Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of a Validated Questionnaire to Assess Dietary Fiber Intake Among the Italian Population

Background/Objectives: Regular consumption of dietary fiber (DF) has been associated with non-communicable disease prevention and health benefits. As a result, having the ability to quickly and correctly estimate DF intake would allow the identification of at-risk groups and the development of public programs aimed at improving their intake. In this study, the authors translate and cross-culturally adapt a validated short food frequency questionnaire for the assessment of DF intake, thus adapting it to the Italian population. Methods: The process followed a six-step standardized protocol, and the pre-final version was tested among 40 volunteers. Six experts in nutrition performed the content validity study: Scale-level Content Validity Indexes based on Average (S-CVI/Ave) and Universal Agreement (S-CVI/UA) were calculated (cut-off = 0.83). Results: Both S-CVI/Ave and S-CVI/UA were 1.00 ± 0.0, higher than the cut-off value. The preliminary qualitative analysis showed an average DF intake of 21.5 ± 7.2 g/day, which is below the suggested national and international dietary targets, and mainly derives from fruits, vegetables, bread, and cereals. Based on their DF intake, subjects were classified as low (40%), moderate (37.5%), and high (22.5%) consumers. Conclusions: The translation and cross-cultural adaptation of a validated short food frequency questionnaire to assess DF intake provided us with a tool suitable for the Italian population. Its application in a real case has enabled the identification of three consumption classes, which can support the design of future studies and interventions.