Comparison of relative validity of food group intakes estimated by comprehensive and brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaires against 16 d dietary records in Japanese adults

TLDR

The study compared the relative validity of food group intakes estimated by a comprehensive 150‑item self‑administered diet history questionnaire (DHQ) and a brief 58‑item questionnaire (BDHQ) against 16‑day dietary records in Japanese adults. Ninety‑two men and women completed four 4‑day dietary records, the DHQ, and the BDHQ at three‑month intervals across Osaka, Nagano, and Tottori, allowing seasonal assessment of intake. Median intakes were accurately estimated for about half of food groups, with no significant differences between records and questionnaires for many items, and Spearman correlations of 0.43–0.48, indicating that both DHQ and BDHQ have reasonable validity.

Abstract

Abstract Objective To compare the relative validity of food group intakes derived from a comprehensive self-administered diet history questionnaire (DHQ) and a brief-type DHQ (BDHQ) developed for the assessment of Japanese diets during the previous month using semi-weighed dietary records (DR) as a reference method. Design Between November 2002 and September 2003, a 4 d DR (covering four non-consecutive days), a DHQ (150-item semi-quantitative questionnaire) and a BDHQ (fifty-eight-item fixed-portion-type questionnaire) were completed four times (once per season) at 3-month intervals. Setting Three areas in Japan: Osaka, Nagano and Tottori. Subjects Ninety-two Japanese women aged 31–69 years and ninety-two Japanese men aged 32–76 years. Results Median food group intakes were estimated well for approximately half of the food groups. No statistically significant differences were noted between a 16 d DR and the first DHQ (DHQ1) or between the DR and the first BDHQ (BDHQ1) in fifteen (44 %) and fifteen (52 %) food items for women and in fourteen (41 %) and sixteen (55 %) food items for men, respectively, indicating that both questionnaires estimated median values reasonably well. Median Spearman's correlation coefficients with the DR were 0·43 (range: −0·09 to 0·77) for DHQ1 and 0·44 (range: 0·14 to 0·82) for BDHQ1 in women, with respective values of 0·44 (range: 0·08 to 0·87) and 0·48 (range: 0·22 to 0·83) in men, indicating reasonable ranking ability. Similar results were observed for mean values of the four DHQ and BDHQ. Conclusions In terms of food intake estimates, both the DHQ and the BDHQ showed reasonable validity.