Validation of the Online version of the Previous Day Food Questionnaire for schoolchildren / Validação da versão Online do Questionário Alimentar do Dia Anterior para Escolares

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the validity of the web-based version of the Previous Day Food Questionnaire Online for schoolchildren from the 2nd to 5th grades of elementary school. Methods Participants were 312 schoolchildren aged 7 to 12 years of a public school from the city of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Validity was assessed by sensitivity, specificity, as well as by agreement rates (match, omission, and intrusion rates) of food items reported by children on the Previous Day Food Questionnaire Online, using direct observation of foods/beverages eaten during school meals (mid-morning snack or afternoon snack) on the previous day as the reference. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the influence of participants' characteristics on omission and intrusion rates. Results The results showed adequate sensitivity (67.7%) and specificity (95.2%). There were low omission and intrusion rates of 22.8% and 29.5%, respectively when all food items were analyzed. Pizza/hamburger showed the highest omission rate, whereas milk and milk products showed the highest intrusion rate. The participants who attended school in the afternoon shift presented a higher probability of intrusion compared to their peers who attended school in the morning. Conclusion The Previous Day Food Questionnaire Online possessed satisfactory validity for the assessment of food intake at the group level in schoolchildren from the 2nd to 5th grades of public school.

RESUMO Objetivo Avaliar a validade da versão baseada na Internet do Questionário Alimentar do Dia Anterior (Online) para escolares do segundo ao quinto ano do ensino fundamental. Métodos Participaram do estudo 312 escolares de 7 a 12 anos de uma escola pública de Florianópolis, Santa Catarina. A validade foi testada pela sensibilidade, especificidade e taxas de concordância (acertos, omissões e intrusões) dos itens alimentares relatados no Questionário Alimentar do Dia Anterior Online, usando a observação direta dos alimentos consumidos no lanche escolar do dia anterior como padrão de referência. Análise de regressão logística multivariada multinomial foi conduzida para avaliar a influência de fatores relacionados aos participantes nas taxas de omissão e intrusão. Resultados Os resultados apontaram adequada sensibilidade (67,7%) e especificidade expressiva (95,2%). As taxas de omissão e de intrusão foram baixas, 22,8% e 29,5%, respectivamente, quando considerados todos os itens alimentares. O item pizza/hambúrguer exibiu a maior taxa de omissão, enquanto os laticínios apresentaram a maior taxa de intrusão. Escolares que frequentavam a escola no turno vespertino apresentaram maior probabilidade de intrusões de itens alimentares comparados aos escolares do turno matutino. Conclusão O Questionário Alimentar do Dia Anterior Online apresentou validade satisfatória para a análise do consumo alimentar em nível de grupo de escolares do segundo ao quinto ano de escola pública.

Differential Impact of Parental BMI and Diet on Overweight and Obesity in Young School Children in Southern Brazil.

Aims: To analyze simultaneous impact of biological, socioeconomic and behavioral determinants of excess weight in schoolchildren. Study Design: Cross-sectional study based on a representative sample of schoolchildren from 2nd to 5th grades of elementary school. Place and Duration of Study: City of Florianopolis, Brazil, 2007. Methodology: A representative sample of 1232 schoolchildren aged 7-10 years had their weight and height measured. Their diet and physical activity, as well as parental height, weight and income were all self-reported. Multinomial regression analysis was used to allow for differential impact of child diet on overweight without obesity versus obesity. Results: Different food groups were associated with overweight without obesity compared to obesity and some of these were gender-specific. Maternal BMI modified these associations to some extent and exerted highly significant influence on child nutritional status both for overweight and obesity, whereas paternal BMI was significant only for the latter. Physical activity and family socioeconomic status had a limited impact once parental BMI was taken into account. Conclusion: Some markers of unhealthy diet are specific to gender and to the level of excess weight in young schoolchildren. Maternal BMI is one of the key determinants of excess weight in schoolchildren.