Nutr Res Pract.  2024 Dec;18(6):872-884. 10.4162/nrp.2024.18.6.872.

Development and validation of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire as a tool for assessing dietary vitamin D intake among Korean women

• Shin HR
• Song S
• Ly SY

• KMID: 2562373
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4162/nrp.2024.18.6.872

Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES
Appropriate vitamin D status improves bone health and chronic diseases; it has shown benefits during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Therefore, assessing vitamin D status is crucial. However, limited research on vitamin D intake among Koreans complicates understanding of its consumption. This study aimed to develop and validate a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to assess vitamin D intake among Koreans.
SUBJECTS/METHODS
A vitamin D FFQ was developed to include 31 vitamin D source foods from 8 food groups frequently consumed by Korean adults. The study included 152 women residing in a major city in South Korea. From September 2020 to August 2022, intake was surveyed using a 12-day dietary record (12-day DR) across 4 seasons, and 2 vitamin D FFQs were conducted approximately 9–11 months apart (FFQ1 and FFQ2). Reproducibility (FFQ1 vs. FFQ2) and validity (FFQ2 vs. 12-day DR) were verified using Spearman’s rank correlation, weighted kappa coefficient, intraclass correlation, and Bland–Altman plots.
RESULTS
The vitamin D intake of Korean women using the newly developed vitamin D FFQ was higher at FFQ1 (4.90 µg/day) and FFQ2 (4.58 µg/day) compared with the 12-day DR (4.07 µg/day). Additionally, the results for reproducibility and validity were demonstrated through the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (reproducibility, 0.592; validity, 0.460), weighted kappa coefficient (reproducibility, 0.379; validity, 0.284), intraclass correlation coefficient (reproducibility, 0.599; validity, 0.543), and Bland–Altman plots (reproducibility index, 3.95%; validity index, 3.95%).
CONCLUSION
This study confirmed the newly developed vitamin D FFQ is reliable and valid for assessing vitamin D intake among Korean women. These results suggest the FFQ is an effective tool for dietary assessment, particularly in large-scale studies where year-round monitoring may not be feasible. Further validation in Korean men is crucial to enhance its applicability, enabling significant contributions to assessing vitamin D intake among Korean adults.

Keyword

Vitamin D; diet record; Korea

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Bland–Altman plot of FFQ reproducibility.Values are log-transformed; lines are the mean difference and lower and upper 95% limits of agreement.FFQ, food frequency questionnaire.

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  Fig. 2 Bland–Altman plot of FFQ validity.Values are log-transformed; lines are the mean difference and lower and upper 95% limits of agreement.DR, dietary record; FFQ, food frequency questionnaire.

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