Development of a Food-Based Diet Quality Scale for Brazilian Schoolchildren Using Item Response Theory.

Item response theory (IRT) is a psychometric method that provides probabilistic model-based measurements. Its use is relatively recent in the assessment of food consumption, especially through dietary assessment tools. This study aims (1) to develop a food-based diet quality scale for Brazilian schoolchildren using IRT, and (2) to apply the scale to a representative sample of schoolchildren from a Southern Brazilian city. The scale was developed with daily consumption frequency of foods from 835 students who completed the Food Intake and Physical Activity of Schoolchildren questionnaire. Questionnaire foods were grouped into 10 items according to their nutritional similarities and were evaluated by full-information factor analysis that indicated a dominant factor explaining 28% of the variance. Psychometric item analysis was performed using Samejima's model. The scale covered all levels of diet quality, from "very poor" (scores < 95) to "very good" (scores ≥ 130). Children who had higher diet quality scores consumed beans, meat, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and water more frequently, while reducing the consumption of ultraprocessed sugary foods, ultraprocessed savoury snacks and sausages, and sugary drinks. Of 6323 children, an average of less than 10% consumed the highest diet quality scores (good or very good diet quality) and about 60% of children consumed low diet quality scores. The scale can be applied to other schoolchildren with the same measure precision.

Validation of the Online version of the Previous Day Food Questionnaire for schoolchildren / Validação da versão Online do Questionário Alimentar do Dia Anterior para Escolares

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the validity of the web-based version of the Previous Day Food Questionnaire Online for schoolchildren from the 2nd to 5th grades of elementary school. Methods Participants were 312 schoolchildren aged 7 to 12 years of a public school from the city of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Validity was assessed by sensitivity, specificity, as well as by agreement rates (match, omission, and intrusion rates) of food items reported by children on the Previous Day Food Questionnaire Online, using direct observation of foods/beverages eaten during school meals (mid-morning snack or afternoon snack) on the previous day as the reference. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the influence of participants' characteristics on omission and intrusion rates. Results The results showed adequate sensitivity (67.7%) and specificity (95.2%). There were low omission and intrusion rates of 22.8% and 29.5%, respectively when all food items were analyzed. Pizza/hamburger showed the highest omission rate, whereas milk and milk products showed the highest intrusion rate. The participants who attended school in the afternoon shift presented a higher probability of intrusion compared to their peers who attended school in the morning. Conclusion The Previous Day Food Questionnaire Online possessed satisfactory validity for the assessment of food intake at the group level in schoolchildren from the 2nd to 5th grades of public school.

RESUMO Objetivo Avaliar a validade da versão baseada na Internet do Questionário Alimentar do Dia Anterior (Online) para escolares do segundo ao quinto ano do ensino fundamental. Métodos Participaram do estudo 312 escolares de 7 a 12 anos de uma escola pública de Florianópolis, Santa Catarina. A validade foi testada pela sensibilidade, especificidade e taxas de concordância (acertos, omissões e intrusões) dos itens alimentares relatados no Questionário Alimentar do Dia Anterior Online, usando a observação direta dos alimentos consumidos no lanche escolar do dia anterior como padrão de referência. Análise de regressão logística multivariada multinomial foi conduzida para avaliar a influência de fatores relacionados aos participantes nas taxas de omissão e intrusão. Resultados Os resultados apontaram adequada sensibilidade (67,7%) e especificidade expressiva (95,2%). As taxas de omissão e de intrusão foram baixas, 22,8% e 29,5%, respectivamente, quando considerados todos os itens alimentares. O item pizza/hambúrguer exibiu a maior taxa de omissão, enquanto os laticínios apresentaram a maior taxa de intrusão. Escolares que frequentavam a escola no turno vespertino apresentaram maior probabilidade de intrusões de itens alimentares comparados aos escolares do turno matutino. Conclusão O Questionário Alimentar do Dia Anterior Online apresentou validade satisfatória para a análise do consumo alimentar em nível de grupo de escolares do segundo ao quinto ano de escola pública.

Brazilian healthy eating index revised (BHEI-R) of women before and during adjuvant treatment for breast cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Different therapeutic modalities for cancer trigger side effects that affect the selection of food by changing dietary patterns. AIMS: To evaluate changes in the diet quality of women in adjuvant treatment for breast cancer. METHODS: Sociodemographic, clinical and anthropometric data of 78 women were collected. The Brazilian Healthy Eating Index Revised and its components were obtained from food frequency questionnaire applied before and after the treatment. At baseline, participants were classified according to tertiles of diet quality. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The score of the Brazilian Healthy Eating Index Revised (BHEI-R) in the lowest tertile was 48.4 to 75.2 points, the second tertile was 75.7 to 81.8 points, and the upper tertile was 82.0 to 95.7 points. During treatment, of the women classified in the first tertile, 62% improved their diet score quality passing to the upper tertiles. Women classified in the second tertile, did not significantly alter the diet quality during the treatment, although 46% went to the third tertile. Patients classified in the third tertile significantly reduced the average score of the Index by 7.3 points during the treatment. Among these women, 38% and 20% decreased their score for the second and first tertiles respectively, where the reduction in the diet quality was due to reducing the score of components Total fruits, Total vegetables, Dark Green and orange vegetables and Legumes, Total grains and Solid fats, Alcohol and Added sugar. CONCLUSION: Dietary changes, which were observed after breast cancer diagnosis, significantly altered the quality of diet among the women participating in the study. Future nutrition interventions are important to aid in food choices during the treatment.

Introducción: Diferentes modalidades terapéuticas para los efectos secundarios de activación de cáncer que afectan a la selección de los alimentos por el cambio de los patrones dietéticos. Objetivo: Evaluar los cambios en la calidad de la dieta de mujeres en tratamiento adyuvante para cáncer de mama. Métodos: se obtuvieron datos sociodemográficos, clínicos y antropométricos de 78 mujeres. El Índice Brasileño de Alimentación Saludable y sus componentes se obtuvieron a partir de cuestionarios de frecuencia alimentar aplicados antes y al final del tratamiento. Los participantes fueron clasificados según terciles de calidad de la dieta con base en las informaciones del inicio del estudio. Resultados: Las puntuaciones del Índice de Calidad de la dieta en el tercil inferior fue 48,4-75,2 puntos, en el segundo tercil fue 75,7-81,8 puntos, y en el tercil superior 82,0-95,7 puntos. Durante el tratamiento, 62 % de las mujeres pertenecientes al primer tercil mejoraron su calidad, pasando para los terciles medio o superior. Las mujeres clasificadas en el segundo tercil no alteraron significativamente la calidad de la dieta durante el tratamiento, a pesar de que 46 % pasó para el tercil superior. Las pacientes pertenecientes al tercer tercil redujeron significativamente la puntuación promedio del Índice en 7,3 puntos durante el tratamiento. Entre estas mujeres, 38% y 20% disminuyeron su puntuación para el segundo y primer tercil, respectivamente. La reducción de la calidad de la dieta fue el resultado de la disminución en la puntuación de los componentes Frutas totales, Verduras totales, Verduras y legumbres de color verde oscuro y naranja, Cereales totales y grasas sólidas, Alcohol y Azúcar añadido. Conclusión: Los cambios observados en la alimentación después del diagnóstico de cáncer de mama alteró significativamente la calidad de la dieta de las mujeres participantes del estudio. Intervenciones nutricionales futuras son importantes para ayudar en la elección de alimentos durante el tratamiento.

Brazilian Healthy Eating Index Revised (BHEI-R) of women before and during adjuvant treatment for breast cancer / Índice Brasileño de Alimentación Saludable Revisado (IBAS-R) de mujeres antes y durante el tratamiento adyuvante para cáncer de mama

Introduction: Different therapeutic modalities for cancer trigger side effects that affect the selection of food by changing dietary patterns. Aims: To evaluate changes in the diet quality of women in adjuvant treatment for breast cancer. Methods: Sociodemographic, clinical and anthropometric data of 78 women were collected. The Brazilian Healthy Eating Index Revised and its components were obtained from food frequency questionnaire applied before and after the treatment. At baseline, participants were classified according to tertiles of diet quality. Results and Discussion: The score of the Brazilian Healthy Eating Index Revised (BHEI-R) in the lowest tertile was 48.4 to 75.2 points, the second tertile was 75.7 to 81.8 points, and the upper tertile was 82.0 to 95.7 points. During treatment, of the women classified in the first tertile, 62% improved their diet score quality passing to the upper tertiles. Women classified in the second tertile, did not significantly alter the diet quality during the treatment, although 46% went to the third tertile. Patients classified in the third tertile significantly reduced the average score of the Index by 7.3 points during the treatment. Among these women, 38% and 20% decreased their score for the second and first tertiles respectively, where the reduction in the diet quality was due to reducing the score of components Total fruits, Total vegetables, Dark Green and orange vegetables and Legumes, Total grains and Solid fats, Alcohol and Added sugar. Conclusion: Dietary changes, which were observed after breast cancer diagnosis, significantly altered the quality of diet among the women participating in the study. Future nutrition interventions are important to aid in food choices during the treatment (AU)

Introducción: Diferentes modalidades terapéuticas para los efectos secundarios de activación de cáncer que afectan a la selección de los alimentos por el cambio de los patrones dietéticos. Objetivo: Evaluar los cambios en la calidad de la dieta de mujeres en tratamiento adyuvante para cáncer de mama. Métodos: se obtuvieron datos sociodemográficos, clínicos y antropométricos de 78 mujeres. El Índice Brasileño de Alimentación Saludable y sus componentes se obtuvieron a partir de cuestionarios de frecuencia alimentar aplicados antes y al final del tratamiento. Los participantes fueron clasificados según terciles de calidad de la dieta con base en las informaciones del inicio del estudio. Resultados: Las puntuaciones del Índice de Calidad de la dieta en el tercil inferior fue 48,4-75,2 puntos, en el segundo tercil fue 75,7-81,8 puntos, y en el tercil superior 82,0-95,7 puntos. Durante el tratamiento, 62 % de las mujeres pertenecientes al primer tercil mejoraron su calidad, pasando para los terciles medio o superior. Las mujeres clasificadas en el segundo tercil no alteraron significativamente la calidad de la dieta durante el tratamiento, a pesar de que 46 % pasó para el tercil superior. Las pacientes pertenecientes al tercer tercil redujeron significativamente la puntuación promedio del Índice en 7,3 puntos durante el tratamiento. Entre estas mujeres, 38% y 20% disminuyeron su puntuación para el segundo y primer tercil, respectivamente. La reducción de la calidad de la dieta fue el resultado de la disminución en la puntuación de los componentes Frutas totales, Verduras totales, Verduras y legumbres de color verde oscuro y naranja, Cereales totales y grasas sólidas, Alcohol y Azúcar añadido. Conclusión: Los cambios observados en la alimentación después del diagnóstico de cáncer de mama alteró significativamente la calidad de la dieta de las mujeres participantes del estudio. Intervenciones nutricionales futuras son importantes para ayudar en la elección de alimentos durante el tratamiento (AU)