Original Article

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2007) 61, 1023–1031; doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602617; published online 14 February 2007

A valid semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire to measure fish consumption

Contributors: KM designed and coordinated the study, was responsible for data collection, entry and analysis and wrote the manuscript; LF contributed to the study design and final manuscript; MK advised on statistical methods and contributed to the final manuscript.

K Mina1, L Fritschi2 and M Knuiman1

  1. 1School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
  2. 2Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Correspondence: Dr K Mina, School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. E-mail: kym.mina@uwa.edu.au

Received 12 October 2006; Revised 15 November 2006; Accepted 15 November 2006; Published online 14 February 2007.

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Abstract

Objective:

 

To validate a detailed semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire designed to measure habitual fish and seafood consumption.

Design:

 

Cross-sectional validation study using an independent biomarker of fish consumption.

Setting:

 

Perth metropolitan area, Western Australia.

Subjects:

 

Ninety-one healthy volunteers of both sexes aged 21–75 years.

Methods:

 

Participants completed the questionnaire and provided a fasting blood sample for erythrocyte membrane omega-3 fatty acid (eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)) analysis. The questionnaire was then validated by linear regression analysis of EPA and DHA levels on categories of fish and seafood and overall consumption, adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, body mass index (BMI) and alcohol intake.

Results:

 

Regression coefficients were statistically significant for most fish and seafood items with both EPA and DHA. The strongest association was observed between oily fish and EPA, whereas no significant association was observed between lean fish and omega-3 fatty acids. Variation in omega-3 fatty acids was best accounted for by a model containing variables representing different categories of fish and seafood consumption (R 2 0.484), rather than a single variable representing overall fish and seafood consumption (R 2 0.313).

Conclusions:

 

This study confirms that the varying content of omega-3 fatty acids in foods are reflected in omega-3 biomarkers, and that the questionnaire is a valid measure of fish consumption that enables differentiation between cooking and processing methods and oily versus lean fish intake.

Keywords:

validation studies, fishes, omega-3 fatty acids, diet

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