Repeatability and validity of a food frequency questionnaire in free-living older people in relation to cognitive function

Objectives: To determine the repeatability and validity of a self-administered, 175-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in free-living older people and to assess whether these are influenced by cognitive function.Participants and setting: 189 free-living people aged 64–80y were recruited from participants in a previous study.Design: To assess repeatability, 102 (52M, 50F) participants completed the FFQ on two occasions three months apart. To assess validity, another 87 participants (44 M, 43 F) completed the FFQ and a four-day weighed diet record three months later. 25 nutrients were studied.Results: For repeatability, Spearman rank correlation coefficients were above 0.35 (p<0.05) for all nutrients. Cohen’s weighted Kappa was above 0.4 for all nutrients except starch, riboflavin, retinol, β-carotene, and calcium. There were no substantial differences in correlation coefficients between sub-groups divided by short-term memory test score. There was no clear pattern for correlation coefficients in sub-groups divided by executive function test score. For validity, the Spearman rank correlation coefficients were above 0.2 (p<0.05) for all nutrients except fat, mono-unsaturated fatty acids, niacin equivalents and vitamin D, and Cohen’s weighted kappa was above 0.4 for alcohol and was above 0.2 for 13 other nutrients. Participants in the lowest-score groups of short-term memory and executive function had the lowest median Spearman correlation coefficient.Conclusions: The FFQ had reasonable repeatability and validity in ranking nutrient intakes in this population though the results varied between nutrients. Poor short-term memory or executive function may affect FFQ validity in ranking nutrient intakes.     

Relative validity and utility of a short food frequency questionnaire assessing the intake of legumes in Scottish women

OBJECTIVE: To validate a five-item, semi-quantitative, short food frequency questionnaire (SFFQ) designed to estimate daily legume consumption over a week, against results obtained from 7-day food diaries (7-day FD). DESIGN: Participants completed a 7-day FD and at the end of this period completed the SFFQ, to indicate the number of times they ate five legume-containing dishes in the previous week and what size portion of each dish they consumed. Daily legume intake (g day(-1)) was calculated for both methods and participants were classified into tertiles of intake for each method. SUBJECTS/SETTING: Fifty-one healthy females aged 25-55 years, employed at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK between May 2003 and December 2004. RESULTS: The two methods produced a similar mean intake of legumes [SFFQ: 14.8 (95% CI: 9.9-19.8) versus 7-day FD: 14.9 (95% CI: 9.3-20.6) g day(-1)] and the Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.353 (P = 0.038). Exact agreement within tertiles and gross misclassification were 54.9% and 9.8% respectively. The weighted kappa statistic indicated fair agreement between the two methods (kappa = 0.262). CONCLUSIONS: The SFFQ is an acceptable instrument for estimating legume consumption over a week and can be used to rank individuals according to the intake of this food group in similar nutrition intervention studies.     

Conservative treatment of work-related upper limb disorders: a review

AIM: The literature review was carried out to identify and summarize the evidence-base for conservative clinical management of upper limb disorders (ULDs) including specific disorders and non-specific ULDs. METHOD: Keywords were identified through a scoping study and guidance from the project sponsor. A number of databases were searched including Web of Knowledge, Pub Med, Medline, Ergonomics Online, the Cochrane Library and BMJ Clinical Evidence for the years 1993-2004. Abstracts were obtained for papers identified in the search and full papers were obtained for literature, which included diagnostic methods, conservative treatments, new data or results or systematic reviews. RESULTS: The review identified that there is evidence for the efficacy of conservative treatments for the management of carpal tunnel syndrome, epicondylitis, rotator cuff tendonitis and bicipital tendonitis and tension neck syndrome. There was no evidence found to support or refute conservative treatment of tenosynovitis, tendonitis, de Quervain's disease or diffuse non-specific ULDs. CONCLUSION: The evidence reviewed was not always of good quality and data gaps including methodological design issues need to be addressed by future research.     

血脂知识-态度-行为问卷的信度和效度检验

目的对自编血脂知识-态度-行为(KAP)问卷的信度、效度进行检验。方法随机抽取158名40岁以上中老年人应用该问卷进行调查,并随机抽取其中的60人间隔15天进行重复测量,问卷的信度应用同质性信度和重测信度进行检验;内容效度、结构效度和判别效度应用相关分析、主成分因子分析和方差分析等方法进行检验。结果问卷Cronbach’sα系数在0.7以上,重测系数在0.8以上;每个条目与领域总分的相关系数绝对值均大于0.61;因子分析符合逻辑关系,8个公因子累计方差贡献率达64.111%;调查对象性别、文化程度不同,血脂KAP差异存在统计学意义。结论该问卷具有较好的信度和效度,是可信、有效、敏感的测评工具,可用于人群血脂膳食干预研究。     

胃癌影响因素调查问卷信度和效度评价

目的 评价自制胃癌影响因素调查问卷的信度和效度。方法 在文献复习、实地调查和专家咨询的基础上编制胃癌影响因素调查问卷,对351例胃癌患者和健康人群进行问卷调查,分析量表的内部一致性、分半信度、内容效度、区分效度和结构效度等指标。结果 问卷各维度的克朗巴赫(Cronbach'sα)系数为0.712 0~0.886 3,分半信度为0.71,各领域的内部信度系数均≥0.7;各领域间相关系数较小,均小于各个领域的系数,表明问卷有良好的内容效度和区分效度;结构效度中,经因子分析,各主因子中各条目与其主成分大致相符。结论 胃癌影响因素调查问卷具有良好的信度和效度,可以应用于胃癌现场流行病学调查及防治研究。     

An investigation of the face validity of a food intake questionnaire: lessons for dietary advice

Aim: To assess the face validity of a food intake questionnaire (FIQ) by comparison to current dietetic practice exemplified by State Registered Dietitians (SRD) working in the North West of England. Methods: 228 questionnaires were posted to 38 dietetic departments in the North West & North Wales branch of the British Dietetic Association. Dietitians were asked to name foods they considered most important when advising clients on four aspects of healthy eating: lowering sugar intake, lowering fat intake, increasing fibre intake and decreasing salt intake; the foods mentioned by most respondents in each category were ranked 1–10. If an FIQ item appeared in the list of ranked foods and was selected by more than 50% of the sample its inclusion in the FIQ was considered face valid. Results: 56 foods out of the 80 ranked 1–10 in the eight categories appeared in the FIQ. Thirty-one of these 56 foods were mentioned by more than 50% of dietitians when considering the four aspects of healthy eating; 27 (87%) of these were included in FIQ items. The study also revealed a surprisingly large number of foods to be mentioned by dietitians for each of the four categories. The list of foods mentioned was extensive; for example, 120 foods were mentioned when considering lowering fat intake. Conclusions: The items chosen for the FIQ can be seen to agree closely with the opinions of practising SRDs, confirming its face validity. The results also suggest there is a need to debate the nature of dietary advice which is given to the public. The findings of the study suggest that translating nutritional guidelines into advice about which foods should be eaten is far from simple. The results may provide one reason for public confusion about healthy eating.     

Development of an interview-administered food-frequency questionnaire for use amongst women of South Asian ethnic origin in Britain

Objectives: To develop an interview-administered food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to assess usual long-term intake of foods and nutrients amongst women from the largest South Asian communities residing in Britain. Methods: A list of foods and dishes consumed by these South Asian communities was compiled from data collected in previous studies. Foods which contributed to interindividual variation in the intake of the various macronutrients or were rich in fat or fibre were included in the FFQ. Portion size for traditional foods were estimated using sets of eight colour photographs. A nutrient database was modified to make it appropriate for South Asian diets. The reliability of the FFQ was assessed in a group of volunteer South Asian women (n=14) of differing regional and religious backgrounds. A preliminary validation exercise was conducted in a group of Punjabi Muslim women (n=11) who had kept 7-day weighed records 2 years previously. Results: The reliability of this FFQ was high, with most women being classified in the same tertile for energy and macronutrient intake in the two interviews. The main sources of energy and macronutrients identified by the FFQ were similar to those identified by the weighed records but the average nutrient intakes estimated by the FFQ were slightly higher. The level of agreement between the two dietary methods, measured by the ability of the FFQ to classify women in the same tertile of intake as the weighed records, was high for percentage energy intake from fat, protein and carbohydrates, but less so for absolute nutrient intakes. These results were, however, limited because of the small sample size. Conclusions: This is the first FFQ specifically designed for South Asian communities in Britain. Despite the diversity of diets, these preliminary findings suggest it will be a useful and easy to administer tool in chronic disease epidemiology to obtain standardized information on long-term usual dietary intake from these communities. A more comprehensive validation of this FFQ is now underway.     

失地农民社会心理调查问卷编制及信、效度评价

目的编制失地农民社会心理调查问卷,评价其信度和效度。方法在查阅相关文献、开放式问卷调查及对专家访谈的基础上初步形成失地农民社会心理调查问卷的理论结构,运用项目分析、探索性因素分析、主成分分析和信效度检验方法对重庆市656名失地农民的社会心理行为特点进行了分析,验证该问卷理论结构的合理性。结果通过项目分析、探索性因素分析和主成分分析确定失地农民社会心理调查问卷由社会认知分问卷和社会应对分问卷组成,其中社会认知分问卷由安全感、满意度和现状认同3个因子组成,共18个条目,累积贡献率为49.247%,社会应对分问卷由积极应对、价值取向和消极逃避3个因子组成,共15个条目,累积贡献率为47.494%;社会认知分问卷的Cronbach's α系数为0.612～0.829,分半信度为0.624～0.830;社会应对分问卷Cronbach's α系数为0.688～0.762,分半信度为0.654～0.727;总问卷内部Cronbach's α系数为0.855,分半信度为0.769,该问卷具有较好的信度;验证性因素分析表明,社会认知分问卷的χ²/df为1.84,RMSEA为0.058,社会应对分问卷的χ²/df为1.93,RMSEA为0.061;各因子与总问卷的相关系数为0.386～0.775,各因子间的相关系数为0.129～0.575,该问卷的结构效度较好。结论初步编制的失地农民社会心理问卷包括社会认知和社会应对2个分问卷,每个分问卷各包括3个因子,问卷具有较好的信度和效度。     

青少年亚健康多维评定问卷信度和效度评价

目的 评价青少年亚健康多维评定问卷的信度和效度。方法 整群抽取安徽省蚌埠市的中学生、大一~大三的大学生共7 104名。运用《青少年亚健康多维评定问卷》进行自我评定,计算Cronbach a系数和分半信度系数,采用因子分析评价结构效度;2周后对128名中学和大学生重测,计算重测相关系数;同时对85名学生运用症状自评量表(SCL-90)、Cornell医学指数(CMI)问卷进行自我评定,对亚健康问卷的效标关联效度进行评价。结果 量表的重测相关系数、Cronbaeh a系数、分半信度系数分别为0.868,0.957 6,0.942 0;以症状自评量表(SCL-90)、Comell医学指数(CMI)问卷作为效标,效标关联效度分别为0.636,0.649。结论 青少年亚健康多维评定问卷可信、有效、敏感,可以作为青少年亚健康状态的测评工具。     

接噪工人听力保护知识问卷的编制及信度和效度检验

目的 编制接触噪声工人听力保护知识问卷,并检验其信度和效度.方法 查阅相关文献资料,咨询职业健康与职业卫生专家,形成工人听力保护知识的陈述性调查问卷,条目以Likert 5级法赋值,对原33个条目进行探索性因子分析,再采用Amos 21.0软件建立结构方程模型,设定路径因子,进行验证性因子分析.结果 原始接触噪声工人听...     

Design and trial of a new questionnaire for occupational health surveys in companies

In this article we present an example of our method for instrument development. This method is called the Development Cycle. It consists of four main stages: (1) defining the requirements for an instrument; (2) research, design and pilot testing; (3) implementation and (4) evaluation. An application of the Development Cycle was realized within a project for the development of a basic questionnaire about work and health, to be used at periodic health surveys. This questionnaire had to identify work and work-related health problems in employees with divergent occupations and working conditions. The design of the instrument and the results of its trial in 517 employees is presented. The evaluation of the test results and the modification of the questionnaire are discussed. From 1995, the questionnaire has been implemented in the Dutch OHS services quite successfully.     

Reproducibility and validity of an interviewer-administered semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire to assess dietary intake of urban adults in southern India

We report on the reproducibility and validity of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) developed for southern India. One hundred and two adult subjects aged ≥20 years drawn from the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study participated. The FFQ was developed based on local foods and habits, and was administered three times at 0, 6 and 12 month periods (called FFQ1, FFQ2 and FFQ3) to assess the reproducibility. To test the validity of the FFQ, multiple 24-h recalls collected at 2-monthly intervals for a period of 1 year and the estimated energy intake/basal metabolic rate (EI/BMR) ratio were used. The ‘EpiNu’ in-house food and nutrient database was used to compile dietary intakes, which were analyzed for statistical analysis. The intraclass correlation coefficient for all three FFQs ranged from 0.72 for carbohydrates to 0.45 for folate. The de-attenuated Pearson correlation for the energy adjusted nutrients between FFQ3 and 24-h recalls ranged from 0.73 for carbohydrates to 0.35 for calcium. Bland and Altman plots for energy intake between the two methods showed the limits of agreement ranged from 768 to ?1358 calories/day (±2 standard deviations). Misclassification was low for most of the nutrients. Under-reporting of the energy intake (EI/BMR ratio<1.2) was higher in females than males. This FFQ appears to be a robust tool to measure dietary intakes in southern India.     

Reliability and validity of instruments measuring job satisfaction--a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Although job satisfaction research has been carried out for decades, no recent overview of job satisfaction instruments and their quality is available. Aim The aim of this systematic review is to select job satisfaction instruments of adequate reliability and validity for use as evaluative tools in hospital environments. METHODS: Systematic literature searches were performed in the Medline and PsycInfo databases. First, the construct of job satisfaction was operationalized by generating work factors from both theoretical studies and meta-analyses or reviews of empirical studies on job satisfaction. Secondly, emphasis was placed on the internal consistency, construct validity and responsiveness of these instruments.Twenty-nine job satisfaction instruments were retrieved in total. RESULTS: Seven instruments met the defined reliability and validity criteria. Of the seven, the 'Measure of Job Satisfaction' had an adequate content validity. Only the 'Job in General Scale' provided data about 'responsiveness' to change. CONCLUSION: Few instruments have shown both high reliability and high validity, but little is known about their evaluative potential.     

A review of current literature on physiological tests and soft tissue biomarkers applicable to work-related upper limb disorders

Work-related upper limb disorders (WRULD) are among the most commonly reported occupational illnesses. Epidemiological evidence of work-relatedness has been reported for a number of conditions, including carpal tunnel syndrome, hand/wrist tendinitis, shoulder tendinitis and hand-arm vibration syndrome. A range of electrodiagnostic techniques and psychophysical tests has been used to assess neurological dysfunction associated with WRULD, whereas only very few studies have examined biochemical markers of soft tissue injury. This report reviews key literature on physiological tests and biochemical markers of musculoskeletal stress/injury, which are applicable to studies of WRULD. The paper concludes by proposing new ways that testing might be implemented during occupational health surveillance to enable early warning of impending problems and to provide more insight into the underlying nature of soft tissue disorders.     

Perfectionism and coping strategies as risk factors for the development of non-specific work-related upper limb disorders (WRULD)

BACKGROUND: The incidence of non-specific work-related upper limb disorders (WRULD) is rising throughout western society. Literature and our own WRULD file (>1200 patients) revealed that both physical and psychosocial work-related factors are major causes of non-specific WRULD. It also appeared that non-specific WRULD was more likely to develop in patients with neurotic-perfectionist personalities. AIM: To see if, alongside physical and psychosocial work-related factors, personality factors play an important role in developing non-specific WRULD. METHOD: This was a case-control study with two control groups, comparing 45 computer workers with non-specific WRULD with 45 computer workers free from upper limb disorder (first control group) and 42 chronic pain patients (second control group). Main questionnaires administered were: the Utrecht Coping List (UCL), measuring coping-styles; the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), measuring neurotic perfectionism; and the Symptom Check List (SCL-90), measuring general psychological complaints (psychoneuroticism). The SCL-90 was added because of its known high correlation with neurotic perfectionism. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis revealed significant differences in SCL-90 scores (chi(2) = 17.2, P < 0.0001), thereby potentially negating the significance of the higher neurotic perfectionism in the non-specific WRULD group. A second control group of chronic pain patients, with prospective high score on the SCL-90, was added. Logistic regression showed that, after controlling for psychoneuroticism, non-specific WRULD patients had more neurotic perfectionist traits (chi(2) = 22.83, P < 0.0001). There were no significant differences in mean UCL scores (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Alongside physical and psychosocial work-related factors, psychoneuroticism and neurotic perfectionism appear to be important risk factors for developing non-specific WRULD.     

慢性职业中毒患者心理需要问卷的编制与信效度检验

目的 编制信效度较好的慢性职业病患者心理需要测评问卷,为慢性职业中毒患者心理需要的满足程度评估和实施心理治疗及心理护理提供依据。方法 本文对100例研究对象依据马斯洛需要理论,编制慢性职业中毒患者心理需要测评问卷的45个条目,分别按年龄、性别、总体及各子维度进行测量内在一致性信度的系数,并对该问卷量表的单个条目和总量表内容效度指数值进行评估。结果 通过对100例慢性职业中毒患者的45个条目心理需要测评问卷进行信效度系数测量,结果表明,按年龄、性别、总体案例分别测定该问卷量表的总体及各子维度内在一致性信度的系数值均在0.75以上,该问卷量表的单个条目内容效度系数(I-CVI)均在0.78及以上,总量表内容效度指数(S-CVI)为0.934。结论 本文编制的慢性职业中毒患者心理需要测评问卷具有较好的信效度,可为慢性职业中毒患者心理需要及心理治疗满足程度评估提供依据。     

Reproducibility and relative validity of food group intake in a food frequency questionnaire developed for Nepalese diet

We developed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) designed to measure the dietary practices of adult Nepalese. The present study examined the validity and reproducibility of the FFQ. To evaluate the reproducibility of the FFQ, 116 subjects completed two 115-item FFQ across a four-month interval. Six 24-h dietary recalls were collected (1 each month) to assess the validity of the FFQ. Seven major food groups and 23 subgroups were clustered from the FFQ based on macronutrient composition. Spearman correlation coefficients evaluating reproducibility for all food groups were greater than 0.5, with the exceptions of oil. The correlations varied from 0.41 (oil) to 0.81 (vegetables). All crude spearman coefficients for validity were greater than 0.5 except for dairy products, pizzas/pastas and sausage/burgers. The FFQ was found to be reliable and valid for ranking the intake of food groups for Nepalese dietary intake.     

Portuguese version of the standardized Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire: cross cultural and reliability

Background  

The self-administered questionnaires are fundamental for clinical assessment and research. The accessibility and constant use of recognized questionnaires in different languages facilitates the compilation of reliable data in international multicentre studies.