Home cooking and the type of cooking techniques can have an effect on our health. However, as far as we know, there is no questionnaire that measures in depth the frequency and type of cooking techniques used at home. Our aim was to design a new Home Cooking Frequency Questionnaire (HCFQ) and to preliminarily assess its psychometric properties. For this purpose we used a five-phase approach, as follows: Phase 1: item generation based on expert opinion, relevant literature and previous surveys; Phase 2: content validity assessed by experts for relevance and clarity (epidemiologists, dietitians, chefs); Phase 3: face validity and inter-item reliability; Phase 4: criterion validity using a 7-day food and culinary record; and Phase 5: test stability and inter-item reliability. The content validity index for scale and item level values provided evidence of the content validity for relevance and clarity. Criterion validity analysis showed intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.31–0.69. Test–retest reliability coefficients ranged from 0.49–0.92, with ƙ values > 0.44. Overall Cronbach’s alpha was 0.90. In conclusion, the HCFQ is a promising tool with sound content and face validity, substantial criterion validity, and adequate reliability. This 174-item HCFQ is the first questionnaire to assess how often people cook and which cooking methods they use at home.

To our knowledge the association between dietary advanced glycation end-products (dAGEs) and cardiometabolic disease is limited. Our aim was to examine the association between dAGEs and serum concentration of carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) or soluble receptor advanced glycation end-products (sRAGEs), and to assess the difference on dAGEs and circulating AGEs according to lifestyle and biochemical measures. 52 overweight or obese adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were included in this cross-sectional analysis. dAGEs were estimated from a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) or from a FFQ + Home Cooking Frequency Questionnaire (HCFQ). Serum concentrations of CML and sRAGEs were measured by ELISA. Correlation tests were used to analyze the association between dAGEs derived from the FFQ or FFQ + HCFQ and concentrations of CML or sRAGEs. Demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors and biochemical measures were analyzed according to sRAGEs and dAGEs using student t-test and ANCOVA. A significant inverse association was found between serum sRAGEs and dAGEs estimated using the FFQ + HCFQ (r = -0.36, p = 0.010), whereas no association was found for dAGEs derived from the FFQ alone. No association was observed between CML and dAGEs. dAGEs intake estimated from the FFQ + HCFQ was significantly higher among younger and male participants, and in those with higher BMI, higher Hb1Ac levels, longer time with type 2 diabetes, lower adherence to Mediterranean diet, and higher use of culinary techniques that generate more AGEs (all p values p < 0.05). These results show knowledge on culinary techniques is relevant to derive the association between dAGEs intake and cardiometabolic risk factors.

Purpose: Previous research has shown that psychological well-being (PWB) is associated with self-rated health (SRH) over time, but limited research has explored the reciprocal association. This study examined the longitudinal association between self-rated health and subsequent psychological well-being in a Spanish cohort. Methods: Data were collected from participants of the “Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra” (SUN) Project, a dynamic university graduate cohort study. Psychological well-being was measured using the Ryff scale. Multivariable linear regressions analyse assessed the relationships between self-rated health, measured at study’s baseline and after 4 years, and psychological well-being measured after a mean follow-up of 14.6 years. The association with Ryff’s six dimensions (self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life, and personal growth) was also assessed. Results: A total of 2,927 participants, mean age 38.7 years (SD = 11.2) at pre-baseline, 55.5% women, were followed-up for a mean of 14.6 years (SD 0.7). Compared to participants reporting poor/fair health, those with excellent self-rated health at baseline showed substantially higher subsequent psychological well-being scores (ajusted β = 15.1, 95% CI: 11.4–20.3) and were three times more likely to have above-median psychological well-being (adjusted OR=3.0, 95% CI: 1.8–4.8). A dose-response relationship was observed across self-rated health categories, with significant associations for all PWB dimensions. Additionally, self-rated health improvements during the first 4 years were associated with higher subsequent psychological well-being scores. Conclusions: Self-rated health showed a direct, long-term association with subsequent PWB among Spanish university graduates, suggesting that perceived health status may be an important determinant of future PWB. However, our findings are limited by the single measurement of PWB and the use of self-reported measures. Further studies in more diverse populations are warranted to confirm these results.