Validation Information: FFQ (Inulin & Oligofructose)
Dunn 2011
Validation of a food frequency questionnaire to measure intakes of inulin and oligofructose
Background and objectives: Inulin and oligofructose are prebiotic carbohydrates associated with numerous health benefits. The aim of this study was to accurately measure inulin and oligofructose intakes and to develop and validate a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ).
Subjects and methods: A 7-d semi-weighed food diary (FD) was used to measure intakes in 66 healthy subjects. A 23-item FFQ was developed to measure short-term inulin and oligofructose intakes over the same 7 days and was completed twice on 2 separate days.
Results: There were no significant differences in inulin intake (4.0±1.3 vs 4.0±1.4 g/d, P = 0.646) or oligofructose intake (3.8±1.2 vs 3.8±1.3 g/d, P = 0.864) when measured using the 7-d FD or the FFQ. Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated low mean differences between the FD and FFQ in measuring intakes of inulin (-0.09 g/d) and oligofructose (-0.03 g/d). The FFQ categorised 89% of subjects into the same or adjacent tertiles of intakes as the 7-d FD. For the majority of food items, kappa values indicated ‘substantial’ or ‘almost perfect’ agreement for assignment of ‘portion size’ and ‘frequency of consumption’ between the FFQs completed on separate days.
Conclusions: The FFQ is a valid and reliable method for measuring short-term inulin and oligofructose intakes for use in dietary surveys and clinical trials.
Total number of nutrients validated: 0
Not all of the nutrients validated in the validation studies are included in the table below, as statistical data was only selected to be displayed for a number of nutrients, this included:
- Energy
- Fat
- Saturated Fat
- Mono-unsaturated Fat
- Poly-unsaturated Fat
- Carbohydrates
- Protein
- Sugar
- Non‐starch polysaccharides(NSP)
- Sodium
- Calcium
- Iron
- Zinc
- Retinol
- Folate
- Folic Acid
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin C
- Fruit & Vegetables
- Urinary Nitrogen
To find information on the other validated nutrients please read the validation study.
- Macronutrients: 0
- Micronutrients: 0
| Comparator | Lifestage | Sex | Nutrient Measured | Mean Difference | Standard Deviation | Correlation Coefficient | Cohen's Kappa Coefficient | Percentage Agreement | Percentage Agreement Categories | Lower Limits of Agreement | Upper Limits of Agreement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weighed Food Diary | Adults | Both |
Some results have been calculated using statistical techniques based on the published data.
For further information on statistical terms click on Statistical tests used in validation studies
All correlations coefficients in the table are unadjusted unless stated otherwise. For adjusted correlation coefficients and other statistical methods used in the study e.g. paired t-tests, please read the validation articles.
- # Adjusted
- † Energy adjusted.
- ‡ For loge-transformed, energy-adjusted nutrient intakes.
- ^ Adjacent included.
- ᵟ Participants provided identical responses.
- (w) = Weighted.
Dunn S, Datta A, Kallis S, Law E, Myers CE, Whelan K. Validation of a food frequency questionnaire to measure intakes of inulin and oligofructose. European journal of clinical nutrition. 2011 Mar 1;65(3):402-8.