EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT DESIGNS AND EXTENSION OF A FOOD FREQUENCY QUESTIONNAIRE ON RESPONSE RATE, COMPLETENESS OF DATA AND FOOD FREQUENCY RESPONSES

The authors studied how the introduction of several modifications to a basic food frequency questionnaire can influence the results of dietary surveys. Modifications covered eight combinations based on three levels: increasing versus decreasing order of frequency categories; questionnaires without versus with questions about portion sizes, and questionnaires without versus with extra non-dietary questions. The sample included 6783 women between the ages of 40 and 70 years who took part in mammography screening. The women were randomly assigned to one of the eight study groups. All of the women in each group received one of the eight differently modified questionnaires. The forms extended in length by extra non-dietary questions and portion size categories resulted in a 20% higher total non-response compared to the shorter basic form. Partial non-response was significantly lower for all four questionnaire types that included portion sizes. When portion sizes were included in the questionnaire, the reported mean frequency of consumption was significantly reduced for fat (-10 times per month), milk (-6), bread (-5), vegetables (-2) and fish (-0.4). The decreasing order of response to the frequency categories was associated with a statistically significant increase in the frequency responses for bread (2.6 times per month), vegetables (2) and fish (0.6). These data provide evidence that the design and extension of food frequency questionnaires influence the results of dietary studies.