Food Frequency Questionnaires Validated in Brazil: A Scoping Review

TL;DR

This scoping review maps food frequency questionnaires validated for the Brazilian population, highlighting regional and demographic variations.

Contribution

The study compiles validated FFQs for Brazil, emphasizing regional and population-specific dietary assessments.

Findings

Validated FFQs are available for children, adults, and women across Brazil.

Research on food consumption is unevenly distributed across Brazilian regions.

There is a need for FFQs that better reflect regional eating habits.

Abstract

To map food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) validated for the Brazilian population.

This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses for Scoping (PRISMA‐ScR) guidelines and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). Studies that validated FFQs specifically for the Brazilian population were included. These instruments assessed the intake of energy, nutrients, foods and food groups. Review articles and studies that did not focus on FFQ validation for Brazil or its populations were excluded. A search of articles published up to June 2025 was conducted in the PubMed/MEDLINE, LILACS, Embase, Web of Science (ISI), Scopus and Google Scholar databases.

A total of 69 articles were identified, dating back to the late 1990s: Southeast (n = 35), South (n = 12), Northeast (n = 10), Central‐West (n = 4), North (n = 1) and studies covering two or more regions or populations (n = 7). The FFQs were validated in populations of children and adolescents (n = 18), adults and older adults (n = 36) and women (n = 15). These studies differed in terms of food list size, portion size and the number of frequency categories.

Compiling and disseminating FFQs validated in Brazil will improve their use in clinical practice and provide a valuable resource for designing future research on food consumption.

Food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) validated for the Brazilian population, according to regions, dietary intake and target populations.

Validated FFQs are available for a wide range of age groups.Research on food consumption is unevenly distributed across Brazil.There is a need for FFQs that reflect the unique eating habits in certain regions.

Validated FFQs are available for a wide range of age groups.

Research on food consumption is unevenly distributed across Brazil.

There is a need for FFQs that reflect the unique eating habits in certain regions.

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