation. (2001)Google Scholar
NUBEL Belgische Voedinsmiddelentabel (Belgian Food Composition Table), 4th ed. Brussels: Ministerie van Volksgezondheid. (2004)Google Scholar
Palaniappan, U, Cue, RI, Payette, H & Gray-Donald, KImplications of day-to-day variability on measurements of usual food and nutrient intakes. J Nutr (2003) 133, 232–235.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parrish, LA, Marshall, JA, Krebs, NF, Rewers, M & Norris, JMValidation of a food frequency questionnaire in preschool children. Epidemiology (2003) 14, 213–217.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rosner, B & Willett, WCInterval estimates for correlation coefficients corrected for within-person variation: implications for study design and hypothesis testing. Am J Epidemiol (1988) 127, 377–386.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schofield, WNPredicting basal metabolic rate, new standards and review of previous work. Hum Nutr Clin Nutr (1985) 39, Suppl. 1, 5–41.Google ScholarPubMed
Taylor, RW & Goulding, AValidation of a short food frequency questionnaire to assess calcium intake in children aged 3 to 6 years. Eur J Clin Nutr (1998) 52, 464–465.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Torun, B, Davies, PS, Livingstone, MB, Paolisso, MSackett, R & Spurr, GBEnergy requirements and dietary energy recommendations for children and adolescents 1 to 18 years old. Eur J Clin Nutr (1996) 50, Suppl. S37–s80.Google ScholarPubMed
Treiber, FA, Leonard, SB, Frank, G, Musante, LDavis, HStrong, WB & Levy, MDietary assessment instruments for preschool children: reliability of parental responses to the 24-hour recall and a food frequency questionnaire. J Am Diet Assoc (1990) 90, 814–820.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Willett, WCNutritional Epidemiology 2nd ed, New York: Oxford University Press. (1998)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, AM & Lewis, RDDisagreement of energy and macronutrient intakes estimated from a food frequency questionnaire and 3-day diet record in girls 4 to 9 years of age. J Am Diet Assoc (2004) 104, 373–378.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilson, P & Horwath, CValidation of a short food frequency questionnaire for assessment of dietary calcium intake in women.. Eur J Clin Nutr (1996) 50, 220–228.Google Scholar