Rapid Ethnonutrition Assessment Method Is Useful to Prototype Dietary Assessments with a Focus on Local Biodiverse Food Plants.

Ethnonutrition is the study of diets in the context of food systems of different peoples and cultures. Its scope comprises native or local categories used to classify food, and also includes biodiverse food availability, local culinary techniques, seasonality, and cultural perceptions related to diet with nutritional implications. Here, we describe a method useful for gathering ethnonutrition data to design dietary interventions or assessments, the Rapid Ethnonutrition Assessment (REA). REA is a tool that offers food and nutrition research a broad biocultural view of diets, considering food system-level, by prototyping dietary assessments with high efficiency. This method permits us to prevent misinterpretations that lead to wrong conclusions in nutritional research.

Food frequency questionnaire for adults in the Brazilian Northeast region: emphasis on the level of food processing.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) for adults in the Northeast region of Brazil, in order to identify the frequency of consumption of foods considered to be of protection and risk for chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), grouping food items by processing level. METHODS: To develop the FFQ, data from 7,516 adults from Northeastern Brazil were used, extracted from the 2008-2009 Household Budget Survey. The food lists were elaborated according to the methodology of the relative contribution of each item, identifying foods with the highest relative contribution for macronutrients, fiber, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and potassium. All foods whose contribution sum was up to 90% composed such lists. The final structure of the FFQ organized the food items in order to respect the mental image of the meals. RESULT: The FFQ resulted in 83 food items, distributed in minimally processed, processed and ultra-processed. We chose the previous year as the time to estimate food consumption, and frequency options ranged from "never" to "10 times". The instrument includes guidelines for filling and collects data on serving sizes (small, medium, large and extra-large), as well as additional information on culinary preparations. There was a high percentage of people who were overweight (44.1%). CONCLUSION: The study culminated in an FFQ to identify the frequency of consumption of foods considered protective and risk for NCDs. The instrument can support epidemiological studies that evaluate outcomes related to the diet of adults considering the level of food processing, in accordance with the Guia alimentar para a população brasileira .

Food frequency questionnaire for adults in the Brazilian Northeast region: emphasis on the level of food processing / Questionário de frequência alimentar para adultos da região Nordeste: ênfase no nível de processamento dos alimentos

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To develop a quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) for adults in the Northeast region of Brazil, in order to identify the frequency of consumption of foods considered to be of protection and risk for chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), grouping food items by processing level. METHODS To develop the FFQ, data from 7,516 adults from Northeastern Brazil were used, extracted from the 2008-2009 Household Budget Survey. The food lists were elaborated according to the methodology of the relative contribution of each item, identifying foods with the highest relative contribution for macronutrients, fiber, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and potassium. All foods whose contribution sum was up to 90% composed such lists. The final structure of the FFQ organized the food items in order to respect the mental image of the meals. RESULT The FFQ resulted in 83 food items, distributed in minimally processed, processed and ultra-processed. We chose the previous year as the time to estimate food consumption, and frequency options ranged from "never" to "10 times". The instrument includes guidelines for filling and collects data on serving sizes (small, medium, large and extra-large), as well as additional information on culinary preparations. There was a high percentage of people who were overweight (44.1%). CONCLUSION The study culminated in an FFQ to identify the frequency of consumption of foods considered protective and risk for NCDs. The instrument can support epidemiological studies that evaluate outcomes related to the diet of adults considering the level of food processing, in accordance with the Guia alimentar para a população brasileira .

RESUMO OBJETIVO Desenvolver um Questionário de Frequência Alimentar (QFA) quantitativo para adultos da região Nordeste do Brasil, com o fim de identificar a frequência de consumo de alimentos considerados de proteção e risco para doenças crônicas não transmissíveis (DCNT), agrupando os itens alimentares por nível de processamento. MÉTODOS Para desenvolver o QFA foram utilizados dados de 7.516 adultos do Nordeste do Brasil, extraídos da Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares 2008-2009. As listas de alimentos foram elaboradas segundo a metodologia da contribuição relativa do item, nas quais foram identificados os itens alimentares com maior contribuição relativa para macronutrientes, fibra, gordura saturada, gordura trans, sódio e potássio. Tais listas foram compostas de todos os alimentos cujo somatório de contribuição foi de até 90%. Na estrutura final do QFA, os itens alimentares foram organizados de modo a respeitar a imagem mental das refeições. RESULTADOS O QFA resultou em 83 itens alimentares, distribuídos em minimamente processados, processados e ultraprocessados. O ano anterior foi escolhido como tempo para estimar o consumo dos alimentos, e as opções de frequência variaram de "nunca" até "10 vezes". O instrumento inclui orientações para preenchimento e colhe dados sobre o tamanho das porções (pequena, média, grande e extragrande), bem como informações complementares sobre as preparações culinárias. Registrou-se um percentual elevado de pessoas com excesso de peso (44,1%). CONCLUSÃO O estudo culminou em um QFA para identificar a frequência de consumo de alimentos considerados de proteção e risco para DCNT. O instrumento pode subsidiar estudos epidemiológicos que avaliem desfechos relacionados à dieta de adultos considerando o nível de processamento de alimentos, em consonância com o Guia alimentar para a população brasileira .