Entwicklung, Validierung und Ergebnisse eines Kurzfragebogens zur Erfassung der alimentären Zufuhr heterozyklischer aromatischer Amine sowie der Zubereitungsmethoden von Fleisch und Fisch

Abstract

Development, validation, and results of a short questionnaire to assess the dietary intake of heterocyclic aromatic amines as well as the cooking methods of meat and fish

Background: Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCA) are formed from precursors in meat and fish (creatinine, sugar, amino acids) during cooking at temperatures higher than 130°C. In several case-control studies HCA intake was associated with elevated cancer risk. The use of a specially designed questionnaire is essential to assess the dietary intake of HCA. It was the aim of this study to develop and validate a short questionnaire that assesses the intake of HCA as well as the cooking methods of meat and fish.

Methods: We first developed a longer instrument asking for the consumption of 11 meat and fish items and different preparation methods (fried, roasted, grilled). To assess the HCA intake quantitatively, the degree of browning of these foods was assessed with the help of photos. This questionnaire was sent to 500 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) in Heidelberg. By means of 385 completed questionnaires, a short questionnaire was developed covering just seven food items. Of the 385 short questionnaires 344 returned within 4 months. The total intake of HCA as well as the intake of different HCA (PhIP, MeIQx, DiMeIQx) were calculated and compared between both versions.

Results: The intake of total HCA amounted to 103 ng/day as assessed with the short version, the intake of PhIP, MeIQx, and DiMeIQx were 63, 34, and 2 ng/day, respectively. These results did not differ significantly from those obtained from the longer version. Spearman rank correlation coefficient between the long and the short version was 0.5 for total HCA, 0.46 for PhIP, 0.58 for DiMeIQx, and 0.6 for MeIQx. In a quintile's cross-classification 70-78% of the participants were assigned into the same or an adjacent quintile, categorisation into opposite quintiles was <=3.5%.

Conclusion: The short version of the HCA questionnaire demonstrates a good validity in comparison to a longer version. The intake of HCA as assessed with the short questionnaire is comparable to other studies using a short questionnaire. According to these results, the short questionnaire can be used to further examine whether HCA intake is related to cancer risk.