A culture-specific nutrient intake assessment instrument in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

Abstract

Background & aim: To develop and evaluate a culture-specific nutrient intake assessment tool for use in adults with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Methods: We developed an instrument to measure food intake over 3 consecutive days using a questionnaire format. The tool was then compared to 24 h food recalls. Food intake data from 31 subjects with TB were analyzed using the Nutrient Database System for Research (NDS-R) dietary analysis program. Paired t-tests, Pearson correlations and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to assess the agreement between the two methods of dietary intake for calculated nutrient intakes.

Results: The Pearson correlation coefficient for mean daily caloric intake between the 2 methods was 0.37 (P = 0.04) with a mean difference of 171 kcals/day (p = 0.34). The ICC was 0.38 (95% CI: 0.03-0.64) suggesting the within-patient variability may be larger than between-patient variability. Results for mean daily intake of total fat, total carbohydrate, total protein, retinol, vitamins D and E, thiamine, calcium, sodium, iron, selenium, copper, and zinc between the two assessment methods were also similar.

Conclusions: This novel nutrient intake assessment tool provided quantitative nutrient intake data from TB patients. These pilot data can inform larger studies in similar populations.

Keywords: ACTSI; Assessment; Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute; CCC; CRF; Diet; FFQ; Georgian National Center for Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases; ICC; MDR; Macronutrient; Micronutrient; NCTBLD; NDS-R; Nutrient Database System for Research; Nutrition; RCT; TB; Tuberculosis; case report form; concordance correlation coefficient; food frequency questionnaire; intraclass correlation coefficient; multi-drug resistant tuberculosis; randomized clinical trial; tuberculosis.