• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.149-159
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the validity of a food frequency questionnaire for Korean adolescents (FFQ-A) which could be used in clinical and epidemiological studies of the lifestyle and health of young people. The FFQ-A was designed to reflect the eating pattern of Korean adolescents, and was based on the 1998 Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey Reports. The FFQ-A had 25 (food categories. A total of 125 subjects (aged 13 to 15 years) was recruited from a randomly chosen middle school in a middle-income neighborhood in Anyang, South Korea. Each subject completed a FFQ-A, as well as a three-day dietary record. Data from 117 subjects (boys 47, girls 70) was used in the final analyses. Data on the nutrients was analyzed to estimate the Pearson correlations, Spearman rank-order correlations and agreement with categories. The validity of the FFQ-A was assessed relative to a three-day dietary record. The Pearson correlation coefficients for all the subjects were 0.94, 0.87, 0.77, 0.79, 0.49 and 0.68 for energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat, calcium, and iron, respectively. Similarly the Spearman rank-order correlation coefficients were 0.94, 0.85, 0.79, 0.81, 0.46, and 0.77 for energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat, calcium and iron, respectively. The Kappa values for energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat, calcium, and iron were 0.88, 0.67, 0.63, 0.67, 0.26, and 0.59, respectively. The percentage for misclassification of the lowest quartile into the highest quartile or vice versa ranged from 0% (energy, carbohydrate, or fat) to 16.7% (Vitamin C). Therefore the FFQ-A has a reasonable ability to assess the energy, carbohydrate, protein and fat intakes as estimated from a three-day dietary record of Korean adolescents. (Korean J Community Nutrition 8(2) : 142∼159, 2003)

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.440-450
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• 2016

Objectives: We previously developed a dish-based semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for Korean adolescents and reported that it had reasonable reliability and validity. The objective of the current study was to construct a web-based dietary evaluation system applying the FFQ for Korean adolescents and examine its applicability in the context of reliability and validity. Methods: A web-based food frequency questionnaire system was designed using a comprehensive approach, incorporating not only dietary data survey but also up-to-date nutrition information and individualized eating behavior guidelines. A convenience sample of 50 boys and girls aged 12~18 years agreed to participate in the study and completed the FFQ twice and 3 days of dietary recall on the developed website during a two-month period. The FFQ's reliability and validity was examined using correlation and cross classification analysis. We also measured participants' subjective levels of the web site's usability, visual effect, understanding, and familiarity. Results: Spearman correlation coefficients for reliability ranged from 0.74 (for vitamin A) to 0.94 (for energy). From cross-classification analyses, the proportion of subjects in the same intake quartile was highest for energy (82.0%) and lowest for vitamin A (56.0%). With regard to validity analysis, Spearman correlation coefficients ranged from 0.34 (for fiber) to 0.79 (for energy). The proportions of subjects in the opposite categories between the first FFQ and 3-day diet recall data were generally low from 0.00% (for fat) to 36.2% (for sodium). Average subjective levels of the website's usability, visual effect, understanding, and familiarity were all found to be over 4 points out of 5 points. Conclusions: The web-based dietary evaluation system developed can serve as a valid and attractive tool for administering FFQ to Korean adolescents.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.433-441
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• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to develop a dish-based semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for Korean adolescents and evaluate its reproducibility and validity. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Based on 24-hour dietary recall data from the 4th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), we developed a FFQ with 71 items. From a quota sample of 160 adolescents recruited using gender and age group as stratification variables, 153 participated in the complete data collection process. The FFQ was administered to each subject twice, at an interval of 3-4 weeks, to evaluate the test-retest reliability. The validity of the FFQ was assessed relative to 8-day food record data. RESULTS: The study findings demonstrated the FFQ's satisfactory reproducibility. Spearman correlation coefficients ranged from 0.64(for ${\beta}-carotene$) to 0.81(for protein). From cross-classification analyses, the proportion of subjects in the same intake quartile was highest for protein (65.4%) and lowest for vitamin A(47.1%). With regard to validity analysis, Spearman correlation coefficients ranged from 0.27(for vitamin A and fiber) to 0.90 (for energy). The proportions of subjects in the opposite categories between the first FFQ and the 8-day food record data were generally low within the range from 0.74% (for energy and carbohydrate) to 13.2% (for ${\beta}-carotene$). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the dish-based semiquantitative FFQ developed in this study can be useful for grouping Korean adolescents according to major macro- and micronutrient intakes with reasonable reproducibility and validity.