Validation of a food frequency questionnaire specific for salt intake in Saudi Arabian adults using urinary biomarker and repeated multiple pass 24-hour dietary recall

Abstract

Socioeconomic status and lifestyle (including dietary habits) have dramatically changed in Saudi Arabia (SA) over the last few decades. SA suffers from a high burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. There is no data on habitual salt intake in SA apart from one study in the Eastern region 81 g/day, not representative for the general population. Food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) are practical for epidemiological studies, but need to be developed and validated for specific populations because foods are culture-dependent To our knowledge, there is no validated Saudi specific FFQ, apart from one semi-quantitative FFQ for the assessment of vitamin A intake only We aimed to develop a culture-specific FFQ and evaluate its validity in estimating the intake of salt in Saudi Arabian population.