Minimum dietary diversity for women of reproductive age (MDD-W) was validated as a population-level proxy of micronutrient adequacy, with indicator data collection proposed as either list-based or open recall. No study has assessed the validity of these two non-quantitative proxy methods against weighed food records (WFR). We assessed the measurement agreement of list-based and open recall methods as compared to WFR (i.e., reference method of individual quantitative dietary assessment) for achieving MDD-W and an ordinal food group diversity score. Applying a non-inferiority design, data were collected from non-pregnant women of reproductive age in Cambodia (n = 430), Ethiopia (n = 431), and Zambia (n = 476). For the pooled sample (n = 1337), proportions achieving MDD-W from both proxy methods were compared to WFR proportion by McNemar’s chi-square tests, Cohen’s kappa, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Ordinal food group diversity (0–10) was compared by Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank tests, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), and weighted kappa. MDD-W food groups that were most frequently misreported (i.e., type I and II errors) by the proxy methods were determined. Our findings indicate statistically significant differences in proportions achieving MDD-W, ordinal food group diversity scores, and ROC curves between both proxy methods and WFR (p < 0.001). List-based and open recall methods overreported women achieving MDD-W by 16 and 10 percentage points, respectively, as compared to WFR (proportion achieving MDD-W: 30%). ICC values between list-based or open recall and WFR were 0.50 and 0.55, respectively. Simple and weighted kappa values both indicated moderate agreement between list-based or open recall against WFR. Food groups most likely to be misreported using proxy methods were beans and peas, dark green leafy vegetables, vitamin A-rich fruit and vegetables, and other fruits. Our study provides statistical evidence for overreporting of both list-based and open recall methods for assessing prevalence of MDD-W or ordinal food group diversity score in women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries. Operationalizing MDD-W through qualitative recall methods should consider potential trade-offs between accuracy and simplicity.

ObjectiveTo examine the associations of partial and comprehensive smoke-free legislation with neonatal and infant mortality in Brazil using a quasi-experimental study design.DesignMonthly longitudinal (panel) ecological study from January 2000 to December 2016.SettingAll Brazilian municipalities (n=5565).ParticipantsInfant populations.InterventionSmoke-free legislation in effect in each municipality and month. Legislation was encoded as basic (allowing smoking areas), partial (segregated smoking rooms) or comprehensive (no smoking in public buildings). Associations were quantified by immediate step and longer term slope/trend changes in outcomes.Statistical analysesMunicipal-level linear fixed-effects regression models.Main outcomes measuresInfant and neonatal mortality.ResultsImplementation of partial smoke-free legislation was associated with a −3.3 % (95% CI −6.2% to −0.4%) step reduction in the municipal infant mortality rate, but no step change in neonatal mortality. Comprehensive smoke-free legislation implementation was associated with −5.2 % (95% CI −8.3% to −2.1%) and −3.4 % (95% CI −6.7% to −0.1%) step reductions in infant and neonatal mortality, respectively, and a −0.36 (95% CI −0.66 to−0.06) annual decline in the infant mortality rate. We estimated that had all smoke-free legislation introduced since 2004 been comprehensive, an additional 10 091 infant deaths (95% CI 1196 to 21 761) could have been averted.ConclusionsStrengthening smoke-free legislation in Brazil is associated with improvements in infant health outcomes—particularly under comprehensive legislation. Governments should accelerate implementation of comprehensive smoke-free legislation to protect infant health and achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal three.

OBJETIVO Descrever o escore Nova de consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados e avaliar seu potencial para refletir, no contexto brasileiro, a participação desses alimentos na dieta. MÉTODOS Estudo realizado na cidade de São Paulo com amostra de conveniência de 300 adultos, que responderam, em cerca de três minutos, em um tablet, a um questionário eletrônico de autorrelato sobre o consumo, no dia anterior, de 23 subgrupos de alimentos ultraprocessados comumente consumidos no Brasil. O escore de cada participante correspondeu ao número de subgrupos reportados. A participação de alimentos ultraprocessados no consumo alimentar do mesmo dia, expressa como percentual da ingestão total de energia, foi calculada por meio das respostas dos participantes a recordatório alimentar completo de 24 horas aplicado em cerca de 30 minutos por nutricionistas treinados. A associação entre o escore e a participação de ultraprocessados na dieta foi estudada por modelos de regressão linear. A concordância na classificação dos participantes segundo quintos do escore e quintos da participação de alimentos ultraprocessados na dieta foi avaliada pelo índice Pabak. RESULTADOS O percentual médio de participação de alimentos ultraprocessados na dieta aumentou linear e significativamente com o aumento do escore Nova de consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados. Observou-se concordância substancial na classificação dos participantes segundo quintos da distribuição do escore e quintos da distribuição do percentual de participação de alimentos ultraprocessados na dieta (índice Pabak = 0,67). Relação inversa da idade com a frequência de consumo relativamente elevado de alimentos ultraprocessados (quinto superior da distribuição) foi observada tanto para o escore quanto para a participação de alimentos ultraprocessados na dieta. CONCLUSÃO O escore Nova de consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados, obtido de forma rápida e prática, apresenta bom potencial para refletir, no contexto brasileiro, a participação desses alimentos na dieta.

Objectives The objective of this research was to develop and test a low-burden method to gather diet quality data that is comparable across countries, consistently implemented, and easily understood by respondents. A common method for collecting dietary diversity data consists of open-ended food group questions, e.g., Yesterday, did you eat any porridge, bread, rice, pastaor otherfoods made from grains? Our hypotheses were (1) the majority of consumption of each food group could be represented by a few foods in each country setting (sentinel foods); (2) respondents who did not eat the listed examples might misclassify other foods they ate as belonging to the same food group. We sought to refine the method by modifying each question to be closed-ended. Methods We developed a 26-item diet quality questionnaire (DQ-Q), where each yes/no question asks about consumption of a distinct food group in the previous day or night. We tested the first hypothesis using 24-hour nationally representative dietary intake data from Brazil (Individual Food Intake Survey 2008–2009) and the United States (NHANES 2009–2014). We categorized each food and beverage item into the 26 food groups of the DQ-Q, and identified the most commonly consumed foods in each. Individuals were categorized according to whether they had consumed at least one item in each food group (1) or not (0). We tested the second hypothesis through 82 cognitive interviews in five languages São Paulo and New York City, in which we compared responses to closed-ended sentinel food questions to open-ended food group questions. Results On average, 1–7 sentinel foods captured 96–97% of people who consumed each food group (range 85–100%). Respondents in both countries sometimes miscategorized foods when asked open-ended food group questions, and open-ended questions presented an additional cognitive burden. The DQ-Q took 3–5 minutes to administer. Conclusions The DQ-Q is a rapid low-burden method to collect diet quality data. Closed-ended questions using sentinel foods capture the vast majority of consumption and are better understood by respondents than open-ended list-based methods, for measuring dietary diversity and other aspects of diet related to NCD risk. Funding Sources Funding for this work was provided by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).