Construcción de un cuestionario de frecuencia de consumo semicuantitativo para adultos ecuatorianos, 2020

Abstract

The objective of this research was to build a semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) for Ecuadorian adults. It is a cross-sectional, observational and multicenter research. Two hundred and forty – seven (247) adults were selected, from which ninety – eight (98) were men and a hundred and forty – nine (149) were women between 19 and 64 years old. The exclusion criteria were participants <19 years old or >64 years old, adults residing outside Ecuadorian territory, and those who had an energy intake <600 kcal or >6000 kcal. A 24-hour reminder was applied to outpatients who attended nutritional consultation in different hospitals in the country, and who agreed to participate voluntarily. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics through the SPSS statistical program. For the design of the questionnaire, the Blocks method was used based on the intake of 95% of energy, macronutrients and micronutrients. A questionnaire of 131 foods grouped into seven food groups was obtained, with eight consumption frequency options (never/almost never, 1-3 times/month, 1 time/week, 2-4 times/week, 5-6 times). /week, 1 time/day, 2-3 times/day, more than 3 times/day) and a box with measurements (found at home) and portions in grams for each food. In conclusion, it was possible to develop a more or less extensive semi-quantitative FFQ adapted to the economic, social and cultural conditions of the population studied. It can be applied to adults from 19 to 64 years of age from the three regions: Coast, Highland and Amazon regions of Ecuador. It may assess the habitual diet and estimate the nutrient intake in a population similar to that of this study once it has been validated.