Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Dietary assessment of an educated young Spanish population using a self-administered meal-based food frequency questionnaire

  • Published:
European Journal of Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this study a self-administered meal-based semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was developed, whose main aim was to classify individuals by their intake of food groups and nutrients. The respondents (205 final participants) from the target population were recruited from students and staff of the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Ciudad Real (Spain). The validity of the questionnaire was assessed in comparison with a four-day weighed diet record on a subset group of participants (n = 38). Results of the calibration study were similar to those reported in the literature, showing a reasonable correlation between the two methods. To improve dietary habits of the target population, an effective nutritional education programme should stress the importance of increasing consumption of food groups rich in starch and reducing those containing high level of proteins, sugars, fat and cholesterol.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Block G. A review of validations of dietary assessment methods. Am J Epidemiol 1982; 115: 492–505.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bingham SA. The dietary assessment of individuals, methods, accuracy, new techniques and recommendations. Nutr Abstr Rev 1987; 57: 705–742.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Cameron ME, van Staveren WA (eds). Manual on methodology for food consumption studies. Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Willet W. Nutritional epidemiology. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Kushi L. Gaps in epidemiologic research methods: Design considerations for studies that use food fre-quency questionnaire. Am J Clin Nutr 1994; 59 (Suppl): 180S-184S.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Thompson FE, Byers T (eds). Dietary assessment resources manual. J Nutr 1994; 124: 2245S-2317S.

  7. Margetts BM, Nelson M. Design concepts in nutritional epidemiology, 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Willet W, Sampson L, Stampfer M. Reproducibility and validity of a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Am J Epidemiol 1985; 122: 51–65.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Larkin FA, Metzner HL, Thompson FE, Flegal KM, Guire KE. Comparison of estimated nutrient intakes by food frequency and dietary records in adults. J Am Diet Assoc 1989; 89: 215–223.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Block G, Thompson FE, Hartman AM, Larkin FA, Guire KE. Comparison of two dietary questionnaires validated against multiple dietary records collected during a 1 year period. J Am Diet Assoc 1992; 92: 586–593.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Gelissen IC, Roberts DCK. Comparison of estimated nutrient intake by two methods: Validation of a food frequency questionnaire. J Human Nutr and Diet 1992; 5: 215–223.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Liu K. Statistical issues related to semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Am J Clin Nutr 1994; 59 (Suppl): 262S-265S.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Goldbohm RA, van't Veer P, van der Brandt PA, et al. Reproducibility of a food frequency questionnaire and stability of dietary habits determined from five annually repeated measurements. Eur J Clin Nutr 1995; 49: 420–429.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Wheeler CE, Rutishauser IHE, O'Dea K. Comparison of nutrient intake data from two food frequency questionnaires and weighed record. Aust J Nutr Diet 1995; 52: 140–148.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Carroll RJ, Freedman LS, Hartman AM. Use of a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire to estimate the distribution of usual intake. Am J Epidemiol 1996; 143: 392–401.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Jain M, Howe GR, Rohan T. Dietary assessment in epidemiology: Comparison of a food frequency and diet history questionnaire with a 7 day food record. Am J Epidemiol 1996; 143: 953–960.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Carroll RJ, Pee D, Freedman LS, Brown CC. Statistical design of calibration studies. Am J Clin Nutr 1997; 65: 1187S-1189S.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Willett WC, Sampson L, Browne ML, et al. The use of a self-administered questionnaire to assess diet four year in the past. Am J Epidemiol 1986; 127: 188–199.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Block G, Subar A. Estimates of nutrient intake from a food frequency questionnaire: the 1987 National Health Interview Study. J Am Diet Assoc 1992; 92: 969–977.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Munger RG, Folson AR, Kushi LH, Kaye SA, Sellers TA. Dietary assessment of older Iowa women with a food frequency questionnaire: Nutrient intake, reproducibility and comparison with 24 hour dietary recall interviews. Am J Epiemiol 1992; 136: 192–200.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Rimm EB, Giovannuci EL, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Litin LB, Willet WC. Reproducibility and validity of an expanded Varela, self-administered semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire among male health proffessionals. Am J Epidemiol 1992; 135: 1114–1126.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Martin-Moreno JM, Boyle P, Gorgojo L, et al. Development and validity of a food frequency questionnaire in Spain. Int J Epidemiol 1993; 22: 512–519.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Robinson S, Godfrey K, Osmond C, Cox V, Barker D. Evaluation of a food frequency questionnaire used to assess nutrient intake in pregnant women. Eur J Clin Nutr 1996; 50: 302–308.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Friis S, Krüger Kjer S, Stripp E, Overvad K. Reproducibility and relative validity of a self-administered semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire applied to younger women. J Clin Epidemiol 1997; 50: 303–311.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Teufel NI. Development of culturally competent food frequency questionnaires. Am J Clin Nutr 1997; 65 (Suppl): 1173S-1185S.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Block G, Hartman AM, Dresser CM, Carroll MD, Gannon J, Gardner LA. A databased approach to diet questionnaire design and testing. Am J Epidemiol 1986; 124: 453–469.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Block G, Hartman AM, Naughton D. A reduced dietary questionnaire: Development and validation. Epidemiology 1990; 1: 58–64.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Harlan LC, Block G. Use of adjustment factors with a brief food frequency questionnaire to obtain nutrient values. Epidemiol 1990; 1: 224–232.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Clapp JA, McPherson RS, Reed DB, Bartholomew PH. Comparison of a food frequency questionnaire using reported vs standard portion sizes for classifying individuals according to nutrient intake. J Am Diet Assoc 1991; 91: 316–320.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Wheeler C, Rutishauser I, Conn J, O'Dea K. Reproducibility of a meal-based food frequency questionnaire. The influence of format and time interval between questionnaires. Europ J Clin Nutr 1994; 48: 795–809.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Fidanza F, Gentile MG, Porrini M. A self-administered semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire with optical reading and its concurrent validation. Europ J Epidemiol 1995; 11: 163–170.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Kumanyika SK, Tell GS, Shemansky L, Marlet J, Chinchilli VM. Dietary assessment using a picture-sort approach. Am J Clin Nutr 1997; 65: 1123S-1129S.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Fidanza F. Nutritional status assessment in perspective. Bibl Nutr Dieta 1994; 51: 9–17.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Nelson M, Black AE, Morris JA, Cole TJ. Between 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.

    Google Scholar 

  35. National Research Council. Recommended dietary allowances 10a ed. Washington DC, Washington: National Academy Press, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  36. USDA's Dietary guidelines. US Department of Agriculture, 1995.

  37. Helsing E. Development of a food and nutrition policy. Food and nutrition policy in mediterranean Europe. In: Serra Majen L, Aranceta Bartrina J, Mataix VerdÚ J (eds), Guías alimentarias para la población española. Madrid: SENC-SG, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Área de Nutrición y Bromatología, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

    G. Fregapane & C. Asensio-García

Authors
  1. G. Fregapane
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. Asensio-García
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fregapane, G., Asensio-García, C. Dietary assessment of an educated young Spanish population using a self-administered meal-based food frequency questionnaire. Eur J Epidemiol 16, 183–191 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007630521750

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007630521750

Search

Navigation