Nutrients contributing to one-carbon metabolism and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes

Because little is known about the etiology of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), a heterogeneous disease, and because dietary factors are modifiable, the authors examined the associations between nutrients related to one-carbon metabolism and risk of NHL in a population-based case-control study of Connecticut women diagnosed between 1996 and 2000. A total of 594 cases and 710 controls completed a food frequency questionnaire for determination of intakes of folate, vitamins B(2), B(6), and B(12), and methionine. Through unconditional logistic regression, the authors estimated the risk of NHL associated with intake of each nutrient. Comparing the highest quartile of intake with the lowest, the authors found lower risks of all NHL associated with increasing intakes of folate and methionine. Analysis by NHL subtype indicated lower risks of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (highest quartile vs. lowest: odds ratio (OR) = 0.54, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.30, 0.98; p-trend = 0.02) and marginal zone lymphoma (highest quartile vs. lowest: OR = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.26; p-trend < 0.0001) associated with folate. Vitamin B(6) intake was also associated with lower risk of NHL overall and of marginal zone lymphoma (highest quartile vs. lowest: OR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.65; p-trend = 0.002). These findings suggest that these nutrients may be important for susceptibility to NHL.     

Low-cost diets: more energy, fewer nutrients

Energy-dense diets offer a low-cost dietary option to the consumer. However, they are more likely to be nutrient-poor. In this study, based on the French national food consumption survey, the diet costs were estimated using retail food prices in France. Adult participants were stratified by quartiles of energy cost (in euro/10 MJ). Dietary energy density, energy and nutrient intakes were then compared across groups. Participants in the lowest quartile of energy cost had the highest energy intakes, the most energy-dense diets and the lowest daily intakes of key vitamins and micronutrients. Participants in the highest quartile of energy cost had lower energy intakes, and diets that were higher in nutrients and lower in energy density. However, their daily diet costs were 165% higher. In this observational study, the more nutrient-dense diets were associated with higher diet costs.     

Validation of a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire developed in Denmark.

In 1989, a self-administered food frequency questionnaire, including 92 food items and 40 portion-size photographs, was validated against two times seven days of weighed diet records. A total of 144 subjects, aged 40-64 years, from the general population in Copenhagen were included. Correlations between mean calorie-adjusted intakes from the two-week diet records and the food-frequency questionnaire ranged from 0.27 for vitamin A to 0.71 for calcium. In general, higher correlation coefficients were observed for men than for women. On average, about 70% of subjects were classified in the same (+/- 1) quintile in the food frequency questionnaire and the diet records. Of those subjects belonging to the lowest quintile, estimated from the diet records, 42% fell in the same quintile and 68% into the lowest two quintiles in the food frequency questionnaire. Findings were similar for the upper tail of the distribution. Gross misclassification, observed in the highest and lowest quintile, was found for 4% and 7% of the subjects, respectively. It is concluded that this food frequency questionnaire is a useful instrument for categorizing individuals according to their intake of nutrients and energy.     

Consistency of the Willett semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and 24-hour dietary recalls in estimating nutrient intakes of preschool children.

A study was performed to determine the utility of the Willett semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire for assessing the habitual diets of preschool children. Children (n = 224) were recruited mainly through a New York City hospital-based pediatric practice during 1986-1987. The children's ages at baseline were 44-60 months; 50% were male, and 91% were Hispanic. Over a 12-month period, the Willett food frequency questionnaire was administered twice to each child's parent, and a 24-hour dietary recall was conducted four times. For energy and eight nutrients, group mean intakes derived from food frequency questionnaires were 1.4-1.9 times higher than those from 24-hour recalls. Group mean estimates of nutrient density of total and saturated fat, potassium, and calcium did not differ between the two methods. Correlations between methods for crude nutrient intakes (unadjusted for energy consumption) ranged from 0.16 (polyunsaturated fat in boys) to 0.60 (potassium in girls). Correlations generally decreased when intakes were adjusted for energy consumption. Adjustment for energy intake and residual intraindividual variability yielded correlations of 0.48 for total calories, 0.35 for total fat, and 0.37 for saturated fat. For intake of energy and nine nutrients, of those children classified into the highest quintile by dietary recall, 28.9-40.9% were so classified by the Willett questionnaire, and 48.9-68.9% were classified into the highest two quintiles. When data were expressed as nutrient densities, agreement was high for potassium and calcium and fair for saturated fat, cholesterol, and protein. The moderately low consistency of nutrient intake estimates across dietary assessment methods in this study may be due, in large part, to residual intraindividual variability in both the recall data and the food frequency data.     

Validation of a food frequency questionnaire for assessing dietary nutrients in Brazilian children 5 to 10 years of age

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the relative validity of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), previously validated to measure usual intakes in adults, for measuring dietary intakes in children 5 to 10 y of age. METHODS: Dietary intakes were measured using an FFQ and a 3-d dietary record. Healthy children, 5 to 10 y old (n = 151), were recruited from public schools and asked to answer the questions in the FFQ and to provide non-consecutive 3-d dietary records based on reported estimated portion sizes. Paired sample t tests and Pearson's correlation coefficients were conducted to determine whether the two instruments reported similar values for energy and nutrients. The agreement of quartile categorization between the two instruments was also examined. RESULTS: Estimated energy and nutrient intakes derived from the FFQ were significantly higher than those derived from 3-d dietary records. As expected, Pearson's correlations increased after adjusting for residual measurement error, presumably due to exclusion of the high within-person variability in intake of these nutrients. Moderate to high (r > 0.50) correlation coefficients were verified for some nutrients such as calcium, folate, vitamin B2, vitamin A, and vitamin C. CONCLUSION: This FFQ, originally developed for use in adults, appears to overestimate usual energy and nutrient intakes in children 5 to 10 y of age. Further work is necessary to conduct a calibration study to establish adequate portion sizes before instrument adoption in this population.     

High-Fiber Diet during Pregnancy Characterized by More Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Higher dietary fiber intakes during pregnancy may have the potential health benefits of increasing gut microbiome diversity, lowering the risk of glucose intolerance and pre-eclampsia, achieving appropriate gestational weight gain, and preventing constipation. In this observational cohort study, we have assessed the dietary fiber intakes of 804 women in late pregnancy, using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQ-FFQ). Overall, the median (interquartile range) dietary fiber intake was 24.1 (19.0–29.7) grams per day (g/day). Only 237/804 (29.5%) women met the recommended Adequate Intake (AI) of dietary fiber during pregnancy of 28 g/day. Women consuming the highest quartile of fiber intakes (34.8 (IQR 32.1–39.5) g/day) consumed more fruit, especially apples and bananas, than women consuming the lowest quartile of fiber intakes (15.9 (IQR 14.4–17.5) g/day). These women in the highest fiber-intake quartile were older (p < 0.01), more had completed further education after secondary school (p = 0.04), and they also consumed more vegetables (67 g/day) compared to the women in the lowest fiber consumption quartile (17 g vegetables/day). Bread intakes of 39–42 g/day were consistent in quantities consumed across all four fiber-intake quartiles. Our findings suggest that antenatal education advice targeting increased fruit and vegetable consumption before and during pregnancy may be a simple strategy to achieve increased total dietary fiber intakes to reach recommended quantities.     

A diet quality index for American preschoolers based on current dietary intake recommendations and an indicator of energy balance

OBJECTIVE: Based on current dietary intake recommendations and a recommendation to limit sedentary activity in preschoolers, an overall diet quality index for preschoolers (RC-DQI) incorporating a component for energy balance to measure adequacy of nutrition for growth, development, and disease prevention was developed. DESIGN/SUBJECTS: The newly developed index was used in nationally representative samples of 2- to 5-year-olds in the US Department of Agriculture Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals 1994-96 and 1998 (n=5,437). Index components included added sugar, total fat, polyunsaturated fatty acids, total and whole grains, fruits, vegetables, excess fruit juice, dairy, iron, and an interaction term of total daily energy intake and sedentary behavior (television time). Points were allocated to reflect deficient or excessive intakes. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED: Means and standard errors were used to describe food intakes and RC-DQI scores. Ability to differentiate diets was ascertained using mean intakes of food groups/nutrients followed by a nonparametric test of trends across ordered groups. Correlation coefficients measured dependence among RC-DQI components, nutrients, and overall energy intakes. Component scores of the highest and lowest quartile of RC-DQI were compared. RESULTS: Mean RC-DQI score was 64 points (range=28 to 93). Increasing RC-DQI scores were associated with improved diet quality. Children in the lowest RC-DQI quartile scored lower in all components. CONCLUSIONS: The RC-DQI successfully differentiated diets by level of diet quality. Increasing scores were associated with decreasing consumption of added sugar and juices, and increasing intakes of fiber, essential fatty acids, fruits, and vegetables. The RC-DQI can be used to determine diet quality in groups of preschool-age children.     

Validation of a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire used among 12-month-old Norwegian infants

OBJECTIVE: To assess the validity of a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (SFFQ) used in a large nation-wide dietary survey among 12-month-old Norwegian infants. METHODS: The SFFQ was administered to the parents about 1 week before the infants turned 12-month-old. The participants filled in the SFFQ and 1-2 weeks later they kept weighed food records for a total of 7 days. Both methods were completed for 64 infants. RESULTS: The SFFQ overestimated energy intake with 25% and gave significantly higher estimates of all nutrients compared with the records, except for calcium. Much of the difference between the methods disappeared when nutrient density was compared. Spearman correlation coefficients between pairwise measurements of nutrient intakes from the food records and the SFFQ ranged from 0.18 for vitamin D to 0.72 for polyunsaturated fatty acid intake (median r=0.50). On average 38% of the infants were classified in the same quartile with the two methods, and 3% in the opposite quartile. The correlations for food items varied from 0.28 for sweetened drinks to 0.83 for commercial porridge (median r=0.62). CONCLUSION: This study indicated that the SFFQ overestimates average absolute nutrient intakes. However, the questionnaire gave better estimates for average nutrient densities than for absolute nutrient intakes. The capability of the questionnaire to rank infants according to intake of nutrients and food items was moderate, but at the same level as others have observed with food-frequency questionnaires.     

A case-control study of diet and cancer of the pancreas

In a population-based case-control study carried out in Adelaide, South Australia, during the years 1984-1987, the diets of 104 cases of cancer of the pancreas 1 year prior to diagnosis were compared with the diets of 253 community controls. A quantitative food-frequency questionnaire was used to assess usual dietary intakes of 179 food items. Cases were compared with controls in terms of both the amounts of individual food items consumed and the estimated contributions of 48 nutrients to the diet. Food items consumed more by cases than controls included boiled eggs and omelettes as well as a number of items that could be collectively described as sweet and fatty. Food items consumed less by cases than controls included several vegetables and fruits. Conditional logistic regression analysis of nutrient intake adjusted for total energy and for alcohol and tobacco usage yielded an estimate of relative risk of 3.19, with a 95% confidence interval of 1.58-6.47 for the highest quartile of cholesterol intake (relative to the lowest quartile). For the top quartile of refined sugar intake, the estimated relative risk was 2.21 (95% confidence interval 1.07-4.55). Several nutrients derived principally from plant foods were statistically significantly associated with lower risks. Alcohol consumption was significantly lower among cases than controls. Current smokers had a relative risk of 1.76 (95% confidence interval 0.93-3.34) relative to those who had never smoked. There was no association of pancreatic cancer with coffee drinking.     

Do dietary amino acid ratios predict risk of incident hypertension among adults?

In the current study, we investigated the association between dietary amino acid ratios and the 3-year incidence of hypertension, conducted in the framework of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study with 4287 adults(41.9% men), aged 20–70?y. Dietary intakes of amino acids were assessed using a valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire and reported as percentage of protein. Then amino acid ratios including Leu.Ser/Thr.Trp, Leu/Trp, Leu/Thr, and Ser/Thr were calculated. We identified 429(10%) cases of hypertension during 3.1?y of follow up. The adjusted OR of the highest quartile of dietary Leu.Ser/Thr.Trp intake was 1.48 (95%CI:1.04–2.09, P for trend:0.02) compared with the lowest one. Furthermore, the OR of hypertension in the highest, compared with the lowest quartile of the leu/Thr ratio(2.19 vs 2.02) was 1.46(1.01–2.12), P for trend?=?0.07. Our findings suggest that high dietary intakes of Leu.Ser/Thr.Trp ratio were associated with higher risk of incident hypertension and BP levels.     

Vegetables, fruits, and related nutrients and risk of breast cancer: a case-control study in Uruguay

To evaluate whether the protective effect associated with vegetables and fruits in breast cancer could be explained by nutrients and bioactive substances present in these plant foods, we carried out a case-control study in Uruguay including 400 cases and 405 controls. The intake of vegetables, fruits, and related nutrients was estimated with a food frequency questionnaire on 64 food items. This questionnaire allowed the calculation of total energy intake, and nutrients were calorie adjusted by the residuals method. Odds ratios for study variables were estimated by unconditional multiple logistic regression. Total vegetable, total fruit, dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin E, lycopene, folate, and total phytosterol intakes were inversely associated with breast cancer risk [4th quartile odds ratio for total vegetable intake = 0.41, 95% confidence interval = 0.26-0.65, p (for trend) = 0.004]. The association with total vegetable intake was not independent of lycopene intake. The results related to vegetable and nutrient intakes are consistent with antioxidant and antiestrogenic effects. This could be mediated, among other nutrients, by dietary fiber and lycopene intake. The role of other unmeasured phytochemicals, correlated with dietary fiber and lycopene intakes, cannot be ruled out.     

Intakes of selected nutrients, foods, and phytochemicals and prostate cancer risk in western New York

A number of epidemiological studies have suggested that diet may affect the etiology of prostate cancer, but few have investigated the impact of phytochemical intakes on this cancer. We conducted a case-control study of diet and prostate cancer in western New York involving 433 men with primary, histologically confirmed prostate cancer and 538 population-based controls, frequency matched to cases on age and county of residence. Diet was assessed with a detailed food-frequency questionnaire. We calculated daily intakes of nutrients and the phytochemicals beta-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, total phytosterols, total lignan precursors, quercetin, and kaempferol based on published food composition data. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) describing the association of prostate cancer risk with selected nutrients, phytochemicals, and food groups were estimated with unconditional logistic regression. Compared with men in the lowest quartile of intake, reduced risks were observed for men in the highest quartile of intake of vitamin C (OR = 0.49; 95% CI = 0.33-0.74), beta-carotene (OR = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.36-0.79), alpha-carotene (OR = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.47-0.97), lutein (OR = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.37-0.81), lycopene (OR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.42-0.92), total lignan precursors (OR = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.47-0.94), quercetin (OR = 0.64; 95% CI = 0.44-0.92), and total vegetables (OR = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.36-0.79), but weak increased risks were observed for snacks and sweets (OR = 1.46; 95% CI = 0.95-2.23). Estimates associated with nutrients and phytochemicals were attenuated after adjustment for total vegetable intake. Nevertheless, our results support the hypothesis that a phytochemical-rich, plant-based diet is of importance in reducing risks of hormone-related neoplasms.     

The relationship between household income and dietary intakes of 1-10 year old urban Malaysian

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Diet plays an important role in growth and development of children. However, dietary intakes of children living in either rural or urban areas can be influenced by household income. This cross-sectional study examined energy, nutrient and food group intakes of 749 urban children (1-10 years old) by household income status.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

Children''s dietary intakes were obtained using food recall and record for two days. Diet adequacy was assessed based on recommended intakes of energy and nutrients and food group servings.

RESULTS

For toddlers, all nutrients except dietary fiber (5.5 g) exceeded recommended intakes. Among older children (preschoolers and school children), calcium (548 mg, 435 mg) and dietary fiber (7.4 g, 9.4 g) did not meet recommendations while percentage of energy from total fat and saturated fats exceeded 30% and 10%, respectively. The mean sodium intakes of preschoolers (1,684 mg) and school children (2,000 mg) were relatively high. Toddlers in all income groups had similar energy and nutrient intakes and percentages meeting the recommended intakes. However, low income older children had lowest intakes of energy (P < 0.05) and most nutrients (P < 0.05) and highest proportions that did not meet recommended energy and nutrient intakes. For all food groups, except milk and dairy products, all age groups had mean intakes below the recommended servings. Compared to middle and high income groups, low income preschoolers had the lowest mean intake of fruits (0.07 serving), meat/poultry (0.78 serving) and milk/dairy products (1.14 serving) while low income toddlers and school children had the least mean intake of fruits (0.09 serving) and milk/dairy products (0.54 serving), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Low socioeconomic status, as indicated by low household income, could limit access to adequate diets, particularly for older children. Parents and caregivers may need dietary guidance to ensure adequate quantity and quality of home food supply and foster healthy eating habits in children.     

Validation of the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Survey Cohort Food Frequency Questionnaire

We assessed the validity and reproducibility of a self-administered 68-item food frequency questionnaire completed in 1992-1993 by approximately 185,000 adults. Four hundred forty-one participants completed four 24-hour dietary recall interviews over a 1-year period and a repeat administration of the food frequency questionnaire. For 20 nutrients and 10 food groups, measured nutrient intakes, but not food group intakes, were consistently lower by food frequency questionnaire than by recall. Energy-adjusted, attenuation-corrected Pearson validity correlations ranged from 0.12 to 0.80, with a median of 0.58. Reproducibility measures were generally high, with a median of 0.69. The food frequency questionnaire performed similarly to food frequency questionnaires used in other cohort studies, indicating similar ability to examine diet-disease relations.     

北京市儿童青少年食物频率问卷的信度和效度研究

目的 对研制的北京市儿童青少年食物频率问卷的信度和效度进行评价,为儿童青少年营养状况评估和健康干预以及饮食习惯与慢性疾病关联性的研究提供一个简便、可信的研究工具。方法 对北京市130名10~17岁儿童青少年进行4次24 h饮食回顾调查和2次食物频率问卷调查,24- h饮食回顾作为“标准”方法与食物频率问卷比较来评价其效度, 2次间隔6个月的食物频率问卷调查结果相比较来评价其信度。结果 两次食物频率问卷调查结果间能量及营养素摄入量估计差异较小,除蛋白质、磷和锌的摄入量第二次低于第一次外(P<0.05),其他营养素摄入量间差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。两次食物频率问卷调查结果间所有能量及营养素摄入量均呈正相关(P<0.01),Pearson相关系数从0.315(钙)至0.521(锌),平均为0.431,女性高于男性(0.49 vs 0.32)。食物频率问卷调查的能量及营养素摄入量均高于24 h饮食回顾(P<0.01),食物频率问卷高估明显。调整总能量摄入和个体内变异等影响后,食物频率问卷与24 h饮食回顾调查结果的能量和所有营养素摄入量均呈正相关(P<0.05),Pearson相关系数从0.27(维生素A)至0.53(锌),平均0.38。四分位分组显示:研究对象被良好区分(相同组或相邻组),比例从66.2%(维生素E、钙)至79.2%(铁),平均73.0%,研究对象被严重错分(相隔2组),比例平均为6.2%。结论 此食物频率问卷有较好的信度和效度,可作为今后儿童青少年膳食营养摄入状况调查和评价的适用工具。     

Foods and nutrients in relation to bladder cancer risk: a case-control study in Aichi Prefecture, Central Japan

To elucidate the role of diet in the etiology of bladder cancer, we conducted a case-control study from 1996 to 1999 in Aichi Prefecture, Central Japan. Cases were patients newly diagnosed with bladder cancer, and one hospital control was selected for each case, matching gender, age, and hospital. A well-validated food frequency questionnaire was adopted to estimate intakes of nutrients and food groups. Odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for smoking and occupational history were computed using conditional logistic models. The analyses based on 297 cases and 295 controls revealed the following. 1) The more the intake of milk and dairy products, the lower the OR; the ORs across quartiles in all subjects were 1.02, 0.73, and 0.52. Fruit intake was negatively associated with the risk, particularly in men (ORs across quartiles = 0.76, 0.77, and 0.52). Green-yellow vegetables were associated with a decreased risk in the highest quartile of consumption in men (OR = 0.57). 2) Dietary intakes of retinol and saturated fatty acids were related to a reduced risk in all subjects (ORs across quartiles = 0.75, 0.54, and 0.66 and 0.55, 0.54, and 0.60, respectively). Monounsaturated fatty acids had an inverse association with bladder cancer risk in men.     

Intake of vitamin A-rich foods and lung cancer risk in Taiwan: with special reference to garland chrysanthemum and sweet potato leaf consumption

A case-control study was conducted to investigate the association between the consumption of local common foods that are rich in vitamin A and the risk of lung cancer in Taiwan. A total of 301 incident lung cancer cases, 602 hospital controls, and 602 neighborhood controls were recruited. The consumption of 13 food items and vitamin supplements was estimated by use of a food frequency questionnaire. The conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for lung cancer risk with each control group as reference by adjustment of covariates. A reduced risk for lung cancer was found to be associated with increased intakes of vitamin A, alpha-carotene, and beta-carotene from 13 food items. More servings of vegetables (AOR for the highest versus the lowest quartile = 0.67-0.70, 95% CI = 0.42-1.08, (plinear trend )= 0.04), garland chrysanthemum (AOR for the highest versus the lowest tertile = 0.58-0.74, 95% CI = 0.37-1.14, (plinear trend )<= 0.04) and sweet potato leaves (AOR for the highest versus the lowest tertile = 0.43-0.65, 95% CI = 0.28-0.96, (plinear trend )<= 0.03) were associated with the reduced risk for lung cancer. In conclusion, higher consumption of vitamin A-rich vegetables, especially garland chrysanthemum and sweet potato leaves might provide potential protection from lung cancer.     

A comparison of three dietary methods for estimating vitamin A intake

This study compared and evaluated vitamin A intake measured by three dietary methods (the 24-hour recall, the three-day food record, and a food frequency questionnaire) in 82 adult men enrolled in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during 1981. The dietary methods may be useful for group data, although differences were found: the food frequency questionnaire produced the highest mean daily estimate (7,876 +/- 569 IU) (mean +/- standard error), the 24-hour recall the intermediate daily estimate (6,944 +/- 602 IU), and the three-day food record the lowest daily estimate (5,137 +/- 470 IU). There was considerable variability between methods in individuals, suggesting that the intake of vitamin A estimated by one dietary method does not predict the intake estimated by another. At the individual level, a low significant correlation (rs = 0.28) occurred between the food frequency questionnaire and the three-day food record methods. Modest agreement in quartile ranking between these two methods indicated that 38% of the individuals fell into the same quartile, 73% into the same +/- one quartile, and 7% into opposite quartiles.     

Dietary intakes of Pacific, Māori, Asian and European adolescents: the Auckland High School Heart Survey

Objective: To compare dietary intakes of European, Māri, Pacific Island and Asian adolescents living in Auckland.
Methods: A self-administered food frequency questionnaire was used to assess daily nutrient intakes of 2,549 14- to 21-year-old high-school students in Auckland (1,422 male and 1,127 female) in a cross-sectional survey carried out between 1997 and 1998.
Results: Compared with Europeans, Māri and Pacific Islanders consumed more energy per day. Carbohydrate, protein and fat intakes were higher in Māri and Pacific Islanders than in Europeans. Cholesterol intakes were lowest in Europeans and alcohol intakes were highest in Europeans and Māri. When nutrient intakes were expressed as their percentage contribution to total energy, many ethnic differences in nutrient intakes between Europeans and Māri or Pacific Islanders were eliminated. After adjustment for energy intake and age, Europeans ate the fewest eggs, and Pacific Islanders and Asians ate more servings of chicken and fish, and fewer servings of milk and cereal than Europeans. Compared to Europeans, Pacific Islanders consumed larger portion sizes for nearly every food item.
Conclusion: There were marked differences in nutrient intakes between Pacific, Māri, Asian and European adolescents. Ethnic differences in food selections, frequency of food servings and portion sizes contribute to the differences in nutrient intakes between these ethnic groups. These differences generally matched those of other studies in children and adults from these ethnic groups.
Implications: Interventions that reduce frequency of food consumption and serving sizes and promote less-fatty food choices in Māri and Pacific adolescents are needed.     

Accuracy of a quantitative food frequency questionnaire applied in elderly Norwegian women.

The accuracy (reproducibility and relative validity) of a self-administered quantitative food frequency questionnaire including 180 food items was evaluated. A total of 38 elderly women kept multiple weighed diet records for a total of 14 days over a 6-week period and filled in the questionnaire both before and after this period. Spearman rank correlations between the nutrient intakes from the two questionnaires varied from 0.43 for carbohydrate to 0.88 for energy percentage from alcohol. The median correlation was 0.70. Seven women whose recorded average energy intake was less than 1.17 times their measured basal metabolic rate were excluded from the analysis comparing the questionnaire and the diet records. The first questionnaire gave on the average 10% higher nutrient median values than the records, while the second questionnaire did not in general produce higher values. Unadjusted correlation coefficients comparing intakes measured by the two methods ranged from 0.31 for vitamin C to 0.79 for energy percentage from carbohydrate, the median coefficient being 0.61. On the average 77% of the subjects were classified in the same (+/- 1) quintile in the first food frequency questionnaire and the diet records. The present study indicates that the self-administered quantitative food frequency questionnaire is useful for measuring individual or group intakes for a variety of nutrients.