What Is Food Frequency Questionnaire?

A Framework for Food Quality Assessment

FFQs need to be developed for specific groups so important foods are not missed. If the supply of food changes, FFQs may become outdated. FFQs have a fixed food list, which may be a disadvantage for prospective studies as hypotheses are limited by the list.

The literacy and numeracy of respondents are important factors in determining the response to FFQs. Some respondents will relate portion size to Frequency accurately. The correlation of responses from repeated administrations of the questionnaire to the same subjects in a population is used to evaluate the reliability of an FFQ.

The software for calculating the nutritional content of an intake questionnaire

Measurement of the intake of some vitamins may not be accurate. When the questionnaire was developed, the focus was on research into cancer, but not on questions about salt intake. The reports might not reflect the true intake.

Each participant has two links. The other is a link to the website where the participant will need to use their ID and password to access the questionnaire. The second link is unique to each participant and will take them directly into the questionnaire.

The Food Frequency Questionnaire

The Harvard University developed three different versions of the food frequency questionnaire. Over thirty years of continued development, evaluation, refinement and re-evaluation has resulted in the questionnaire. The three versions of the questionnaire were designed to be self-administered. The daily frequency weight is used to calculate the intakes.

NutritionQuest: Ordering Paper Forms and a Demonstration of the Data-on Demand System

Purchase paper forms from NutritionQuest. Administer them to your study subjects and then return completed forms to NutritionQuest. We'll take the data and send it to you in an electronic file that can be used for statistical analysis.

Individual reports for study subjects are also available. To get a sample of the Scannable paper-and-pencil questionnaires or to get a free online demonstration of the Data-on-Demand System using a Block questionnaire, please contact us. Pricing and ordering can be found there.

Food Use: A Survey

There are many technological solutions that can help with capturing and analyzing food use. The study participants could use a digital phone to take pictures and descriptions of food they eat. A computer-administered recall can be delivered over the internet or on a pocket PC. It would be less expensive and less burdensome to study participants with small computers.

FFQs for Infant Feeding

Only a few FFQs have been specifically developed for use infants. It is difficult to assess infant diet as there are many changes in a short time. Most of the instruments that can be used to capture the diet of infants and toddlers have not been tested. The few FFQs that are used in the US have methodological limitations.