title: Reproducibility and relative validity of a food frequency questionnaire developed for adults in Taizhou, China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the reproducibility and validity of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) developed to investigate the relationship between dietary factors and diseases in the adult Chinese population in East China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 78 males and 129 females aged 30-75 years completed four inconsecutive 24-hour dietary recalls (24-HRs, served as a reference method) and two FFQs (FFQ1 and FFQ2) over a nine-month interval. The reproducibility of the FFQ was estimated with correlation coefficients, cross-classification, and weighted kappa statistic. The validity was assessed by comparing the data obtained from FFQ and 24-HRs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median nutrient intakes assessed with FFQs were higher than the average of four 24-HRs. For the food groups, Spearman, Pearson, and intraclass correlation coefficients between FFQ1 and FFQ2 ranged from 0.23 to 0.61, 0.27 to 0.64, and 0.26 to 0.65, respectively. For total energy and nutrient intakes, the corresponding coefficients ranged from 0.25 to 0.61, 0.28 to 0.64, and 0.28 to 0.62, respectively. The correlations between FFQ1 and FFQ2 for most nutrients decreased after adjustment with total energy intake. More than 70% of the subjects were classified into the same and adjacent categories by both FFQs. For food groups, the crude, energy-adjusted, and de-attenuated Spearman correlation coefficients between FFQ2 and the 24-HRs ranged from 0.17 to 0.59, 0.10 to 0.57, and 0.11 to 0.64, respectively. For total energy and nutrient intakes, the corresponding coefficients ranged from 0.20 to 0.58, 0.08 to 0.54, and 0.09 to 0.56, respectively. More than 67% of the subjects were classified into the same and adjacent categories by both instruments. Both weighted kappa statistic and Bland-Altman Plots showed reasonably acceptable agreement between the FFQ2 and 24-HRs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FFQ developed for adults in the Taizhou area is reasonably reliable and valid for assessment of most food and nutrient intakes.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Maoqiang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Ziyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Lanfang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yajun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xingdong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Weimin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China; D004034:Diet Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000494:pharmacology; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates