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Reproducibility and validity of a quantitative food-frequency questionnaire among Jamaicans of African origin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

M Jackson ,
S Walker ,
J Cade ,
T Forrester ,
JK Cruickshank  and
R Wilks
M Jackson*
Affiliation:
Tropical Medicine Research Institute, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica, WI
S Walker
Affiliation:
Tropical Medicine Research Institute, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica, WI
J Cade
Affiliation:
Nuffield Institute of Health, University of Leeds, 71–75 Clarendon Road, Leeds LS2 9PL, UK
T Forrester
Affiliation:
Tropical Medicine Research Institute, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica, WI
JK Cruickshank
Affiliation:
3Clinical Epidemiology Unit, ManchesterUniversity Medical School, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
R Wilks
Affiliation:
Tropical Medicine Research Institute, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica, WI
*
*Corresponding author: Email majacksn@uwimona.edu.jm
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Abstract

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Background:

An interviewer-administered quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was developed to determine the energy and nutrient intakes of adult Jamaicans of African origin as part of a study of the epidemiology of diabetes and hypertension.

Methods:

Reproducibility of the questionnaire was investigated in 123 participants aged 25–74 years. The relative validity of the FFQ was assessed against twelve 24-hour recalls administered over 12 months in 73 of the participants. In addition, energy intakes (EI) were compared with estimated basal metabolic rates (BMR).

Results:

Reproducibility correlation coefficients (Pearson and intraclass) varied between 0.42 for retinol and 0.71 for carbohydrate, with most values falling between 0.50 and 0.60. When compared with repeated 24-hour recalls, the FFQ estimated slightly higher energy (mean 6%) and macronutrient intakes (mean 2–14%), and was within 5% when expressed as a percentage of energy intake. Micronutrients were higher by 1.19 (calcium) to 1.61 times (vitamin C). Unadjusted correlations between the FFQ and the reference method ranged from 0.20 for beta-carotene to 0.86 for alcohol. Cross-classification of nutrients into quartiles showed that 46–48% of participants in the lowest and highest quartiles were jointly classified by both methods. Misclassifications were low for most nutrients with one or two persons misclassified at the extreme quartiles. EI/BMR ratios suggested light to moderate activity levels appropriate for an urban population in a developing country.

Conclusions:

The FFQ showed reasonable reproducibility and validity and is suitable for estimating the habitual intakes of energy and macronutrients, but was poor for some micronutrients (retinol and beta-carotene).

Keywords

Dietary assessmentAdultAfrican origin
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 4 , Issue 5 , October 2001 , pp. 971 - 980
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2001

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