» Articles » PMID: 12566492

Portion Size Adds Limited Information on Variance in Food Intake of Participants in the EPIC-Potsdam Study

Overview
Journal J Nutr
Publisher Elsevier
Date 2003 Feb 5
PMID 12566492
Citations 43
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) data should reflect interindividual variation and therefore measure variance in intake among populations. We conducted this analysis to evaluate the relevance of separate portion size questions to the interindividual variation in food intake. The contribution of portion size questions to the variance in food intake was quantified and compared with the variance when group-specific portion sizes would be assigned, using 26,764 FFQ of the European Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam Study. Groups were defined according to gender, age (<50 y, >/=50 y) or body mass index (BMI) (<26 kg/m(2), >/=26 kg/m(2)). The FFQ inquired about both consumption frequency and portion size. Linear regression models for each food item were fit with intake (g/d) as dependent variables and frequency of intake as independent variables. The mean coefficient of determination (R(2)) for the different food items explained by frequency only was 84.0% (71.2-95.7%). The R(2) for gender-, age- and BMI-specific frequencies of intake did not markedly alter the overall results. We conclude that the omission of individual portion size information would probably result in a notable reduction of interindividual variance. However, to reduce the respondents' burden and to increase data completeness in self-administration in large epidemiologic studies, the assignment of a constant portion size seems to be adequate. The variance was not increased markedly when constant gender-, age- and BMI-specific portion sizes were applied, thus supporting the assignment of an overall portion size.

Citing Articles

Comprehensive evaluation of diabetes subtypes in a European cohort reveals stronger differences of lifestyle, education and psychosocial parameters compared to metabolic or inflammatory factors.

Rohmann N, Epe J, Geisler C, Schlicht K, Turk K, Hartmann K Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2025; 24(1):99.

PMID: 40022072 PMC: 11871841. DOI: 10.1186/s12933-025-02660-5.


Associations of carbohydrate quality and cardiovascular risk factors vary among diabetes subtypes.

Weber K, Schlesinger S, Goletzke J, Strassburger K, Zaharia O, Trenkamp S Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2025; 24(1):53.

PMID: 39915806 PMC: 11804081. DOI: 10.1186/s12933-025-02580-4.


Plant food consumption and emotional well-being: the Helsinki Health Study among 19-39-year-old employees.

Mauramo E, Lallukka T, Kanerva N, Salmela J BMC Nutr. 2024; 10(1):169.

PMID: 39736779 PMC: 11687017. DOI: 10.1186/s40795-024-00981-4.


Metabolic and lifestyle factors accelerate disease onset and alter gut microbiome in inflammatory non-communicable diseases.

Rohmann N, Geese T, Nestel S, Schlicht K, Geisler C, Turk K BMC Med. 2024; 22(1):493.

PMID: 39449123 PMC: 11515311. DOI: 10.1186/s12916-024-03709-0.


Optimization of a Food List for Food Frequency Questionnaires Using Mixed Integer Linear Programming: A Proof of Concept Based on Data from the Second German National Nutrition Survey.

Blaurock J, Heuer T, Gedrich K Nutrients. 2023; 15(24).

PMID: 38140357 PMC: 10745589. DOI: 10.3390/nu15245098.