Neelakantan Nithya, Whitton Clare, Seah Sharna, Koh Hiromi, Rebello Salome A, Lim Jia Yi, Chen Shiqi, Chan Mei Fen, Chew Ling, van Dam Rob M
Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore 117549.
Research and Evaluation Department, Research and Strategic Planning Division, Health Promotion Board, Singapore 168937.
Nutrients. 2016 Aug 27;8(9):528. doi: 10.3390/nu8090528.
Assessing habitual food consumption is challenging in multi-ethnic cosmopolitan settings. We systematically developed a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in a multi-ethnic population in Singapore, using data from two 24-h dietary recalls from a nationally representative sample of 805 Singapore residents of Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnicity aged 18-79 years. Key steps included combining reported items on 24-h recalls into standardized food groups, developing a food list for the FFQ, pilot testing of different question formats, and cognitive interviews. Percentage contribution analysis and stepwise regression analysis were used to identify foods contributing cumulatively ≥90% to intakes and individually ≥1% to intake variance of key nutrients, for the total study population and for each ethnic group separately. Differences between ethnic groups were observed in proportions of consumers of certain foods (e.g., lentil stews, 1%-47%; and pork dishes, 0%-50%). The number of foods needed to explain variability in nutrient intakes differed substantially by ethnic groups and was substantially larger for the total population than for separate ethnic groups. A 163-item FFQ covered >95% of total population intake for all key nutrients. The methodological insights provided in this paper may be useful in developing similar FFQs in other multi-ethnic settings.
在多民族的国际化环境中评估习惯性食物消费具有挑战性。我们利用来自全国代表性样本中805名年龄在18 - 79岁的华裔、马来裔和印度裔新加坡居民的两次24小时饮食回忆数据，在新加坡的一个多民族人群中系统地开发了一份半定量食物频率问卷（FFQ）。关键步骤包括将24小时回忆中报告的项目合并为标准化食物组，为FFQ制定食物清单，对不同问题格式进行预测试，以及进行认知访谈。使用百分比贡献分析和逐步回归分析来确定对总研究人群和每个种族群体分别而言，对关键营养素摄入量累积贡献≥90%且对摄入量变异单独贡献≥1%的食物。在某些食物的消费者比例方面观察到了种族差异（例如，扁豆炖菜，1% - 47%；猪肉菜肴，0% - 50%）。解释营养素摄入量变异性所需的食物数量因种族群体而异，并且总体人群所需的数量比各个种族群体的要大得多。一份163项的FFQ涵盖了所有关键营养素总人群摄入量的>95%。本文提供的方法学见解可能有助于在其他多民族环境中开发类似的FFQ。
