A new FFQ designed to measure the intake of fatty acids and antioxidants in children.
OBJECTIVE
The present paper describes the systematic development of an FFQ to assess the intake of fatty acids and antioxidants in school-aged children. In addition, a validation study applying 24 h dietary recalls was performed.


METHODS
Using the variance-based Max_r method, a list of eighty-two foods was compiled from data obtained by 3 d weighed dietary records. The foods were used to design an FFQ, the comprehensibility of which was evaluated in a feasibility study. In addition, the FFQ was validated in a subset of 101 children from the German Infant Nutritional Intervention Study (GINI PLUS) against one 24 h dietary recall.


RESULTS
The feasibility study attested a good acceptance of the FFQ. Mean intake of foods compared well between the FFQ and the 24 h dietary recall, although intake data generated from the FFQ tended to be higher. This difference became less apparent at the nutrient level, although the estimated average consumption of arachidonic acid and EPA using the FFQ still exceeded values recorded with the 24 h recall method by 45 % and 29 %, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
On the basis of the systematic selection process of the food list, the established practicability of the FFQ and the overall plausibility of the results, the use of this FFQ is justified in future epidemiological studies.
Stiegler
Petra
P
Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
Sausenthaler
Stefanie
S
Buyken
Anette E
AE
Rzehak
Peter
P
Czech
Daniel
D
Linseisen
Jakob
J
Kroke
Anja
A
Gedrich
Kurt
K
Robertson
Claire
C
Heinrich
Joachim
J
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D015930:Diet Records; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*
D000975:Antioxidants; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated