PhD Student Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine Mineral, Virginia, United States
Abstract: Background – A Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) is a tool used by human nutrition researchers to estimate the average intake of food in a population of people. One has never been validated in veterinary research.
Hypothesis/Objectives – To validate the Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire used by the Dog Aging Project (DAP) to collect dietary information for the prospective cohort study.
Animals – 1236 DAP participating dogs.
Methods – A stratified random sample of 3043 Dog Aging Project participants consuming eight different diet types was taken. Participants who had completed a dietary questionnaire (FFQ) were invited to retake it (FFQ retest) and then document their pet's food consumption over three days using a food diary (FD). The food items reported on the FDs were categorized according to daily equivalent frequency (DEF), and the DEFs for the FFQ, retest, and food diary were compared using Spearman rank coefficient, intraclass correlation coefficient, and the Wilcoxon Rank Sum test.
Results – Of the 3043 participants invited, 1236 completed both the retake questionnaire and the 3-day food diary. The FFQ accurately records Primary Diet Component, Secondary Diet Component, meats, fruits, and treats. Reported vegetable and dairy intake was less reliable.
Conclusions and Clinical Importance – This is the first time a FFQ has been validated for dogs using the same methods and standards applied in human nutrition epidemiology. This work will be instrumental for any future researchers using DAP data, and this FFQ will have applications beyond research.
