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Validation Information: MiniMeal-Q (Micronutrient & fibre)

Christensen 2014

Relative Validity of Micronutrient and Fiber Intake Assessed With Two New Interactive Meal- and Web-Based Food Frequency Questionnaires

Background

The meal- and Web-based food frequency questionnaires, Meal-Q and MiniMeal-Q, were developed for cost-efficient assessment of dietary intake in epidemiological studies.

Objective

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relative validity of micronutrient and fiber intake assessed with Meal-Q and MiniMeal-Q. The reproducibility of Meal-Q was also evaluated.

Methods

A total of 163 volunteer men and women aged between 20 and 63 years were recruited from Stockholm County, Sweden. Assessment of micronutrient and fiber intake with the 174-item Meal-Q was compared to a Web-based 7-day weighed food record (WFR). Two administered Meal-Q questionnaires were compared for reproducibility. The 126-item MiniMeal-Q, developed after the validation study, was evaluated in a simulated validation by using truncated Meal-Q data.

Results

The study population consisted of approximately 80% women (129/163) with a mean age of 33 years (SD 12) who were highly educated (130/163, 80% with >12 years of education) on average. Cross-classification of quartiles with the WFR placed 69% to 90% in the same/adjacent quartile for Meal-Q and 67% to 89% for MiniMeal-Q. Bland-Altman plots with the WFR and the questionnaires showed large variances and a trend of increasing underestimation with increasing intakes. Deattenuated and energy-adjusted Spearman rank correlations between the questionnaires and the WFR were in the range ρ=.25-.69, excluding sodium that was not statistically significant. Cross-classifications of quartiles of the 2 Meal-Q administrations placed 86% to 97% in the same/adjacent quartile. Intraclass correlation coefficients for energy-adjusted intakes were in the range of .50-.76.

Conclusions

With the exception of sodium, this validation study demonstrates Meal-Q and MiniMeal-Q to be useful methods for ranking micronutrient and fiber intake in epidemiological studies with Web-based data collection.

 

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Validation Information

Author
Christensen
Year of Publication
2014

Tool Information

Dietary Exposure Measured
Macronutrient, Micronutrient
Tool Type
Food Frequency Questionnaire
Timeframe Tool Measures info
Week/Month
Portion Size Measures info
Portion sizes were quantified using photographs of particular food items with standard portion sizes based on the National Food Agency being used for other food items.
Reporting Method info
Retrospective; Usual
Format info
Online
Supplements Measured
Excluded
Administration Method info
Self-administered

Study Information

Study Location
Stockholm, Sweden
Associated Nutrient Database
National database on nutrient content published by the Swedish National Food Agency
Comparator Validated Against
Weighed Food Diary

Participants

Sample Size
167 (35 male, 132 females)
Lifestage
Adults
Age of Population

Range: 20-63 years

Sex
Both
Other Notable Characteristics
Subjects were recruited through the VALMA study and from three universities in Stockholm, Sweden.

Total number of nutrients validated: 19 info

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: 1
  • Micronutrients: 18
Comparator Lifestage Sex Nutrient Measured info Mean Difference Standard Deviation info Correlation Coefficient info Cohen's Kappa Coefficient Percentage Agreement Percentage Agreement Categories info Lower Limits of Agreement Upper Limits of Agreement
Weighed Food Diary Adults Both Fibre (g) -1.5 0.65 (S) -20 17
Sodium (mg) -1000 0.32 (S) -3000 922
Calcium (mg) -183 0.22 (S) -892 526
Iron (mg) -2.5 0.43 (S) -12 6.7
Zinc (mg) -1.9 0.34 (S) -7.3 3.4
Folate (µg) -50 0.50 (S) -280 180
Vitamin B12 (µg) -2.5 0.28 (S) -8 3
Vitamin C (mg) -29 0.52 (S) -151 93

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.

Christensen SE, Moller E, Bonn SE, Ploner A, Wright A, Sjolander A, Balter O, Lissner L & Balter K. (2014) Relative Validity of Micronutrient and Fiber Intake Assessed With Two New Interactive Meal- and Web-Based Food Frequency Questionnaires.Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16 (2) e59