Assessment of nutrient intakes of picky-eating Chinese preschoolers using a modified food frequency questionnaire.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Dietary assessment is crucial for monitoring nutritional status of young children. This study applied a modified Chinese food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to assess nutrient intakes of young picky-eating Hong Kong children. METHODS: Nutrient intakes were obtained by FFQ and 3-day food record (3DFR) in 29 picky-eating children aged 44.8±9.2 months who participated in a randomised controlled trial of a new milk formula. RESULTS: When compared with 3DFR, FFQ over-reported energy intake by 283 kcal (26.5%) at baseline and 237 kcal (21.4%) at end-of-study, and also overestimated intakes of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. At baseline, FFQ and 3DFR classified 34.4%-65.5% of subjects into the same tertiles for most nutrients. These methods showed weak-to-moderate agreement in measuring most nutrients, with 3DFR showing a trend towards a systematic increase in the differences with increasing nutrient intake. CONCLUSION: Our FFQ shows promising results for assessing nutrient intakes in picky-eating Chinese preschoolers.