Validation of a Food Frequency Questionnaire for the Assessment of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake

As essential nutrients omega 3 fatty acids contribute to normal growth and development. Inadequate intake is linked to the development of chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, arthritis, psychological illnesses and allergies. Therefore, it is important to be able to reliably detect the intake of these fatty acids. Due to eating habits varying in different countries the questionnaire documenting dietary habits needs to be adapted to the situation in question. Based on a US version the investigators developed a questionnaire suitable for Switzerland and now wish to validate it by measuring the fatty acid composition of red blood cells, which will provide information on the intake of the various fatty acids.