Checklist for reporting an observational studies in nutritional epidemiology

This checklist is an extension of the STROBE statement to help you report a nutritional epidemiology study  Read more


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Instructions

Complete this checklist by entering the page numbers from your manuscript where readers will find each of the items listed below.

Your article may not currently address all the items on the checklist. Please modify your text to include the missing information. If you are certain that an item does not apply, please write "n/a" and provide a short explanation.

Download your completed checklist and include it as an extra file when you submit to a journal.

Title and abstract

1a

Title

Indicate the study’s design with a commonly used term in the title or the abstract. Read more

nut-1

State the dietary/nutritional assessment method(s) used in the title or in the abstract. Read more

1b

Abstract

Provide in the abstract an informative and balanced summary of what was done and what was found. Read more

Introduction

2.

Background / rationale

Explain the scientific background and rationale for the investigation being reported. Read more

3.

Objectives

State specific objectives, including any prespecified hypotheses. Read more

Methods

4.

Study design*

Present key elements of study design early in the paper. Read more

5.

Setting*

Describe the setting, locations, and relevant dates, including periods of recruitment, exposure, follow-up, and data collection. Read more

nut-5

Describe any characteristics of the study settings that might affect the dietary intake or nutritional status of the participants, if applicable. Read more

6a

Eligibility*

Cohort study: Give the eligibility criteria and the sources and methods of selection of participants. Describe methods of follow-up. Case-control study: Give the eligibility criteria and the sources and methods of case ascertainment and control selection. Give the rationale for the choice of cases and controls. Cross-sectional study: Give the eligibility criteria, and the sources and methods of selection of participants. Read more

nut-6

Report any particular dietary, physiologic, or nutritional characteristics that were considered when selecting the target population. Read more

6b

Cohort study: For matched studies, give matching criteria and number of exposed and unexposed. Case-control study: For matched studies, give matching criteria and the number of controls per case. Read more

7.

Variables*

Clearly define all outcomes, exposures, predictors, potential confounders, and effect modifiers. Give diagnostic criteria, if applicable. Read more

nut-7.1

Clearly define foods, food groups, nutrients, or other food components (e.g., preparation method, taxonomical descriptors, classification, chemical form). Read more

nut-7.2

When calculating dietary patterns, describe the methods to obtain them and their nutritional properties. Read more

8.

Data sources and measurement*

For each variable of interest give sources of data and details of methods of assessment (measurement). Describe comparability of assessment methods if there is more than one group. Give information separately for for exposed and unexposed groups if applicable. Read more

nut-8.1

Describe the dietary assessment method(s) (e.g., portion size estimation, number of days and items recorded, how it was developed and administered, and how quality was ensured); report if and how supplement intake was assessed. Read more

nut-8.2

Describe and justify food-composition data used; explain the procedure to match food composition with consumption data; describe the use of conversion factors, if applicable. Read more

nut-8.3

Describe the nutrient requirements, recommendations, or dietary guidelines and the evaluation approach used to compare intake with the dietary reference values, if applicable. Read more

nut-8.4

When using nutritional biomarkers, additionally use the STROBE-ME; report the type of biomarkers used and usefulness as dietary exposure markers. Read more

nut-8.5

Describe the assessment of nondietary data (e.g., nutritional status and influencing factors) and timing of the assessment of these variables in relation to dietary assessment. Read more

nut-8.6

Report on the validity of the dietary or nutritional assessment methods and any internal or external validation used in the study, if applicable. Read more

9.

Bias*

Describe any efforts to address potential sources of bias. Read more

nut-9

Report how bias in dietary or nutritional assessment was addressed (e.g., misreporting, changes in habits as a result of being measured, data imputation from other sources). Read more

10.

Study size*

Explain how the study size was arrived at. Read more

11.

Quantitative variables*

Explain how quantitative variables were handled in the analyses. If applicable, describe which groupings were chosen, and why. Read more

nut-11

Explain categorization of dietary/nutritional data (e.g., use of N-tiles and handling of nonconsumers) and the choice of reference category, if applicable. Read more

12a

Statistical methods*

Describe all statistical methods, including those used to control for confounding. Read more

12b

Subgroups and interactions*

Describe any methods used to examine subgroups and interactions. Read more

12c

Missing data*

Explain how missing data were addressed. Read more

12d

Loss to follow up*

Cohort study: if applicable, explain how loss to follow-up was addressed. Case-control study: if applicable, explain how matching of cases and controls was addressed. Cross-sectional study: if applicable, describe analytical methods taking account of sampling strategy. Read more

12e

Sensitivity analysis*

Describe any sensitivity analyses. Read more

nut-12.1

Describe any statistical method used to combine dietary or nutritional data, if applicable. Read more

nut-12.2

Describe and justify the method for energy adjustments, intake modeling, and use of weighting factors, if applicable. Read more

nut-12.3

Report any adjustments for measurement error (i.e., from a validity or calibration study). Read more

Results

13a

Participants*

Report numbers of individuals at each stage of study—eg numbers potentially eligible, examined for eligibility, confirmed eligible, included in the study, completing follow-up, and analysed. Give information separately for for exposed and unexposed groups if applicable. Read more

13b

Non-participation*

Give reasons for non-participation at each stage. Read more

13c

Participant journey*

Consider the use of a flow diagram. Read more

nut-13

Report the number of individuals excluded on the basis of missing, incomplete, or implausible dietary and nutritional data. Read more

14a

Descriptive data*

Give characteristics of study participants (eg demographic, clinical, social) and information on exposures and potential confounders. Give information separately for exposed and unexposed groups if applicable. Read more

14b

Missing data*

Indicate number of participants with missing data for each variable of interest. Read more

14c

Follow-up time*

Cohort study: Summarise follow-up time (eg, average and total amount). Read more

nut-14

Give the distribution of participant characteristics across the exposure variables, if applicable; specify if food consumption for the total population or consumers only was used to obtain results. Read more

15.

Outcome data*

Cohort study: report numbers of outcome events or summary measures over time. Case-control study: report numbers in each exposure category, or summary measures of exposure. Cross-sectional study: report numbers of outcome events or summary measures. Read more

16a

Main results*

Give unadjusted estimates and, if applicable, confounder-adjusted estimates and their precision (eg, 95% confidence interval). Make clear which confounders were adjusted for and why they were included. Read more

16b

Category boundaries*

Report category boundaries when continuous variables were categorized. Read more

16c

Relative and absolute risks*

If relevant, consider translating estimates of relative risk into absolute risk for a meaningful time period. Read more

nut-16

Specify if nutrient intakes are reported with or without the inclusion of dietary supplement intake, if applicable. Read more

17.

Other analyses*

Report other analyses done—eg analyses of subgroups and interactions, and sensitivity analyses. Read more

nut-17

Report any sensitivity analysis (e.g., exclusion of misreporters or outliers) and data imputation, if applicable. Read more

Discussion

18.

Key results

Summarise key results with reference to study objectives. Read more

19.

Limitations

Discuss limitations of the study, taking into account sources of potential bias or imprecision. Discuss both direction and magnitude of any potential bias. Read more

nut-19

Describe the main limitations of the data sources and assessment methods used and implications for the interpretation of the findings. Read more

20.

Interpretation

Give a cautious overall interpretation considering objectives, limitations, multiplicity of analyses, results from similar studies, and other relevant evidence. Read more

nut-20

Report the nutritional relevance of the findings, given the complexity of diet or nutrition as an exposure. Read more

21.

Generalisability

Discuss the generalisability (external validity) of the study results. Read more

Other Information

22.

Funding

Give the source of funding and the role of the funders for the present study and, if applicable, for the original study on which the present article is based. Read more

nut-22.1

Ethics

Describe the procedure for consent and study approval from ethics committee(s). Read more

nut-22.2

Data statement

Provide data collection tools and data as online material or explain how they can be accessed. Read more


To acknowledge this checklist in your methods, please state "We used the STROBE-nut checklist when writing our report [citation]". Then cite this checklist as Lachat C, Hawwash D, Ocké MC, Berg C, Forsum E, Hörnell A, Larsson C, Sonestedt E, Wirfält E, Åkesson A, Kolsteren P, Byrnes G, De Keyzer W, Van Camp J, Cade JE, Slimani N, Cevallos M, Egger M, Huybrechts I. Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology-Nutritional Epidemiology (STROBE-nut): An Extension of the STROBE Statement..


The STROBE-nut checklist is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY