Development of dish-based population-specific food frequency questionnaire for dietary assessments in Afghanistan

Abstract

Purpose: Dietary intake assessment has an essential role in chronic disease studies and general public health outcomes. To measure dietary intakes in epidemiologic studies, various dietary assessment methods are used. Among them, food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) can provide useful measures of dietary intake. This study aimed to report the development of a population-specific dish-based food frequency questionnaire (DFQ) to assess long-term usual dietary intakes in Afghanistan. Design/Methodology/Approach: We considered the Willet format and followed these steps; listing commonly consumed Afghani foods, determining food groups, defining portion sizes, and determining the frequency response options for each food item. We prepared a comprehensive list of foods and dishes commonly used in Afghanistan. We categorized dishes and food items in the questionnaire into eight major groups. Portion sizes for food items and mixed dishes were defined based on the most commonly consumed and understandable portion sizes for each item among the Afghan general population. The frequency response options for each food item were defined separately in a row against the food list. Findings: We developed a new population-specific DFQ in Afghanistan containing 103 food items or dishes, which can be used as an instrument for the assessment of long-term dietary intakes as well as diet-disease associations in Afghanistan. Originality/Value: This is the first ever-developed dietary assessment tool in Afghanistan.