Work

Evaluating nutritional and food cost assessments: cash-register receipts may be an alternative for FFQs – accuracy and feasibility in a dietary study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Objective: Comparing two dietary cost measurements at the individual level: 'Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and supermarkets prices' with 'cash-register-receipts-items'. Design: participants completed a diet-specific online FFQ. Setting: A Vegan Israeli Study substudy. Participants: 30 participants were recruited using advertisements on social media. Main outcome measure: Average diet cost, energy and nutrients consumption, generated by: (1) items on receipts; (2) online FFQ with supermarkets prices. Analysis: Examining correlations between methods and generating Bland-Altman graphs. Results: Agreement between measurement tools increased when 'eating-away-from-home' dietary costs were omitted from the analysis, from differences of 1453 New Israeli Shekel (NIS)/28 days (414 US$/28 days) higher to 1010 NIS/28-days (288 US$/28days) lower compared with differences of 756 NIS/28 days (215 US$/28 days) higher to 1159 NIS/28 days (330 US$/28 days) lower. Moreover, the Pearson correlation between methods, which was r=0.29 (p=0.13), increased to r=0.52 (p<0.0042). Finally, Pearson correlations between questionnaire-based and receipt-based nutrients were: energy=0.58 (p=0.001); protein=0.46 (p=0.012); fat=0.50 (p=0.005); carbohydrates=0.76 (p<0.001); calcium=0.46 (p=0.012); and iron=0.37 (p=0.049). Conclusions and implications: The dietary cost of the 'FFQ-and-supermarket-prices' method is more strongly correlated and agreeable with the 'cash-register-receipts-items' method when 'eating-away-from-home' items are omitted, indicating that 'eating-away-from-home' costs are poorly estimated when using the standard 'FFQ-and-supermarket-prices' method. Finally, estimating energy, carbohydrates, protein, fat, calcium and iron using 'cash-register-receipts-items' is feasible.

Source: BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health

DOI: 10.1136/bmjnph-2024-001145

Authors: Idan Hollander, Kerem Avital, Uri Goldbourt, Assaf Buch

Institutions: Tel Aviv University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Ariel University

Language: English

Topic: Nutritional Studies and Diet

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Zero hunger, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,839