Abstract
Objective: We aimed to validate a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for Dutch pregnant women, against three 24 h-recalls and blood concentrations of B-vitamins and fatty acids, using the method of triads. Methods: We included 83 pregnant women from the general population of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, at a median gestational age of 15.6 weeks. Participants completed three non-consecutive 24 h-recalls, and subsequently filled out the 293-item FFQ. Participants provided blood samples from which we analyzed serum folate and vitamin B12, as well as red blood cell folate, linoleic acid, and total saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Results: Estimated energy intake did not differ between the FFQ and 24 h-recalls. Deattenuated Pearson’s correlation coefficients, between energy-adjusted nutrient intake estimates from the FFQ and the 24 h-recalls, ranged from 0.41 (fat) to 0.88 (fiber) for macronutrients, and were around 0.6 for most micronutrients, except for vitamin E (0.27). Using the triad method, we obtained validity coefficients of 0.86 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.36, 1.00) for serum folate, 0.86 (95% CI 0.18, 1.00) for red blood cell folate, and 1.00 (95% CI 0.42, 1.00) for vitamin B12. Validity coefficients for serum fatty acids ranged from 0.22 to 0.67. Conclusion: This FFQ is a reliable tool for estimating intake of energy, macronutrients, folate and vitamin B12 among women in mid-pregnancy.
Highlights
Compelling evidence demonstrates a link between diet in pregnancy and birth outcomes, extending to the long-term health of the offspring
Validity coefficients for serum fatty acids ranged from 0.22 to 0.67. This food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) is a reliable tool for estimating intake of energy, macronutrients, folate and vitamin B12 among women in mid-pregnancy
Energy and nutrient intakes estimated by FFQ and the repeated 24 h-recalls are presented in FFQ compared to the 24 h-recalls, whereas intake of carbohydrates, polysaccharides, was slightly underestimated
Summary
Compelling evidence demonstrates a link between diet in pregnancy and birth outcomes, extending to the long-term health of the offspring. The developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) model proposes that differences in prenatal exposures such as maternal diet, acting at different stages of fetal development, can cause permanent developmental adaptations thereby affecting fetal growth and the risk of diseases in later life [1]. Diet during pregnancy has been linked to fetal growth [2,3,4,5], later child health [6,7,8], and adult chronic disease risk [9]. Maternal health can be affected by diet during pregnancy, resulting in changes in blood pressure, gestational diabetes and Nutrients 2020, 12, 1341; doi:10.3390/nu12051341 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients
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