Validity and Reproducibility of an Electronic Food Frequency Questionnaire in Argentinian Adults.

This study aimed to validate a semiquantitative electronic food frequency questionnaire (eFFQ) in estimating the intake of a comprehensive list of nutrients and bioactive compounds among adults from six regions of Argentina using multiple 24 h dietary recall (24HR) as a reference. A total of 163 adults completed two administrations of the eFFQ and four 24HRs. The paired t-test/Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Spearman/Pearson correlations, cross-classification, weighted kappa statistics, and Bland-Altman plots were employed to determine relative validity. To determine reproducibility, intraclass correlations (ICC), cross-classification, and weighted kappa statistics were calculated. For relative validity, crude correlations ranged from 0.15 to 0.57; energy adjustment and de-attenuation slightly improved most of these correlations. In cross-classification analysis, agreements within one quintile adjacent to exact agreement (EA ± 1) ranged from 52.2% to ~74%; extreme misclassifications were < 7%. For reproducibility, the crude ICC ranged from 0.29 to 0.85, showing moderate to good correlations for most nutrients. Cross-classification analysis showed agreement levels for the EA ± 1 quintile of 70.6% to 87.7%. Weighted kappa values ranged from 0.21 to 0.62. The results show that this eFFQ is relatively valid in ranking adults according to their nutrient intake and has an acceptable reproducibility, yet it slightly overestimates the intake of most nutrients.

Development and Usability Study of an Open-Access Interviewer-Administered Automated 24-h Dietary Recall Tool in Argentina: MAR24.

Background: Latin American countries show a fast-growing rate of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and diet is a critical risk factor that must be properly assessed. Automated dietary assessment tools to collect 24-h dietary recalls (24HR) are lacking in Argentina. Objective: This study aimed to develop an open-access automated tool (MAR24) for collecting 24HR using a multiple pass method and a database containing foods and recipes commonly consumed in Argentina. Methods: MAR24 was developed based on data from 1,285 24HR provided by male and female participants aged 18 to 68 years from the six Argentinian geographical regions. The main structure and interface of the tool were designed using Visual Basic for Applications programming language in Excel Microsoft Office 365, integrating the five steps of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Automated Multiple-Pass Method (AMPM) for the application of 24HR in Spanish. The tool underwent alpha testing and expert assessment to address structural and usability issues. Critical feedback and face validation from researchers and experienced dietitians, and repeated testing to collect 24HR were used to adjust and improve the tool. Results: A total of 968 food items and 100 standard Argentinian recipes were added to its database. MAR24 allows the estimation of the nutrient profile of dietary intake. The analytic food composition includes energy and 50 nutrients including water, macronutrients, total dietary fiber, total sugar, 10 minerals, 19 vitamins, eight fatty acids, cholesterol, ethyl alcohol, caffeine, and theobromine. MAR24 includes a user manual and technical manual to guide users to apply changes (e.g., add foods or recipes, or change food designation according to local terms) to fit different research and clinical applications. Conclusions: MAR24 is the first tool that uses the AMPM methodology for 24HR applications in Argentina. The tool may be used in clinical practice and clinical trials for monitoring purposes, and in validation of food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) for nutritional epidemiology studies addressing dietary-associated risk factors for NCDs.

Consumo de carbohidratos y valor de transaminasas hepáticas / CARBOHYDRATE CONSUMPTION AND VALUE OF LIVER TRANSAMINASES

Introducción: la dieta influye en el metabolismo y la estructura del hígado. Cada nutriente actúa sobre éste en forma diferente, y en el caso de los carbohidratos, la influencia específica sobre este órgano se explica por medio de diferentes mecanismos. Cuando la función o la estructura del hígado varían, estos cambios se revelan en ciertos parámetros bioquímicos. Objetivos: el propósito de este trabajo es establecer si existe relación entre el consumo de carbohidratos y el valor de transaminasas hepáticas en pacientes sanos del Sanatorio Adventista del Plata, entre julio y setiembre de 2016. Materiales y métodos: a los sujetos evaluados se les realizó una frecuencia de consumo para conocer su ingesta alimentaria y se obtuvo el valor de la AST, ALT y GGT a partir de sus exámenes de laboratorio. Resultados: el 71,4% de las personas con el valor más alto de AST presentó una ingesta sobreadecuada de carbohidratos. La diferencia entre el consumo de alimentos altos en FODMAP y el promedio del valor de AST fue estadísticamente significativa. El 42,9% de las personas que presentó mayores valores de AST tuvo una ingesta elevada de fibra dietética. Se encontró asociación significativa entre la combinación de proteína y azúcar refinada con el valor de ALT y GGT. Conclusiones: el consumo de carbohidratos se asocia con el valor de AST y no con las otras transaminasas. Existe diferencia entre el consumo de alimentos altos en FODMAP y el promedio del valor de la AST. No hay asociación entre el índice glucémico, el consumo de fibra dietética y el valor de las transaminasas. La combinación de proteína y azúcar refinada se asocia con el valor de ALT y GGT.