Comparison between brief food frequency questionnaire and food record to assess the energy and protein intake of hemodialysis patients at Dr. Sardjito Hospital in Indonesia

Abstract

Dietary assessment is absolutely necessary to meet the dietary requirements of hemodialysis (HD) patients. A food record is the most commonly used method; however, it is not routinely performed. The weakness of this method is that it is burdensome for some respondents and requires more time to complete data entry. Meanwhile, the brief food frequency questionnaire (BFFQ) is a quicker and simpler method to assess individual dietary intake. We aimed to compare the BFFQ and food records as assessment methods of energy and protein intake for HD patient in Dr. Sardjito Hospital in Indonesia. This study was conducted on March to April 2015 in HD Unit of Dr. Sardjito Hospital, Indonesia, as an observational study. This was a cross-sectional study. Data were collected from 103 patients, who were selected using a purposive sampling method. All participants' dietary intakes were assessed using a food record and the BFFQ to obtain total protein and energy intakes. Wilcoxon test was used for the statistical analysis. There was a significant difference (P <0.0001) between the methods used to assess energy intake in HD patients at Dr. Sardjito Hospital. However, there was no significant difference (P = 0.732) between the two methods used to assess protein intake among patients. This difference was caused by a missing list in the BFFQ about snacks that were usually consumed by patients as energy sources. The BFFQ can be used as a protein intake assessment tool in HD patients. However, the BFFQ is not suitable to assess energy intake in patients.