Reliability of a Food Frequency Questionnaire in the Assessment of Dietary Intake Including FODMAPs in Different Populations, and Relationship With IBS Symptoms and the Degree of Self-assessed Physical Activity

Reliability of a Food Frequency Questionnaire in the Assessment of Dietary Intake Including FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols) in Different Populations, and Relationship With IBS (Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome) Symptoms and the Degree of Self-assessed Physical Activity

During an online assessment participants will fill in questionnaires evaluating demographic data, psychological variables, the degree of self-assessed physical activity and symptoms of irritable bowel. Dietary intake will be assessed by a newly developed food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and a 4 days food diary. In order to validate the FFQ in different populations, participants will be recruited from university students, staff of UZ Brussel and VUB, and from the community by advertisement (including social media). IBS patients will be recruited from the gastro-enterology outpatient clinic.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: questionnaire

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 400

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Sébastien Kindt; Phone Number: 60 11 +32 2 477; Email: sebastien.kindt@uzbrussel.be
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Virgini Van Buggenhout; Phone Number: 60 11 +32 2 477; Email: virgini.vanbuggenhout@uzbrussel.be

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Brussels Capital
    • Jette, Brussels Capital, Belgium, 1090
      • Recruiting
      • UZ Brussel
      • Contact: Sébastien Kindt; Phone Number: +32 2 477 60 11

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Healthy subjects, IBS patients

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 - 65 years;
• Provide written informed consent;
• Living in Belgium

Exclusion Criteria:

• Diet < 8 weeks prior to participation;
• Known or suspected eating disorder;
• Major psychiatric disorder;
• Known gastro-intestinal disease (IBS is allowed);
• Any malignancy in the past 3 years (basocellular carcinoma is allowed);
• Chemotherapy in the past 6 months;
• Infectious gastro-enteritis in the past 6 months (infectious gastro-enteritis defined as the concurrent presence of one of the following signs during 2 or more consecutive days: fever, vomiting, sudden onset of diarrhea, hospitalization because of these symptoms);
• Previous abdominal surgery (appendectomy and cholecystectomy are allowed);
• Alcohol abuse defined as > 14 U per week;
• Use of illicit drugs;
• Intake of drugs with known major gastro-intestinal side effects.
• Initiation of neuromodulators less than 3 months before participation. Neuromodulators are allowed when taken at a stable dose for at least 3 months;
• Pregnancy.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
IBS - arm	Other: questionnaire; questionnaire will be filled in by all participants
healthy - arm	Other: questionnaire; questionnaire will be filled in by all participants

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
To validate the newly developed food frequency questionnaire against the standard 4-day food diary across different populations	2 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Comparison of dietary and FODMAP intake in IBS vs. non-IBS patients in different populations	differences in number and type of FODMAP intake between groups	2 years
Comparison of the degree of physical activity in IBS vs. non-IBS patients in different populations	differences and correlation of IPAQ (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) scores between groups, IPAQ evaluates the level of physical activity. Scoring a HIGH level of physical activity on the IPAQ means your physical activity levels equate to approximately one hour of activity per day or more	2 years
Comparison of the degree of physical activity and IBS symptom severity in different populations	differences and correlation of IPAQ scores between groups; IPAQ evaluates the level of physical activity. Scoring a HIGH level of physical activity on the IPAQ means your physical activity levels equate to approximately one hour of activity per day or more	2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 15, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2030
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2030

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 27, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 22, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): March 24, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): December 18, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 11, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Intestinal Diseases; Digestive System Diseases; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Colonic Diseases; Colonic Diseases, Functional; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Investigative Techniques; Epidemiologic Methods; Data Collection; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Public Health; Environment and Public Health; Surveys and Questionnaires
• Other Study ID Numbers: FAST

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No