Description

The Culturally Appropriate Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (QFFQ) was developed to assess dietary intake among Inuvialuit communities in the Northwest Territories of Canada. This population-specific tool captures long-term dietary intake patterns, including both market foods and traditional foods, with sensitivity to local practices, language, and food preparation methods. By incorporating culturally relevant food models, recipes, and a locally adapted food composition table, the QFFQ enables accurate assessment of nutrient intake, monitoring of dietary changes, and investigation of diet–disease relationships in Indigenous Arctic populations.

AI/AN Communities where the measure has been used

Inuvialuit in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada; 3 remote communities in the Northwest Territories (Beaufort Delta region) – Inuvialuit in Arctic Canada

Demographics of AI/AN participants where the scale has been used

  • Inuvialuit adults (≥19 years of age) in remote communities
  • Pregnant and breastfeeding women excluded due to different nutritional requirements
  • The household member primarily responsible for food preparation was targeted for participation

Notes on adaptations or modifications

N/A

Modality and administration

Self-report; Administered by trained local Inuvialuit interviewers, certified by study investigators. Interviews conducted in English or Inuvialuktun (with bilingual interviewers and translators). Participants completed the QFFQ with support from interviewers and culturally relevant food models (3-D models, household units, store packets)

Scoring

  • 145 items, including 41 traditional foods and 8 frequency categories ranging from “never” to “2+ times per day”
  • Reported frequencies converted into mean daily consumption
  • Portion weights (grams) derived from food models and recipes, then multiplied by frequency to estimate daily intakes
  • Nutrient intakes calculated using a culturally specific food composition table (recipes + Canadian database in NutriBase Clinical Nutrition Manager)

Psychometric evidence

Not explicitly reported in the cited studies; described as culturally valid and appropriate for Inuvialuit populations.

Citation(s)

  • Sharma, S., De Roose, E., Cao, X., Pokiak, A., Gittelsohn, J., & Corriveau, A. (2009). Dietary Intake in a Population Undergoing a Rapid Transition in Diet and Lifestyle: The Inuvialuit in the Northwest Territories of Arctic Canada. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 100(6), 442–448.
  • Kolahdooz, F., Butler, L., Lupu, M., Sheehy, T., Corriveau, A., & Sharma, S. (2014). Assessment of dietary intake among Inuvialuit in Arctic Canada using a locally developed quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 33(2), 147–154. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2013.874890

Disclaimer: The included citations are not exhaustive, but represent the examples we had access to. If you are an original author or have other work that could be included here, please contact us.