#497: Are Food Frequency Questionnaires Reliable?

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About This Episode:

Food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) have been widely employed in nutrition research to assess dietary intake patterns among study participants. However, debates surrounding the reliability of FFQs have persisted both inside and outside the academic community.

These debates primarily revolve around issues related to measurement error, recall bias, and the appropriateness of FFQs for diverse populations.

One prominent concern is the potential for measurement error in FFQs. These questionnaires rely on self-reported data from participants, which can introduce inaccuracies due to memory limitations and social desirability bias. Participants may not accurately recall their food consumption frequencies and portion sizes, leading to imprecise estimates of nutrient intake.

Recall bias is another critical issue in the reliability debate. Participants may selectively remember or misreport the consumption of certain foods or nutrients, leading to an overestimation or underestimation of actual dietary intake.

Two concepts are crucial to understand: validity and reproducibility. FFQs are validated by cross-referencing the FFQ data with other dietary assessment tools (or other methods). It’s also important to consider if an FFQ gives reproducible results when used on multiple occasions.

When we ask “are FFQs reliable?”, we must first understand the conceptual exposure of interest: average intake over time. Second, we must consider what nutrients we are looking at. And third, in what population.

In this episode, Danny & Alan discuss the reliability of FFQs and how to have a deeper, more accurate understanding of their use. They take a look at valid critcisms of FFQs, as well as some of the more ill-informed criticisms.