Relative validity and reproducibility of dietary quality scores from a short diet screener in a multi-ethnic Asian population

Abstract

Objective Short screeners for assessing dietary quality are lacking in Asia. We recently developed a short thirty-seven-item diet screener (DS). The present study aimed to evaluate reproducibility and relative validity of the DS in assessing a priori dietary quality indices (DQI; i.e.The Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010), alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMed) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet) and intakes of selected foods.Design DS administration and biomarker measurement took place twice within a 4-month interval. A 163-item FFQ was administered one month after the second DS administration.Setting Singapore, a multi-ethnic urban Asian country.Subjects Singapore residents (n 161) aged 18-79 years, of Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnicity.Results Reproducibility coefficients for the two DS were 0·71 (DQI) and 0·65 (food groups). Correlations (ρ) between mean DS and FFQ DQI scores were 0·51 (AHEI-2010), 0·50 (aMed) and 0·61 (DASH; all P<0·05). Cohen's weighted kappa indicated moderate agreement between the two measures (κ w=0·48-0·58). DS DQI scores were associated with concentrations of β-cryptoxanthin (AHEI-2010, ρ=0·26; P<0·05), odd-chain SFA (aMed, ρ=0·24; DASH, ρ=0·25; both P<0·05), and enterolactone, total carotenoids, PUFA and α-linolenic acid (all scores, ρ=0·17-0·30; all P<0·05). Scores were not associated with isoflavone or long-chain n-3 PUFA concentrations.Conclusions A short screener can be used to assess DQI with good reproducibility and relative validity compared with a longer FFQ in an Asian population.