American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 154, No. 12 : 1089-1099
Copyright © 2001 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
NUTRITIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGY |
Comparative Validation of the Block, Willett, and National Cancer Institute Food Frequency Questionnaires
The Eating at America's Table Study
1 Applied Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD.
2 Biometry Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD.
3 Westat, Rockville, MD.
ABSTRACT
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute developed a new cognitively based food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), the Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ). The Eating at America's Table Study sought to validate and compare the DHQ with the Block and Willett FFQs. Of 1,640 men and women recruited to participate from a nationally representative sample in 1997, 1,301 completed four telephone 24-hour recalls, one in each season. Participants were randomized to receive either a DHQ and Block FFQ or a DHQ and Willett FFQ. With a standard measurement error model, correlations for energy between estimated truth and the DHQ, Block FFQ, and Willett FFQ, respectively, were 0.48, 0.45, and 0.18 for women and 0.49, 0.45, and 0.21 for men. For 26 nutrients, correlations and attenuation coefficients were somewhat higher for the DHQ versus the Block FFQ, and both were better than the Willett FFQ in models unadjusted for energy. Energy adjustment increased correlations and attenuation coefficients for the Willett FFQ dramatically and for the DHQ and Block FFQ instruments modestly. The DHQ performed best overall. These data show that the DHQ and the Block FFQ are better at estimating absolute intakes than is the Willett FFQ but that, after energy adjustment, all three are more comparable for purposes of assessing diet-disease risk.
diet; epidemiologic methods; food habits; nutrition assessment; nutrition surveys; questionnaires
Abbreviations: CSFII, Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals; DHQ, Diet History Questionnaire; EATS, Eating at America's Table Study; FFQ, food frequency questionnaire; FIAS 3.0, Food Intake Analysis System, version 3.0
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