Research paper
Validity and reliability of a food frequency questionnaire to estimate dietary intake among Lebanese children
Study answer
What this study found
Spearman correlations between FFQ-1 and mean 24-HRs were significant (energy 0.54; p<0.001; MUFA 0.26). After calibration with sex-specific coefficients, mean intakes from FFQ-1 aligned with 24-HRs for energy and selected nutrients. Reproducibility (FFQ-1 vs FFQ-2) showed ICCs ranging from 0.31 (trans-fatty acids) to 0.73 (calcium); energy ICC = 0.71; over 80% were classified in the same or adjacent quartile for energy and nutrients. The calibrated FFQ is a reliable and valid tool for assessing past-year dietary intake in Lebanese children 5–10 years old and can support dietary monitoring…
- Study & population
- 111 healthy Lebanese children aged 5–10 years (53 boys, 58 girls) from public and private schools in Greater Beirut, recruited by random cluster sampling.
- Key limitation
- Limitations include proxy reporting by mothers which may introduce uncertainty and social desirability bias; sample size of 111 may limit generalizability; use of a USDA food composition database rather than a Lebanon-specific database; seasonal variation; potential self-selection bias with overweight/obese…
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
BackgroundNutritional status during childhood is critical given its effect on growth and development as well as its association with disease risk later in life. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is experiencing alarming rates of childhoo…