Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Validation of a food frequency questionnaire to measure intakes of inulin and oligofructose

Abstract

Background and objectives:

Inulin and oligofructose are prebiotic carbohydrates associated with numerous health benefits. The aim of this study was to accurately measure inulin and oligofructose intakes and to develop and validate a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ).

Subjects and methods:

A 7-d semi-weighed food diary (FD) was used to measure intakes in 66 healthy subjects. A 23-item FFQ was developed to measure short-term inulin and oligofructose intakes over the same 7 days and was completed twice on 2 separate days.

Results:

There were no significant differences in inulin intake (4.0±1.3 vs 4.0±1.4 g/d, P=0.646) or oligofructose intake (3.8±1.2 vs 3.8±1.3 g/d, P=0.864) when measured using the 7-d FD or the FFQ. Bland–Altman analysis demonstrated low mean differences between the FD and FFQ in measuring intakes of inulin (−0.09 g/d) and oligofructose (−0.03 g/d). The FFQ categorised 89% of subjects into the same or adjacent tertiles of intakes as the 7-d FD. For the majority of food items, kappa values indicated ‘substantial’ or ‘almost perfect’ agreement for assignment of ‘portion size’ and ‘frequency of consumption’ between the FFQs completed on separate days.

Conclusions:

The FFQ is a valid and reliable method for measuring short-term inulin and oligofructose intakes for use in dietary surveys and clinical trials.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ambrosini GL, de Klerk NH, O’Sullivan TA, Beilin LJ, Oddy WH (2009). The reliability of a food frequency questionnaire for use among adolescents. Eur J Clin Nutr 63, 1251–1259.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bingham SA, Gill C, Welch A, Day K, Cassidy A, Khaw KT et al. (1994). Comparison of dietary assessment methods in nutritional epidemiology: weighed records v. 24 h recalls, food-frequency questionnaires and estimated-diet records. Brit J Nutr 72, 619–643.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Black AE (2000). Critical evaluation of energy intake using the Goldberg cut-off for energy intake:basal metabolic rate. A practical guide to its calculation, use and limitations. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 24, 1119–1130.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bland MJ, Altman DG (1986). Statistical methods for assessing agreement between two methods of clinical measurement. Lancet i, 307–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bruhwyler J, Carreer F, Demanet E, Jacobs H (2009). Digestive tolerance of inulin-type fructans: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over, dose-ranging, randomized study in healthy volunteers. Int J Food Sci Nutr 60, 165–175.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cade J, Thompson R, Burley V, Warm D (2001). Development, validation and utilisation of food frequency questionnaires-a review. Public Health Nutr 5, 567–587.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cade JE, Burley VJ, Warm DL, Thompson RL, Margetts BM (2004). Food-frequency questionnaires: a review of their design, validation and utilisation. Nutr Res Rev 17, 5–22.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell JM, Bauer LL, Fahey JC, Hogarth AJCL, Wolf BW, Hunter DE (1997). Selected fructo-oligosaccharide (1-kestose, nystose, and fructofuranosylnystose) composition of foods and feeds. J Agric Food Chem 45, 3076–3082.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cani PD, Lecourt E, Dewulf EM, Sohet FM, Pachikian BD, Naslain D et al. (2009). Gut microbiota fermentation of prebiotics increases satietogenic and incretin gut peptide production with consequences for appetite sensation and glucose response after a meal. Am J Clin Nutr 90, 1236–1243.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Crawley H (1988). Food Portion Sizes. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Her Majesty's Stationery Office: London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Health (1991). Dietary reference values for food energy and nutrients for the United Kingdom. HMSO: London.

  • Eck LH, Klesges LM, Klesges RC (1996). Precision and estimated accuracy of two short-term food frequency questionnaires compared with recalls and records. J Clin Epidemiol 49, 1195–1200.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eck LH, Klesges RC, Hanson CL, Slawson D, Portis L, Lavasque ME (1991). Measuring short-term dietary intake: development and testing of a 1-week food frequency questionnaire. J Am Diet Assoc 91, 940–945.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Franck A (2002). Technological functionality of inulin and oligofructose. Br J Nutr 87-S2, S287–S291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson L, Gregory J, Swan G (2002). National Diet and Nutrition Survey: adults aged 19-64, Vol 1 HMSO: Norwich.

    Google Scholar 

  • Landis JR, Koch GG (1977). The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics 33, 159–174.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lassale C, Guilbert C, Keogh J, Syrette J, Lange K, Cox DN (2009). Estimating food intakes in Australia: validation of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) food frequency questionnaire against weighed dietary intakes. J Hum Nutr Diet 22, 559–566.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lomax AR, Calder PC (2009). Prebiotics, immune function, infection and inflammation: a review of the evidence. Br J Nutr 101, 633–658.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McKeown NM, Day NE, Welch AA, Runswick SA, Luben RN, Mulligan AA et al. (2001). Use of biological markers to validate self-reported dietary intake in a random sample of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer, United Kingdom, Norfolk cohort. Am J Clin Nutr 74, 188–196.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer D, Stasse-Wolthuis M (2009). The bifidogenic effect of inulin and oligofructose and its consequences for gut health. Eur J Clin Nutr 63, 1277–1289.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Michels KB, Willett WC (2009). Self-administered semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires: patterns, predictors, and interpretation of omitted items. Epidemiology 20, 295–301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moshfegh AJ, Friday JE, Goldman JP, Ahuja JK (1999). Presence of inulin and oligofructose in the diets of Americans. J Nutr 129, 1407–1411.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muir JG, Rose R, Rosella O, Liels K, Barrett JS, Shepherd SJ et al. (2009). Measurement of short-chain carbohydrates in common Australian vegetables and fruits by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). J Agric Food Chem 57, 554–565.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muir JG, Shepherd SJ, Rosella O, Rose R, Barrett JS, Gibson PR (2007). Fructan and free fructose content of common Australian vegetables and fruit. J Agric Food Chem 55, 6619–6627.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson M, Atkinson M, Darbyshire S (1996). Food photography II: use of food photographs for estimating portion size and the nutrient content of meals. Br J Nutr 76, 31–49.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson M, Atkinson M, Meyer J (1997). Food portion sizes: a photographic atlas. MAFF: London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Petkeviciene J, Similä M, Becker W, Kriaucioniene V, Valsta LM (2009). Validity and reproducibility of the NORBAGREEN food frequency questionnaire. Eur J Clin Nutr 63, 141–149.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pufulete M, Emery PW, Nelson M, Sanders TA (2002). Validation of a short food frequency questionnaire to assess folate intake. Br J Nutr 87, 383–390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ranka S, Gee JM, Biro L, Brett G, Saha S, Kroon P et al. (2008). Development of a food frequency questionnaire for the assessment of quercetin and naringenin intake. Eur J Clin Nutr 62, 1131–1138.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roberfroid M, Gibson GR, Hoyles L, McCartney AL, Rastall R, Rowland I et al. (2010). Prebiotic effects: metabolic and health benefits. Brit J Nutr 104 (Suppl 2), S1–63.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roberfroid MB (2005). Introducing inulin-type fructans. Br J Nutr 93 (S1), S13–S25.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scholz-Ahrens KE, Ade P, Marten B, Weber P, Timm W, Açil Y et al. (2007). Prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics affect mineral absorption, bone mineral content, and bone structure. J Nutr 137 (S2), 838S–846S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • van Loo J, Coussement P, de Leenheer L, Hoebregs H, Smits G (1995). On the presence of inulin and oligofructose as natural ingredients in the western diet. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 35, 525–552.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vuckovic N, Ritenbaugh C, Taren DL, Tobar M (2000). A qualitative study of participants’ experiences with dietary assessment. J Am Diet Assoc 100, 1023–1028.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xinying PX, Noakes M, Keogh J (2004). Can a food frequency questionnaire be used to capture dietary intake data in a 4 week clinical intervention trial? Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 13, 318–323.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the US Department of Agriculture and the US Environmental Protection Agency for the use of the Revised FCID. Valuable advice regarding the inulin-type fructans was provided by Prof Marcel Roberfroid (Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium). We wish to thank all subjects for participating in this study.

Disclaimer

This submission represents original work that has not been published previously and is not currently being considered by another journal.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to K Whelan.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Contributors: KW designed the study. AD, SK, EL, CEM recruited subjects. CEM, SD conducted all dietary, nutrient and inulin intake analysis. KW, SD conducted all data analysis. All authors contributed to data interpretation. KW, SD wrote the manuscript, which was reviewed and approved by all authors.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dunn, S., Datta, A., Kallis, S. et al. Validation of a food frequency questionnaire to measure intakes of inulin and oligofructose. Eur J Clin Nutr 65, 402–408 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2010.272

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2010.272

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links