ASSOCIATION OF FOOD FREQUENCY QUESTIONNAIRE ESTIMATES OF VITAMIN A INTAKE WITH SERUM VITAMIN A LEVELS

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Abstract
To assess the validity of nutrient intake estimates from a food frequency questionnaire, the authors compared estimates of intake of preformed retinol (dietary plus supplements), β-carotene, other active carotenoids, and total vitamin A computed from questionnaire responses with serum retinoid and carotenoid concentrations. Data were obtained from 302 male and female current or former smokers, participants in a lung cancer chemoprevention trial at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, during 1985–1986. Both serum β-carotene and serum a-carotene were associated, although weakly, with food frequency estimates of total vitamin A intake, dietary vitamin A, β-carotene, other carotenoids, and total carotenoids (0.18≤ r≤0.26). Serum retinol was associated with supplementary vitamin A intake (r=0.16). Nondietary factors were also associated with serum nutrient concentrations—in particular, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, and body mass index. Cigarette smoking emerged as an important modifying factor of the relation between serum β-carotene and dietary β-carotene (r=0.14 for current smokers, r=0.30 for former smokers).