The Comparative Reproducibility and Validity of a Non-Nutritive Sweetener Food Frequency Questionnaire

Emily A Myers; Erin M Passaro; Valisa E Hedrick

doi:10.3390/nu10030334

The Comparative Reproducibility and Validity of a Non-Nutritive Sweetener Food Frequency Questionnaire

Nutrients. 2018 Mar 10;10(3):334. doi: 10.3390/nu10030334.

Authors

Emily A Myers¹, Erin M Passaro², Valisa E Hedrick³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 295 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. eamyers@vt.edu.
² Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 295 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. eperin92@vt.edu.
³ Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 295 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. vhedrick@vt.edu.

Abstract

In order to better assess non-nutritive sweetener (NNS) consumption, measurement tools with greater utility are needed. The objective of this investigation is to determine the reproducibility and validity of a newly developed NNS food frequency questionnaire (NNS-FFQ) that measures five types of NNS (saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose and erythritol). Adult participants (n = 123, 56% female, 75% Caucasian, mean age = 36.8 ± 16.6) completed the NNS-FFQ twice and had 24-h dietary recalls three times over a two-week study period. Reproducibility between two administrations of the NNS-FFQ was assessed via Bland-Altman plots, Spearman's correlations (r_s) and paired samples t-tests. Bland-Altman plots, Cohen's κ, Spearman's correlations (r_s), and paired samples t-tests compared NNS intake between the two methods for validity. For reproducibility analyses, Bland-Altman analyses revealed agreement levels above the 95% acceptance level for total NNS (99.2%), erythritol (99.2%), and aspartame (96.7%). Agreement levels for acesulfame potassium (94.3%), saccharin (94.3%), and sucralose (94.3%) were slightly below the acceptable level. For validity analyses, Bland-Altman analyses revealed agreement levels above the 95% acceptance level for total NNS (95.1%), sucralose (95.9%), saccharin (95.9%), and erythritol (95.1%). Agreement levels for aspartame (94.3%) and acesulfame potassium (92.7%) were slightly below the acceptable level. Although less than desirable agreement was found between the methods for aspartame and acesulfame potassium, some variance was expected due to the habitual nature of the NNS-FFQ as compared to the recent intake reported by recalls. Within the context of this constraint, the NNS-FFQ demonstrates acceptable reproducibility and validity. The NNS-FFQ is a brief questionnaire that could be administered among diverse participants at the individual and population levels to measure habitual NNS intake.

Keywords: dietary assessment; food-frequency questionnaires; non-nutritive sweeteners; reproducibility; validity.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Observational Study
Validation Study

MeSH terms

Adult
Consumer Behavior
Diet*
Feeding Behavior*
Female
Food Preferences*
Humans
Male
Mental Recall
Middle Aged
Non-Nutritive Sweeteners / administration & dosage*
Nutrition Surveys
Reproducibility of Results
Self Report*
Statistics as Topic
Truth Disclosure
Virginia
Young Adult

Substances

Non-Nutritive Sweeteners