Dietary assessment of an educated young Spanish population using a self-administered meal-based food frequency questionnaire

In this study a self-administered meal-based semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was developed, whose main aim was to classify individuals by their intake of food groups and nutrients. The respondents (205 final participants) from the target population were recruited from students and staff of the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Ciudad Real (Spain). The validity of the questionnaire was assessed in comparison with a four-day weighed diet record on a subset group of participants (n = 38). Results of the calibration study were similar to those reported in the literature, showing a reasonable correlation between the two methods. To improve dietary habits of the target population, an effective nutritional education programme should stress the importance of increasing consumption of food groups rich in starch and reducing those containing high level of proteins, sugars, fat and cholesterol.