Validation Information: Quest1
O'Donnell 1991
A computerized diet questionnaire for use in diet health education
A diet questionnaire was developed in association with a computer program to provide rapid nutritional feedback to the general public. The questionnaire was validated against 16 d of weighed diet records and biochemical variables in blood and urine. The highest Pearson correlation coefficients obtained between the questionnaire and the weighed records were for alcohol, fibre, iron, riboflavin (r 0.74, 0.67, 0.66, 0.66 respectively). Striking sex differences were shown in the results; the trend for higher correlations persisted in females. At least 65% of subjects were classified by questionnaire to within one quintile of the classification by weighed record for the majority of nutrients.
Total number of nutrients validated: 20
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.
- Energy
- Macronutrients: 5
- Micronutrients: 14
| 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 | Energy (kcal) | 0.35 (S) | 32.6 | 5 | |||||
| Protein (g) | 0.43(P) | 24.9 | 5 | ||||||||
| Fat (g) | 0.39 (P) | 26.9 | 5 | ||||||||
| Carbohydrates (g) | 0.35 (P) | 26.9 | 5 | ||||||||
| Total sugars (g) | 0.31 (P) | 23 | 5 | ||||||||
| Sodium (mg) | 0.09(P) | 25.0 | 5 | ||||||||
| Calcium (mg) | 0.53 (P) | 36.5 | 5 | ||||||||
| Iron (mg) | 0.66 (P) | 36.4 | 5 | ||||||||
| Zinc (mg) | 0.43(P) | 32.6 | 5 | ||||||||
| Retinol (µg) | 0.31 (P) | 28.7 | 5 | ||||||||
| Folate (µg) | 0.36 (P) | 44.2 | 5 | ||||||||
| Vitamin B12 (µg) | 0.49 (P) | 28.7 | 5 | ||||||||
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) (mg) | 0.33 (P) | 32.7 | 5 | ||||||||
| Weighed Food Diary | Adults | Male Only | Energy (kcal) | -1046 | 505 | 0.42 (P) | -2036 | -56 | |||
| Protein (g) | -29 | 21 | 0.33(P) | -71 | 13 | ||||||
| Fat (g) | -46 | 27 | 0.44 (P) | -99 | 7.5 | ||||||
| Carbohydrates (g) | -101 | 64 | 0.52 (P) | -226 | 24 | ||||||
| Total sugars (g) | -51 | 31 | 0.60 (P) | -111 | 9.2 | ||||||
| Sodium (mg) | -2042.9 | 975.9 | 0.02 (P) | -3956 | -130.2 | ||||||
| Calcium (mg) | -412.7 | 301 | 0.38 (P) | -1003 | 177.2 | ||||||
| Iron (mg) | -5.2 | 5 | 0.62 (P) | -14 | 4 | ||||||
| Zinc (mg) | -3.8 | 806.1 | 0.33 (P) | -10 | 2.4 | ||||||
| Retinol (µg) | -80 | 514.4 | 0.13 (P) | -1088 | 928.3 | ||||||
| Folate (µg) | -70.5 | 60.7 | 0.29 (P) | -189 | 48.5 | ||||||
| Vitamin B12 (µg) | -0.9 | 3.2 | 0.44 (P) | -7 | 5.4 | ||||||
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) (mg) | -15.5 | 24 | 0.75 (P) | -63 | 31.6 | ||||||
| Weighed Food Diary | Adults | Female Only | Energy (kcal) | -403 | 580 | 0.34 (P) | -1540 | 734 | |||
| Protein (g) | -7 | 18 | 0.56 (P) | -43 | 28 | ||||||
| Fat (g) | -24 | 28 | 0.40 (P) | -80 | 31 | ||||||
| Carbohydrates (g) | -32 | 78 | 0.26 (P) | -183 | 124 | ||||||
| Total sugars (g) | -21 | 47 | 0.19 (P) | -114 | 71 | ||||||
| Sodium (mg) | -609.4 | 947.1 | 0.39 (P) | -2679.1 | 1033.7 | ||||||
| Calcium (mg) | -191.3 | 229 | 0.67 (P) | -640.3 | 257.7 | ||||||
| Iron (mg) | -1.8 | 3.7 | 0.72 (P) | -9 | 5.4 | ||||||
| Zinc (mg) | -0.6 | 2.3 | 0.69 (P) | -5.1 | 3.9 | ||||||
| Retinol (µg) | -401.3 | 691.8 | 0.46 (P) | -1766.2 | 945.6 | ||||||
| Folate (µg) | -0.8 | 46.5 | 0.54 (P) | -91.9 | 90.3 | ||||||
| Vitamin B12 (µg) | -1.0 | 3.3 | 0.49( P) | -7.5 | 5.5 | ||||||
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) (mg) | 18.8 | 50.4 | 0.23(P) | -79.9 | 117.5 | ||||||
| Biomarkers | Adults | Both | Zinc (mg) | 0.27 (P) | |||||||
| Urinary Nitrogen | 0.34 (P) | ||||||||||
| Biomarkers | Adults | Male Only | Urinary Nitrogen | 0.36 (P) | |||||||
| Biomarkers | Adults | Female Only | Zinc (mg) | 0.16(P) | |||||||
| Zinc (mg) | 0.32 (P) | ||||||||||
| Urinary Nitrogen | 0.28 (P) |
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.
O'Donnell MG, Nelson M, Wise PH, Walker DM. A computerized diet questionnaire for use in diet health education. 1. Development and validation. The British journal of nutrition. 1991;66(1):3-15