Development and Validation of a Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire among Rural- and Urban-dwelling Adults in Colombia

ObjectiveTo validate a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) against multiple 24-hour dietary recalls (DRs) that could be used for Colombian adults.MethodsA convenience sample of 219 individuals participated in the study. The validity of the FFQ was evaluated against multiple DRs. Four dietary recalls were collected during the year, and an FFQ was administered at the end of the study along with the fourth DR.ResultsDeattenuated correlation coefficient for FFQ against mean intake of 4 DRs varied from 0.77 for carbohydrate, 0.55 for energy, and 0.51 for protein. In rural areas, lower correlations were observed. The overall extent of agreement in each quartile of estimated nutrient intake varied from 61% to 83%.Conclusions and ImplicationsThe FFQ provides moderate to high estimates for energy and nutrient intake and can be employed to rank individuals based on their habitual intake.