Ibrahim M. Gosadi, Abdullah A. Alatar, Mojahed M. Otayf, Dhaherah M. AlJahani, Hisham M. Ghabbani, Waleed A. AlRajban, Abdullah M. Alrsheed, Khalid A. Al-Nasser

Abstract

Objectives: To create a food frequency questionnaire specifically designed to capture the dietary habits of Saudis and test its validity and reliability.

Methods: This investigation is a longitudinal, test-retest study conducted in King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between December 2015 and March 2016. A list of 140 food items was included in the questionnaire where a closed-ended and open-ended approach was used. Regarding past year food frequency consumption and 24 hours dietary recall, body weight and height were collected. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, completeness of the food list, and criterion validity were assessed.

Results: One-hundred and thirty eight participants were interviewed to complete the 24 hours dietary recall and the constructed questionnaire. Approximately 85% of the food items reported in the dietary recall were covered in the food frequency questionnaire. The association of body mass index with meats (regression coefficients: 2.28) and dairy products consumption frequency was statistically significant (regression coefficients: 2.31). A high overall reproducibility rate of the questionnaire was detected (Pearsons’ correlation coefficient: 0.78 p less than 0.001). 

Conclusion: The developed questionnaire has a high reliability and reasonable validity, and suitable for use in nutritional epidemiological investigations in Saudi Arabia.

Original article link (https://www.smj.org.sa/index.php/smj/article/view/smj.2017.6.20055)

SMJ