Evaluation of the online Beverage Frequency Questionnaire (BFQ)

Abstract

BackgroundThe contribution of beverages to overall diet is of increasing interest to researchers and policymakers, particularly in terms of consumption of drinks high in added sugars; however, few tools to assess beverage intake have been developed and evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the relative validity of a new online Beverage Frequency Questionnaire (BFQ) among young adults in Canada.MethodsA cross-sectional relative validation study was conducted among young adults aged 16–30 years (n = 50). Participants completed a 17-item BFQ, a 7-day food record (7dFR), and a single-item measure of sugary drink intake. Pearson correlations and paired t-tests were used to evaluate correlation and agreement between the measures for 17 individual beverage categories, total drink consumption, total alcoholic beverage consumption, and two definitions of drinks with excess sugars. Cognitive interviews were conducted to examine participant interpretation and comprehensiveness of the BFQ.ResultsEstimates of beverage intake based on the BFQ and the 7dFR were highly correlated, specifically for the total number and volume of beverages consumed, total alcoholic beverage consumption, sugary drink intake, and each of the 17 beverage categories with 3 exceptions: coffee or tea with sugar or cream, specialty coffees, and hard alcohol with caloric mix. Paired t-tests between the BFQ and the 7dFR indicated that the average reported volume was significantly different only for sweetened fruit drinks. The single-item measure of sugary beverage intake was not significantly correlated with the 7dFR. Cognitive interviewing demonstrated high comprehension levels, and confirmed the appropriateness of the BFQ beverage categories and sizes.ConclusionsOverall, the results suggest that the BFQ performed well relative to a 7dFR and had high usability among this study population, indicating its promise for collecting population-level data on beverage intake, including sugar-sweetened beverages, which are known indicators of diet and health.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12937-018-0380-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Relationship between Self-Reported Exposure to Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Promotions and Intake: Cross-Sectional Analysis of the 2017 International Food Policy Study

“…Unlike existing literature that tends to focus on specific forms of promotion (for example, television advertising [27]), we included a broad range of promotion exposures. Using the validated BFQ [33] increased the internal validity of our results. However, recruitment using non-probability sampling limited the ability of our analyses to provide nationally representative findings, as did sociodemographic differences between participants in the total and analytical sample.…”

“…The seven-day Beverage Frequency Questionnaire (BFQ) included in the study was used to derive an SSB consumption variable. The BFQ is a validated mode of dietary recall [33], which uses photographs to prompt respondents to recall the number and size of 22 types of drinks, including caloric and non-caloric, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. First, participants were asked to report the number of drinks they had consumed within each beverage category in the past 7 days.…”

Nonalcoholic and Alcoholic Beverage Intakes by Adults across 5 Upper-Middle- and High-Income Countries

“…Beverage intake was examined using the Beverage Frequency Questionnaire (BFQ) ( 32 ), adapted for each country. A version of the BFQ has been examined relative to 7-d food records among young adults aged 16–30 y in Canada, showing moderate to high correlation and agreement between estimates of frequency of consumption and total volume of each of the beverage categories consumed for 14 of 17 beverage categories (between 0.46 and 0.91 for the number of drinks, 0.48 and 0.95 for volume) and lower correlation for 3 of 17 categories (coffee with cream or sugar, specialty coffee, and hard alcohol with no mix) ( 32 ).…”

“…A version of the BFQ has been examined relative to 7-d food records among young adults aged 16–30 y in Canada, showing moderate to high correlation and agreement between estimates of frequency of consumption and total volume of each of the beverage categories consumed for 14 of 17 beverage categories (between 0.46 and 0.91 for the number of drinks, 0.48 and 0.95 for volume) and lower correlation for 3 of 17 categories (coffee with cream or sugar, specialty coffee, and hard alcohol with no mix) ( 32 ). The BFQ had moderate to good correlations for aggregate categories of SSBs (0.53 for the number of drinks and 0.54 for volume), sugary drinks (0.63 for the number of drinks and 0.55 for volume), alcoholic beverages (0.58 for the number of drinks and 0.78 for volume), and all drinks (0.62 for the number of drinks and 0.59 for volume) ( 32 ). The BFQ used in the current study was modified from the original BFQ to examine frequency of intake of 22 beverage categories over the past 7 d. Categories were based on commonly and episodically consumed beverages.…”

Support for, and perceived effectiveness of, the UK soft drinks industry levy among UK adults: cross-sectional analysis of the International Food Policy Study

“…The Beverage Frequency Questionnaire is a 7-day food record that assesses consumption for 17 beverage categories, including caloric and non-caloric beverages 24. For each beverage category, respondents report the number of drinks and the usual portion size, using category-specific images of beverage containers, adapted from the ASA24 dietary recall 25.…”