Using food frequency questionnaire in past dietary intake assessment

This paper aims to discuss which one is the best estimator of post diet: a retrospective report or a recent diet recall. The analysis included 13 arti cles published between 1984-1997 and selected from a MEDLINE search and fro m other reviews on this subject. The selection criterion was the use of a f ood frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in a validation study of retrospective re port of dietary intake br remote past. Literature review shows that even ta king into account misclassification, retrospective report of diet usually y ields to a more reliable estimate of past diet pattern than current report. Past diet recall was strongly influenced by current intake and by diet pat terns change. Analyzed investigations indicate that agreement between origi nal and retrospective report was higher either for foods eaten rarely or fr equently and lower for foods moderately consumed. This rrl review allows co nsidering the FFQ as a a valuable instrument when studying the role of diet on the etiology of chronic diseases.