Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Introduction: Lifestyle information can help contextualize variation in the human gut microbiome, but its collection and operational definitions differ across studies. We developed a candidate questionnaire combining diet, physical activity and sleep for microbiome host metadata and undertook an initial appraisal by Italian experts. Candidate content was informed by a focused narrative literature appraisal and established lifestyle-assessment frameworks. Methods: Seventeen experts were invited and nine responded (53%). In a single anonymous rating round, experts assessed the relevance of 37 candidate items on a five-point scale. The prespecified agreement criterion was at least 70% of respondents assigning a rating of 4 or 5, corresponding to at least seven of nine experts. Results: Twenty-five items (67.6%) met this criterion: 18 of 23 dietary items (78.3%), six of eight physicalactivity items (75.0%), and one of six sleep items (16.7%). Twelve items remained exploratory. Discussion: These findings provide an initial prioritization of candidate lifestyle metadata within an Italian specialist network. They do not establish a stable iterative Delphi consensus, instrument reliability, construct validity, or associations between questionnaire responses and microbiome outcomes. Participant testing, operational refinement and empirical evaluation are required before research deployment or potential use in fecal microbiota transplantation donor characterization.
Authors: Andrea Rocchetti, Franca Gotta, Paolo Bottino, Daria Vay, Valentina Pizzo, Valerio Gugliotta, Alessandra Agnese Grossi, Valeria Besutti, Mario Bianchetti, Elisa Bona, Ignazio Castagliuolo, Marta Corbella, Antonio Gasbarrini, Antonella Marangoni, Luca Masucci, Maria Vittoria Mauro, Lorenza Putignani, Gianluca Quaranta, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Lorenzo Drago
Institutions: Azienda Ospedaliera Nazionale SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro”, University of Insubria, Azienda Ospedale - Università Padova, Ospedale San Giuseppe, University of Padua, Policlinico San Matteo Fondazione, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic, University of Bologna, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Link Campus University, University of Milan, MultiMedica
Language: English
Topic: Gut microbiota and health
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7223089015