Monash University Comprehensive Nutrition Assessment Questionnaire (CNAQ)

Monash University Comprehensive Nutrition Assessment Questionnaire (CNAQ)

Dr Jaci Barrett - Research Dietitian, 29 March 2016

In 2009, we published a journal article detailing the production and validation of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). This FFQ was a component of my PhD. The aim was to develop a FFQ able to provide analysis of FODMAP intake, amongst other nutritional factors, so that we could use it in our research and avoid the need to have our patients complete lengthy food diaries for long periods of time.

The FFQ was validated and due to the broad range of nutritional factors that it was able to assess, we named it the Comprehensive Nutrition Assessment Questionnaire (CNAQ). The FFQ can adequately assess intake of the following:

Macronutrients Vitamins Sugars & fermentable carbohydrates Minerals
Energy Vitamin A Total sugars Calcium
Carbohydrate Thaiamin Glucose Iron
Protein Vitamin C Fructose Magnesium
Fat Folate Excess fructose Phosphorus
Saturated fat Niacin Sucrose Potassium
Polyunsaturated fat Riboflavin Lactose Sodium
Monounsaturated fat b carotene equivalents Total oligosaccharides Zinc
Cholesterol Fructans
Alcohol Total GOS
Starch Raffinose
Dietary fibre Stachyose
Resistant starch Sorbitol
Glycaemic index Mannitol
Glycaemic load

This extensive list makes the CNAQ useful to a wide range of researchers and health professionals including those involved in gastroenterology, endocrinology, cardiac, renal and nutritional medicine.

Due to the broad appeal of the CNAQ, we then arranged for the CNAQ to be produced into an online tool, so that it could be easily accessed by researchers and other interested parties around the world. Organisations are provided with an account, participant email addresses are uploaded into the secure site, and participants are then sent a personal login to complete the online CNAQ. Completed responses can then be viewed by the organisation and the nutrient analysis can be automatically exported into excel.

This is a fantastic tool, particularly in the research setting. There is an extraordinary time saving by utilising this online tool compared with manual entry of daily food diaries.

For more information please see the original validation paper http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002822310011909

You can also read more about the online CNAQ or download an order form here www.cnaq.com.au.

Back to all articles
Back to all articles