Use of a three-day estimated food record, a 72-hour recall and a food-frequency questionnaire for dietary assessment in a Mediterranean Spanish population.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the validity and the short-term reproducibility of a semi-quantitative, self-administrated food frequency questionnaire and a structured 72-hour recall in a Mediterranean Spanish population.


METHODS
44 free-living volunteers participated in the study. Macronutrient, vitamin and mineral intake, recorded on the food frequency questionnaire and the structured 72-h recall were compared with intakes derived from a three-day food record (reference method). Validity of the dietary assessment methods was further assessed by comparing urinary nitrogen, plasma vitamin C, plasma beta-carotene and whole blood glutathione peroxidase activity levels with the corresponding nutrient intakes from the questionnaires. The food frequency questionnaire and the 72-h recall were administered twice to assess the short term reproducibility.


RESULTS
Pearson's correlation coefficients between urinary nitrogen, plasma vitamin C, plasma beta-carotene and whole blood glutathione peroxidase activity levels and the reported nitrogen, vitamin C, beta-carotene and selenium intakes were 0.26, 0.53, 0.17, 0.26 for the food frequency questionnaire; 0.41, 0.09, 0.34, 0.42 for the structured 72-h recall and 0.50, 0.54, 0.44, 0.38 for the three-day food record, respectively. The short term reproducibility of analysed nutrient intake showed average intra-class correlation coefficients of 0.91 and 0.69 for the food frequency questionnaire and the structured 72-h recall irrespectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The food frequency questionnaire and the structured 72-h recall provide valid estimates of nutrient intake and could be used for dietary assessments.
Schröder
H
H
Lipids and Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica, IMIM, Barcelona, Spain.
Covas
M I
MI
Marrugat
J
J
Vila
J
J
Pena
A
A
Alcántara
M
M
Masiá
R
R
D000328:Adult; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D004032:Diet; D015930:Diet Records; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008903:Minerals / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000652:urine; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D008903:Minerals; D014815:Vitamins; D019207:beta Carotene; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D009584:Nitrogen; D001205:Ascorbic Acid