Dietary assessment of an educated young Spanish population using a self-administered meal-based food frequency questionnaire

In this study a self-administered meal-based semi-quantitative food frequen cy questionnaire was developed, whose main aim was to classify individuals by their intake of food groups and nutrients. The respondents (205 final pa rticipants) from the target population were recruited from students and sta ff of the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Castilla-La Mancha in C iudad Real (Spain). The validity of the questionnaire was assessed in compa rison with a four-day weighed diet record on a subset group of participants (n = 38). Results of the calibration study were similar to those reported in the literature, showing a reasonable correlation between the two methods . To improve dietary habits of the target population, an effective nutritio nal education programme should stress the importance of increasing consumpt ion of food groups rich in starch and reducing those containing high level of proteins, sugars, fat and cholesterol.