WEB-BASED FOOD FREQUENCY QUESTIONNAIRE

Accurate assessment of dietary intakes, when based on self-report in free-living populations poses significant scientific challenges. All standard dietary assessment methods including food records, dietary recalls and list-type methods such as food frequency questionnaires (FFQ), are subjected to considerable error and bias, and none of these can be considered as a 'gold standard' measure.

FFQ has become a common way to estimate usual food intake because it include relatively low administrative costs and it usually requires less than thirty minutes to complete. It also imposes less burden on subjects than most of the other dietary assessment methods. However, disadvantages of the FFQ have been identified. In fact, it may be difficult cognitive task for respondent to recall frequencies of intakes over a given period of time. Also, the precision in quantifying intakes is not possible with a FFQ. Dietary habits vary not only from country to country but also from region to region. Specific FFQs must be validated to assess nutritional habits conducted in geographically and/or culturally distinct regions.

We have produced new FFQ which is tested at 2008 in 1200 study subjects. The FFQ comprises a food list of 142 food items with 9 frequency response options ranging from 'Never' to '6 or more times per day'. The output is provided for 54 nutrients in addition to derived variables such as grams of red meat, grams of berries, cruciferous vegetables, etc. FFQ is validated using 3-day food records.

Our FFQ is web-based and automated. It is also possible to send FFQ by post when studying older populations. Trained study nurses collect and save data returning by post and check FFQ’s returning via internet. Cost of nutritional data collection is much lesser using FFQ than using food records. 

More information sari.voutilainen@uku.fi

For further information, please contact Sari Voutilainen (sari.voutilainen at uku.fi)