Validity of the Chocolate Frequency and Sex-Interest Measures

 Chocolate Frequency: Multiple forms of evidence support the validity of the chocolate frequency measure. This measure correlates strongly with the chocolate consumption items from the validated Fred Hutchinson Food Frequency Questionnaire, and the measures bear shared relations to key outcomes (1, 2). The chocolate frequency measure was preferred because this was available for greater than 99% of participants (screenees) while the food frequency questionnaire was only completed by 82% of participants. Additionally, the chocolate-consumption-frequency measure shows convergent validity with (but superior predictive validity over) chocolate consumption items from the FFQ. We find that this chocolate frequency measure shows strong relations to many indices (subjective and objective) to which chocolate is known to relate, such as BMI (3, 4), mood (1), and cognitive function (5, 6).

Sex-Interest: Regarding single-item self-ratings beyond their high face validity, there is extensive evidence supporting reliability and convergent validity buttressed by many publications documenting convergent validity against multi-item measures and against subjective and objective constructs to which the item is known to relate; sensitivity that is often superior to multi-item measures (7-15).

Single-item self-ratings have the advantage over multi-item measures that they do not carry implicit weighting of subconstructs that can distort the measurement process. Single item self-ratings have repeatedly equaled and surpassed objective measures and multi-item measures in predictive validity. For instance, single-item self-rated memory problems are linked to entorhinal volume loss (16) and predicts incident dementia (17) in persons who test normally on neuropsychological function measures. Single-item self-rated general health predicts incident healthcare utilization and mortality as effectively as longer measures of healthstate (18-20). Single-item self-rated sleep problems predicted objective rise in glucose (10) and weight (8) (each known to relate to poor and impaired sleep (21-27); and increase in aggression, in men on statins (11) (sleep problems are linked to irritability and aggression (28).

Interest in sex may vary over time, and assessments were at a point in time. However many subjective and objective measures fluctuate, often at short and long timescales, but single time point measures are nonetheless not merely valid but the norm in research studies, as exemplified by cholesterol and blood pressure (each influenced, among other factors, by posture, stress, recent dietary intake, and season). Since (in this case of sex-interest) this variability is expected to be nondifferential across chocolate-frequency, it primarily serves to erode power to examine risk-factor relations. As for the other cited variables, sample size can overcome variability introduced by use of measurements at a single time point, to enable adequate power to assess risk factor relations (29).

In the case of sex-interest, validity is supported by this measure reprising known relationships, such as greater sex-interest in males (30, 31), and in men a significant relation to objectively measured testosterone (32-35), among other findings.

References

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3.         Golomb BA, Koperski S, White HL. Association between more frequent chocolate consumption and lower body mass index. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(6):519-21.

4.         Cuenca-Garcia M, Ruiz JR, Ortega FB, Castillo MJ. Association between chocolate consumption and fatness in European adolescents. Nutrition. 2013.

5.         Golomb BA, Huynh K, Vomberg Z, Hathaway Meskimen A. More Frequent Chocolate Consumption is Linked to Better Word Memory Circulation. 2012;126:A16156.

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8.         Golomb BA, Koslik HJ, Bui AK. Sleep Problems on Simvastatin Differentially Predict Weight Change in Men. Circulation. 2014;130(Suppl 2):A13946.

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