Validation of a food frequency questionnaire for assessing macronutrient and calcium intake in adult Pakistani population

To develop and validate a food frequency table [FFQ] for use in urban Pakistani population. A validation study. The Aga Khan University, Karachi, from June to November 2008. Healthy adult females, aged >/= 18 years who consented to be included in the study were inducted, while males, unhealthy females, aged below 18 years or who did not consent were excluded. The FFQ was administered once while 4, 24 hours recalls spread over a period of one year were administered as the reference method. Daily intakes for energy, protein, fat, and calcium intake were estimated for both the tools. Crude and energy adjusted correlations for nutrient intakes were computed for the FFQ and mean of 4, 24 hours recalls and serum N-telopeptide of type-I collagen [NTx]. The correlation coefficients for the FFQ with mean of 4, 24 hours recall ranged from 0.21 for protein to 0.36 for calcium, while the correlation for nutrient estimates from the FFQ with NTx ranged from -0.07 for calcium to 0.01 for energy. Highly significant correlations were found for nutrient intakes estimated from the FFQ vs. those estimated from the mean of 4, 24 hours recalls but no correlations was found between nutrient estimates from the FFQ and serum NTx levels. FFQ was concluded to be a valid tool for assessing dietary intake of adult females in Pakistan.

Illuminating the dark side - vitamin d status in different localities of karachi

This study was conducted to determine the association between place of residence [grouped into neighbourhoods], and 25-hydroxy D [25[OH]D] levels of individuals of Karachi. Addresses of 4788 individuals tested for 25[OH]D at the clinical laboratory of the Aga Khan University [AKU], Karachi, from January 2007 to June 2008 were reviewed. The neighbourhoods were categorized into ten, based on locality attributes. A high overall prevalence [74%] of vitamin D deficiency [VDD] was observed. There was a significant difference [p-value < 0.01] between mean log 25[OH]D levels amongst neighbourhoods grouped according to distinct housing structure attributes and localities. A high frequency of VDD in all the studied localities of an urban city warrant dietary vitamin D supplementation and food fortification