Subar Amy F, Kushi Lawrence H, Lerman Jennifer L, Freedman Laurence S
Am J Epidemiol. 2017 Jun 1;185(11):1124-1129. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwx072.
The semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) has been the primary source of dietary exposure data in epidemiology for decades. Although frequency instruments had been evaluated before the 1985 publication "Reproducibility and Validity of a Semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire" by Willett et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 1985;122(1):51-65), that paper was the prototype for the development and validation of what was then a highly innovative method for collecting dietary data. This approach was adopted in nearly all subsequent cohort studies of diet and disease. The paper also catalyzed an extended scientific discourse regarding methods for validation, energy adjustment, and measurement error. It is now well established that data from FFQs and other self-reported dietary assessment instruments have both value and error and that this error should be considered in the analysis and interpretation of findings, including sensitivity analyses in which adjustment for measurement error is explored. Advances in technology make it feasible to consider collecting multiple granular short-term instruments such as recalls or records over time in addition to FFQs among all participants in large cohort studies; both provide valuable information. Without a doubt, the 1985 publication by Willett et al. provided the foundation that propelled the field of nutritional epidemiology forward, and it continues to be relevant today.
几十年来，半定量食物频率问卷（FFQ）一直是流行病学中膳食暴露数据的主要来源。尽管在1985年Willett等人发表《半定量食物频率问卷的可重复性和有效性》（《美国流行病学杂志》。1985年；122(1):51 - 65）之前，频率测量工具就已经得到评估，但那篇论文是当时一种极具创新性的膳食数据收集方法开发与验证的原型。几乎所有随后的饮食与疾病队列研究都采用了这种方法。该论文还引发了一场关于验证方法、能量调整和测量误差的广泛科学讨论。现在已经明确，来自FFQ和其他自我报告膳食评估工具的数据既有价值又有误差，并且在分析和解释研究结果时应考虑这种误差，包括探索测量误差调整的敏感性分析。技术进步使得在大型队列研究的所有参与者中，除了FFQ之外，考虑随着时间收集多种详细的短期工具（如回忆法或记录法）成为可能；两者都能提供有价值的信息。毫无疑问，Willett等人1985年的出版物为推动营养流行病学领域发展奠定了基础，并且至今仍然具有重要意义。
