ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyse the reliability and validity of a semi-quantitative FFQ to assess food group consumption in South American children and adolescents. DESIGN: The SAYCARE (South American Youth/Child cARdiovascular and Environmental) study is an observational, multicentre, feasibility study performed in a sample of 3- to 18-year-old children and adolescents attending private and public schools from six South American countries. Participants answered the FFQ twice with a two-week interval and three 24-h dietary recalls. Intraclass and Spearman's correlations, weighted Cohen's kappa (κw), percentage of agreement and energy-adjusted Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated. SETTING: Seven cities in South America (Buenos Aires, Lima, Medelin, Montevideo, Santiago, Sao Paulo and Teresina). SUBJECTS: A sample of 200 children and 244 adolescents for reliability analyses and 252 children and 244 adolescents for validity analyses were included. RESULTS: Depending on the food group, for children and adolescents, reliability analyses resulted in Spearman's coefficients from 0·47 to 0·73, intraclass correlation coefficients from 0·66 to 0·99, κw coefficients from 0·35 to 0·63, and percentage of agreement between 72·75 and 83·52 %. In the same way, validity analyses resulted in Spearman's coefficients from 0·17 to 0·37, energy-adjusted Pearson's coefficients from 0·17 to 0·61, κw coefficients from 0·09 to 0·24, and percentages of agreement between 45·79 and 67·06 %. CONCLUSION: The SAYCARE FFQ achieved reasonable reliability and slight-moderate validity for almost all food groups intakes. Accordingly, it can be used for the purpose of ranking the intake of individuals within a population.
Subject(s)
Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena , Diet Surveys/standards , Diet/methods , Adolescent , Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena , Child , Child, Preschool , Diet Records , Energy Intake , Feeding Behavior , Female , Humans , Male , Mental Recall , Nutrition Assessment , Reproducibility of Results , South AmericaABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To assess the psychometric properties of 4-item questionnaire about sleep habits and time in South American children (3-10 years) and adolescents (11-18 years). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We evaluated 459 participants from seven South American cities. Two items from week and weekend days wake up time and bedtime were asked twice, with a 2-week interval. We calculated time spent in bed (subtracting wake up time from bedtime). Participants also answered the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) sleep time questionnaire. RESULTS: The questionnaire showed acceptable temporal stability in children and adolescents on total days (rho≥0.30; p<0.05). For total days, the questionnaire presented acceptable convergent validity only in children (rho from 0.48 to 0.62; p≤0.01) compared with the HELENA questionnaire. CONCLUSION: The 4-item questionnaire is a reliable and valid tool for children; however, its validity is not consistent in adolescents for sleep habits and time.
ABSTRACT
Antecedentes: se realizó una campaña de información, educación y comunicación (IEC) sobre síndrome metabólico para personal universitario del área de la salud, derivada de una investigación realizada en esta población. Objetivo: reconocer las dinámicas y aprendizajes generados en los profesionales ejecutores de la campaña "Somos salud". Metodología: sistematización de experiencia realizada por los ejecutores de la campaña, quienes definieron la pregunta orientadora, reconstruyeron la experiencia, hicieron la reflexión crítica, en la cual identificaron aspectos significativos que permitieron construir y validar el sistema categorial. La información se recolectó mediante grupos focales. Resultados: se identificó como categoría principal: "Aprender en la práctica de la estrategia IEC" y como subcategorías destacadas: la reflexión sobre IEC y educación, la relación extensión-investigación, asuntos críticos de la ejecución y el diseño de mensajes y materiales. Conclusiones: se reconoce que aunque los procesos de IEC no garantizan cambios inmediatos en prácticas individuales y colectivas, contribuyen a conocer y discutir problemáticas de salud. Se reflexionó críticamente sobre la manera como se hace educación para la salud, resaltando la necesidad de considerar aspectos individuales y contextuales, mediadores en las decisiones de salud y reconociendo al profesional de la salud como agente y sujeto de tales decisiones.
Background: An information, education and communication campaign (IEC) was carried out about the metabolic syndrome, for university professional of the health sector; it is derived from a research carried out in this population. Objective: Recognition of dynamics and learning created in the professionals who perform the "We are Health" campaign. Methodology: Systematization of the experience was carried out by the campaign performers; who have defined the guiding question, rebuilt the experience, made a critical reflection, and identified significant aspects in it that let to build and validate the categorical system. By means of focus groups the information was collected. Results: "Learning by doing of the IEC strategy" was identified as the main category, and as emphasized subcategories: the reflection about the IEC and education, the extension-research relationship, critical aspects of the execution and design of messages and materials. Conclusions: Although it is recognized that the IEC processes do not guarantee immediate changes in individual and collective practices, they contribute to know and discuss health related issues. It was critically reflected on the way as education for health is made, emphasizing the need to consider individual and contextual aspects that mediate on health decisions, and the recognition of the health care professional as an agent and subject of such decisions.