Researchers from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) developed sum scores for the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) from adult participants. The FFQ consists of one basic questionnaire covering the macronutrient intake (heart of the flower) which has been assessed at 1A and three shorter questionnaires (the petals) covering (micro)nutrients assessed at 1B, 1C, and 2A. (sections: nutrition (Flower FFQ) and secondary & linked variables))

The FFQ sum scores can be requested in the Lifelines catalogue or by email (data@lifelines.nl).
REFERENCE ARTICLE NEEDED?

A Food Frequency Questionnaire consists of a foodlist with a frequency response section for subjects to report how often each item was consumed over a specified period of time (in this case: one month). Data collection is therefore retrospective. From the answers given in a FFQ, nutrient intake can be estimated by calculations made with computerized software programs that multiply the reported frequency of each food item by the amount of nutrient in a serving of that food. A reference database is used to establish the nutrient content of each food item. FFQ data are assumed to be representative of habitual intake and can be used to rank individuals according to intake. REFERENCE 1

LifeLines participants aged 18 years and older complete four questionnaires on their food intake: one main questionnaire at baseline to estimate energy and macronutrient intake and three questionnaires on specific (micro)nutrients, i.e. a questionnaire on b-vitamins (questionnaire A), one on fatty acids (questionnaire B), and a vitamin ACE questionnaire (questionnaire C). The information from the questionnaires on specific nutrients can only be interpreted by combining this information with the information from the main questionnaire at baseline. The main questionnaire is needed to make the calculations for the nutrient-specific questionnaires. The nutrients in the specific questionnaires were selected because of their possible relation to the metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases, respiratory diseases and psychiatric diseases, which are all important aspects with regard to healthy aging. All four questionnaires were developed by the Division of Human Nutrition of Wageningen University located in Wageningen, The Netherlands. For more information on how the nutrients of interest were selected and how the questionnaires were developed, please see the paper by De Kort et al REFERENCE 2.

From the food intake as reported in the total FFQ, the following information was calculated:

1. The intake in grams of all foods included in the FFQ per person per day.
2. The energy, macronutrients and micronutrients delivered by these foods.
3. The total energy, macronutrient and micronutrients intake per person per day.

The WUR researchers listed the following points of attention:

• Extreme values have not been corrected: Answers given to general questions on the diet as included in each FFQ questionnaire may be used to explain extreme values, but they have not been used to correct for extreme values in any way. It is up to individual researchers to include or exclude participants with extreme values in their analyses.
• Not all missing values are treated equally: When frequency of consumption is missing the whole question cannot be interpreted and data for this food are not included in the calculations of total nutrient intake. Resulting in the possibility of underestimation of total daily intake of some nutrients for this participants. When the number of servings and/or the food items consumed are missing, standard answers are used for calculations (according to the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey 1998). Because these are standard answers established for the whole population, the consumption of the food in grams per day and the intake of certain nutrients may be over- or underestmiated.

* All FFQ sum scores included as assessment 'sec' as the sum scores include several assessments.