266339 Reproducibility and Validation of a Food Frequency Questionnaire for Preschool Children

Monday, October 29, 2012

Vered Kaufman-Shriqui, MSc RD , Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Anna Entin, RD, MSc , Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Drora Fraser, PHD , Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Yelena Novack, PhD , Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Hillel Vardi, MSc , Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Natalya Bilenko, MD MPH , Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation. Ministry of Health, Southern district, Beer-Sheva, Israel., Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Faculty of Health Sciences., Beer-Sheva, Israel
Naama Elhadad, MMedSc , Ashalim: The Association for Planning & Development of Services for Children and Youth at Risk and their Families, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Jerusalem, Israel
Karen Mor, MSW , Ashalim: The Association for Planning & Development of Services for Children and Youth at Risk and their Families, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Jerusalem, Israel
Zvi Feine, PhD , Ashalim: The Association for Planning & Development of Services for Children and Youth at Risk and their Families, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Jerusalem, Israel
Danit Shahar, RD PhD , Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Background: Determining the relationship between diet and health outcomes in children requires reproducible and validated long-term dietary assessment tools such as food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Objective: To test the reproducibility and relative validity of a FFQ for young children against 24-hour food recalls (24HRs), anthropometric measurements, and a comprehensive feeding practices questionnaire (CFPQ). Design and setting: Children (aged 5-6) and their mothers were recruited during one school-year (2008) from preschools. Children's anthropometric measurements were obtained and mothers provided during a personal interview on three occasions a 110-item semiquantitative FFQ, 24HRs and CFPQ. Statistical analyses performed: Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the reliability of the FFQ and the relative validity compared to the 24HR. Validity coefficients between the FFQ and the different measurements were calculated. Scores of the 12 factors of the CFPQ were calculated and dietary intake was compared across CFPQ tertiles using ANOVA. Results: Sixty-six healthy children (47% boys) were recruited. The FFQ seemed to overestimate the nutrient intake when compared with 24HRs. Pearson's correlations between the average of the FFQs and the average of the 24HRs ranged from 0.3-0.6 (P<0.05 for all correlations tested). The highest correlation coefficients were 0.59 for total fat intake and 0.56 for energy. Dietary intake of energy and carbohydrates differed significantly (P=0.05, 0.001 respectively) across the three BMI z-score levels (normal-weight, overweight, obese) and the three waist circumference tertiles (0.019, 0.006 respectively). Obesogenic factors from the CFPQ correlated with consumption of empty calories like sweets, snacks, junk foods and sweet drinks.

Learning Areas:
Other professions or practice related to public health
Program planning

Learning Objectives:
1. Compare the reproducibility and relative validity of a FFQ for young children against 24-hour food recalls (24HRs), anthropometric measurements, and a comprehensive feeding practices questionnaire (CFPQ).

Keywords: Food and Nutrition, Children

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a registered dietitian, currently pursuing a PhD degree in Epidemiology at Ben-Gurion University in Israel.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.