Abstract
Background
Dietary patterns provide insight into relationships between diet and disease. Food
frequency questionnaires (FFQs) can identify dietary patterns in adults, but similar
analyses have not been performed for toddlers.
Objective
The aim of the Eating Assessment in Toddlers study was to evaluate the relative validity
and reproducibility of dietary patterns from an FFQ developed for toddlers aged 12
to 24 months.
Design/setting
Participants were 160 toddlers aged 12 to 24 months and their primary caregiver who
completed an FFQ twice, approximately 5 weeks apart (FFQ1 and FFQ2). A 5-day weighed
food record was collected on nonconsecutive days between FFQ administrations.
Statistical analysis
Principal component analysis identified three major dietary patterns similar across
FFQ1, FFQ2, and the 5-day weighted food record.
Results
The sweet foods and fries pattern was characterized by high intakes of sweet foods,
fries and roast potato and kumara (sweet potato), butter and margarines, processed
meat, sweet drinks, and fruit or milk drinks. The vegetables and meat pattern was
characterized by high intakes of vegetables, meat, eggs and beans, and fruit. The
milk and fruit pattern was characterized by high intakes of milk and milk products
and fruit, and low intakes of breastmilk and infant and follow-up formula. The FFQ
(FFQ1) correctly classified 43.1% to 51.0% of toddlers into the same quartile of pattern
score as the 5-day weighted food record, and Pearson correlations ranged from 0.56
to 0.68 for the three patterns. Reliability coefficients ranged from 0.71 to 0.72
for all three dietary patterns.
Conclusions
the Eating Assessment in Toddlers study FFQ shows acceptable relative validity and
high reproducibility for identifying dietary patterns in toddlers.
Keywords
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Biography
V. C. Mills is a nutritionist at the time of the study, he was a graduate student, Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Biography
E. O. Watson is a nutritionist at the time of the study, he was a graduate student, Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Biography
P. M. L. Skidmore is a senior lecturer, Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Biography
A.-L. M. Heath is a senior lecturer, Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Biography
E. A. Fleming is an assistant research fellow, Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Biography
R. W. Taylor is a research associate professor, Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 25, 2014
Accepted:
September 8,
2014
Footnotes
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
FUNDING/SUPPORT Funding for the study was provided by the University of Otago.
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
