Development of a Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire to Assess the Dietary Intake of a Multi-Ethnic Urban Asian Population
Assessing habitual food consumption is challenging in multi-ethnic cosmopolitan settings. We systematically developed a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in a multi-ethnic population in Singapore, using data from two 24-h dietary recalls from a nationally representative sample of...
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MDPI AG
2016-08-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/9/528 |
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| author | Nithya Neelakantan Clare Whitton Sharna Seah Hiromi Koh Salome A. Rebello Jia Yi Lim Shiqi Chen Mei Fen Chan Ling Chew Rob M. van Dam |
| author_facet | Nithya Neelakantan Clare Whitton Sharna Seah Hiromi Koh Salome A. Rebello Jia Yi Lim Shiqi Chen Mei Fen Chan Ling Chew Rob M. van Dam |
| author_sort | Nithya Neelakantan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Assessing habitual food consumption is challenging in multi-ethnic cosmopolitan settings. We systematically developed a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in a multi-ethnic population in Singapore, using data from two 24-h dietary recalls from a nationally representative sample of 805 Singapore residents of Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnicity aged 18–79 years. Key steps included combining reported items on 24-h recalls into standardized food groups, developing a food list for the FFQ, pilot testing of different question formats, and cognitive interviews. Percentage contribution analysis and stepwise regression analysis were used to identify foods contributing cumulatively ≥90% to intakes and individually ≥1% to intake variance of key nutrients, for the total study population and for each ethnic group separately. Differences between ethnic groups were observed in proportions of consumers of certain foods (e.g., lentil stews, 1%–47%; and pork dishes, 0%–50%). The number of foods needed to explain variability in nutrient intakes differed substantially by ethnic groups and was substantially larger for the total population than for separate ethnic groups. A 163-item FFQ covered >95% of total population intake for all key nutrients. The methodological insights provided in this paper may be useful in developing similar FFQs in other multi-ethnic settings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T21:11:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1d99f9a82ce74f82b4b4db93d187bca4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T21:11:16Z |
| publishDate | 2016-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-1d99f9a82ce74f82b4b4db93d187bca42022-12-22T03:16:35ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432016-08-018952810.3390/nu8090528nu8090528Development of a Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire to Assess the Dietary Intake of a Multi-Ethnic Urban Asian PopulationNithya Neelakantan0Clare Whitton1Sharna Seah2Hiromi Koh3Salome A. Rebello4Jia Yi Lim5Shiqi Chen6Mei Fen Chan7Ling Chew8Rob M. van Dam9Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore 117549Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore 117549Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore 117549Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore 117549Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore 117549Research and Evaluation Department, Research and Strategic Planning Division, Health Promotion Board, Singapore 168937Research and Evaluation Department, Research and Strategic Planning Division, Health Promotion Board, Singapore 168937Research and Evaluation Department, Research and Strategic Planning Division, Health Promotion Board, Singapore 168937Research and Strategic Planning Division, Health Promotion Board, Singapore 168937Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore 117549Assessing habitual food consumption is challenging in multi-ethnic cosmopolitan settings. We systematically developed a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in a multi-ethnic population in Singapore, using data from two 24-h dietary recalls from a nationally representative sample of 805 Singapore residents of Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnicity aged 18–79 years. Key steps included combining reported items on 24-h recalls into standardized food groups, developing a food list for the FFQ, pilot testing of different question formats, and cognitive interviews. Percentage contribution analysis and stepwise regression analysis were used to identify foods contributing cumulatively ≥90% to intakes and individually ≥1% to intake variance of key nutrients, for the total study population and for each ethnic group separately. Differences between ethnic groups were observed in proportions of consumers of certain foods (e.g., lentil stews, 1%–47%; and pork dishes, 0%–50%). The number of foods needed to explain variability in nutrient intakes differed substantially by ethnic groups and was substantially larger for the total population than for separate ethnic groups. A 163-item FFQ covered >95% of total population intake for all key nutrients. The methodological insights provided in this paper may be useful in developing similar FFQs in other multi-ethnic settings.http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/9/528food frequency questionnaireFFQdevelopmentmethodologymulti-ethnicdietary assessmentnutrition |
| spellingShingle | Nithya Neelakantan Clare Whitton Sharna Seah Hiromi Koh Salome A. Rebello Jia Yi Lim Shiqi Chen Mei Fen Chan Ling Chew Rob M. van Dam Development of a Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire to Assess the Dietary Intake of a Multi-Ethnic Urban Asian Population Nutrients food frequency questionnaire FFQ development methodology multi-ethnic dietary assessment nutrition |
| title | Development of a Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire to Assess the Dietary Intake of a Multi-Ethnic Urban Asian Population |
| title_full | Development of a Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire to Assess the Dietary Intake of a Multi-Ethnic Urban Asian Population |
| title_fullStr | Development of a Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire to Assess the Dietary Intake of a Multi-Ethnic Urban Asian Population |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development of a Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire to Assess the Dietary Intake of a Multi-Ethnic Urban Asian Population |
| title_short | Development of a Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire to Assess the Dietary Intake of a Multi-Ethnic Urban Asian Population |
| title_sort | development of a semi quantitative food frequency questionnaire to assess the dietary intake of a multi ethnic urban asian population |
| topic | food frequency questionnaire FFQ development methodology multi-ethnic dietary assessment nutrition |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/9/528 |
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