Abstract
Background Considering the lack of valid and reliable food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) for nutritional epidemiological studies in China, it is necessary to develop an effective one for assessing nutrient intake among preschool children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of newly developed FFQs for assessing food and nutrient intakes among preschool children in Northwest China. Methods Semiquantitative 67-item FFQs were developed and validated. In total, 326 children (aged 2–6 years) were recruited from three different cities in Northwest China. All subjects were asked to complete the FFQs twice with a six-month interval period for test-retest reliability. Apart from the FFQs, a 3-day food record (3-DFR) was also carried out to evaluate the validity of the FFQs. Results There was no significant difference in the nutrient intakes of preschool children between the two FFQs (P > 0.05), and these two FFQs demonstrated a positive correlation (P < 0.05). Spearman's coefficient correlation values ranged from 0.222 (“Selenium”) to 0.832 (“Energy”). The intraclass correlation coefficient values ranged from 0.282 (“Selenium”) to 0.882 (“Energy”). With regards to the validity of FFQs, nutrient intakes from FFQs were greater than 3DR dietary recalls (P < 0.05). After adjusting for total energy and intraindividual variation, all nutrient intakes showed a positive correlation (P < 0.05), and these correlations became stronger. According to the quartiles of nutrient intakes, the exact agreement between the FFQs and 3DR dietary recalls ranged between 40% (“Selenium”) and 70% (“Energy”), and grossly misclassified was low (12.5%). Conclusions The findings of this study indicate that the designed FFQs exhibit good test-retest reliability and moderate relative validity. Hence, the FFQs can serve as an important tool for the large-scale assessment of food and nutrient intakes among preschool children (in the mentioned areas of China).
Highlights
A healthy dietary pattern promotes the growth and development of children and improves their health and well-being. ere has been growing evidence to support the association between dietary patterns and the risk of chronic diseases in preschool children, such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and so on [1]
Most of the parents were highly educated, with a college degree, and the above accounted for 61.96%
After the paired t-test of each nutritional variable in A_FFQ and 3-day dietary record (3DR), the results showed that most of the nutrient intakes of the children were not significantly different between the two food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) (P > 0.05)
Summary
A healthy dietary pattern promotes the growth and development of children and improves their health and well-being. ere has been growing evidence to support the association between dietary patterns and the risk of chronic diseases in preschool children, such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and so on [1]. Considering the lack of valid and reliable food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) for nutritional epidemiological studies in China, it is necessary to develop an effective one for assessing nutrient intake among preschool children. E aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of newly developed FFQs for assessing food and nutrient intakes among preschool children in Northwest China. Ere was no significant difference in the nutrient intakes of preschool children between the two FFQs (P > 0.05), and these two FFQs demonstrated a positive correlation (P < 0.05). According to the quartiles of nutrient intakes, the exact agreement between the FFQs and 3DR dietary recalls ranged between 40% (“Selenium”) and 70% (“Energy”), and grossly misclassified was low (12.5%). The FFQs can serve as an important tool for the large-scale assessment of food and nutrient intakes among preschool children (in the mentioned areas of China)
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