Nutrition and Health Sciences, Department of

 

ORCID IDs

Kent M. Eskridge

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

8-2006

Comments

Published in Journal of the American Dietetic Association 106:8 (August 2006), pp. 1251–1255; doi:10.1016/j.jada.2006.05.005 Copyright © 2006 American Dietetic Association; published by Elsevier Inc. Used by permission.

Abstract

The purpose of this pilot study was to test the validity and reliability of a quantitative n-3 fatty acid food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for later use with larger groups of individuals. A convenience sample of heart patients provided dietary data via three 24-hour food recalls and FFQs. Participants were women (n = 17) and men (n = 11), 43 to 77 years of age. The association of mean daily intake of n-3 fatty acids obtained using food recalls and the FFQ was assessed by Pearson correlation. The reliability of the FFQ was assessed using coefficient α. Correlation of n-3 fatty acid intake using the food recalls and the FFQ was r = 0.42 (P < 0.05). The coefficient α for the test-retest of the FFQ was .83. The top two foods, walnuts and flaxseed, contributed 58% of the n-3 fatty acid intake, and the third food, salmon, contributed 5%. This quantitative n-3 FFQ is a valid instrument for use in place of food recalls for estimating n-3 fatty acid intakes in heart patients and is a reliable instrument to estimate n-3 fatty acid intakes from plant, animal, and seafood sources. The FFQ should be tested in a larger population. Registered dietitians can use this FFQ to screen for intakes, educate patients on food sources, and measure change in intakes after nutrition intervention.

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