Lack of efficacy of a food-frequency questionnaire in assessing dietary macronutrient intakes in subjects consuming diets of known composition

Background: We compared the validity of a semiquantitative food-frequency q uestionnaire in assessing intakes of macronutrients (absolute amounts and p ercentages of energy) by 19 subjects fed natural-food diets of known compos ition. In small subsets (n = 5 or 6), we also tested 3-d diet records. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of f ood-frequency questionnaires and diet records in subjects fed natural-food diets of known composition. Design: Each subject consumed 3 different diets for 16 wk and self-reported his or her food intake by using a food-frequency questionnaire and a diet record. The diets varied in their chemically analyzed contents of fat (15-3 5% energy), saturated fat (5-14%), monounsaturated fat (5-14.5%), polyunsat urated fat (2.5-10.5%), carbohydrate (49-68%), and cholesterol (108-348 mg/ d). Results: The food-frequency questionnaire significantly underestimated fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and protein intakes and significantly overestimated carbohydrate intake with the high-fat diet. The percentage of energy from fat was significantly underestimated for the high-fat diet and significantly overestimated for the Very-low-fat diet. Estimates from the food-frequency questionnaire differed significantly from actual intakes for fat (absolute and percentage), saturated fat (absolute and percentage), mo nounsaturated fat (absolute and percentage), and protein (percentage) in th e high-fat diet and for polyunsaturated fat (absolute and percentage), satu rated fat (percentage), fiber (absolute), and cholesterol (daily absolute; in mg/d) in the lower-fat diet. Estimates from the diet records better agre ed with actual intakes than did estimates from the food-frequency questionn aire except for monounsaturated fat (absolute and percentage) in the high-f at diet and polyunsaturated fat (percentage) in the lower-fat diet and the very-low-fat diet. Conclusion: Our data indicated that the food-frequency questionnaire did no t provide reliable estimates of absolute amounts of dietary fats or cholest erol.