A Comparison of Two Dietary Assessment Methods in a Mediterranean Lebanese Adults Population: A Food Frequency Questionnaire and a Dietary Recall

Abstract

Objective: To compare the results of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) of traditional Lebanese dishes with a weekly dietary recall (WDR). Methods: A food list of 56 traditional Lebanese dishes was constructed with color photographs to quantify portion sizes. 566 Lebanese, aged 20-62 years completed a FFQ before a WDR in the same day. Results: The FFQ overestimated the intakes of most food groups (10%) and nutrients (7%) in both sexes. Spearman correlation coefficients ranged from 0.22 for vegetables with meat to 0.95 for cereals, pastries and dairy products in men and from 0.30 for fish to 0.86 for dairy products in women (median: 0.53 for 10 food groups). 10% or less of participants were misclassified in opposite extreme quartiles (except for vegetables with meat in men 14.6% and fish in women 22.7%). Spearman correlation coefficients ranged from 0.66 for retinol to 0.87 for folates in men and from 0.58 for PUFA to 0.69 for energy, fat, folates and potassium in women (median: 0.69 for 21 nutrients). 10% or less of participants were misclassified in opposite extreme quartiles. Conclusions: The FFQ of traditional food intake with a photographic atlas seems a reliable tool for dietary assessment in Mediterranean regions.