Content validity and reliability of a food frequency questionnaire to measure eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid intakes in young adults: A pilot study | Functional Foods in Health and Disease - Online ISSN: 2160-3855; Print ISSN: 2378-7007 Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer Open Menu Functional Foods in Health and Disease - Online ISSN: 2160-3855; Print ISSN: 2378-7007 Home Food Science Publisher Functional Food Center Current Archives About About the Journal Aims and Scope Contact Editing Services Editorial Team Express Peer Review Graphical Abstract Journal Insights Privacy Statement Submissions Announcements Search Search Register Login Home / Archives / Vol. 2 No. 12 (2012): December 2012 / Short Report Content validity and reliability of a food frequency questionnaire to measure eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid intakes in young adults: A pilot study Authors Jennifer A. Hanson School of Human Ecology, Louisiana Tech University, P.O. Box 3167, Ruston, LA 71272 Richard R. Rosenkranz Department of Human Nutrition, Kansas State University, 212 Justin Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506 Carol Ann Holcomb Department of Human Nutrition, Kansas State University, 212 Justin Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506 Mark D. Haub Department of Human Nutrition, Kansas State University, 212 Justin Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31989/ffhd.v2i12.77 Abstract Background: The food environment is rapidly changing with regard to omega-3 fatty acids. Research is hindered by the lack of a tool specifically designed to measure intakes of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids in US populations. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the content validity and reliability of a novel 14-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) designed to measure contemporary sources of eicosapentaenoic aid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Methods: During May of 2009, college students (n = 165) completed the FFQ and provided feedback. Forty-five completed the questionnaire a second time allowing for the evaluation of test-retest reliability. Results: None of the students reported consuming a food naturally rich in EPA and DHA that was not included in the FFQ. Overall instrument reliability (n = 54) was strong (ρ = 0.86, p < 0.001) and the reliability for each of the non-functional food items ranged from moderate to strong (ρ = 0.48 to 0.86, p < 0.001). Correlation coefficients for each of the functional food items were low and/or non-significant. Uncertainty regarding omega-3 functional foods was listed as a reason by eight of the twelve who felt one or more of the questions were difficult to answer. Conclusions: Overall instrument reliability was strong and content validity was good. Nonetheless, participant feedback, and the decreased test-retest coefficients for the omega-3 functional foods, suggests unfamiliarity may be problematic when measuring intakes from these food sources. Keywords: Functional foods, n-3 fatty acids, dietary assessment, seafood, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid Downloads [Abstract] [Full Article] Published 2012-12-05 Issue Vol. 2 No. 12 (2012): December 2012 Section Short Report License Authors retain the copyright of their articles and grant the Functional Food Center (FFC) and its journals the right of first publication under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, including commercial use, provided the original author(s) and source are properly credited. Authors may post and share their published work freely, provided that the original publication in this journal is acknowledged. By submitting to this journal, authors confirm that their manuscripts are original, not under consideration elsewhere, and that they hold the necessary rights to grant this license. The Functional Food Center encourages open scientific exchange and allows derivative and extended works, provided attribution to the original publication is maintained. About the Journal      Editing Services      Graphical Abstract      Journal Insights        Submissions        Editorial Team       Privacy Statement        Contact        Current        Archives   Open Journal Systems Hosting and Support by: OpenJournalSystems.com