Evaluating the Reproducibility of a Beverage Intake Questionnaire for Caloric Estimation Among Adolescents in Iraq

Abstract Background Assessing the relationship between beverage consumption and health outcomes during adolescence is of considerable significance, requiring the use of reliable dietary assessment instruments for this important developmental period. This study aimed to evaluate the test-retest reliability of the 12-item Arabic Beverage Intake Questionnaire (BEVQ-A) in accurately measuring adolescents’ average short-term beverage intake. Methodology The study used a cross-sectional design, targeting adolescents aged 16 to 18 years. A total of 83 participants participated in the reproducibility assessment, which was conducted twice over a one-month interval. Reproducibility was assessed using paired t-tests, the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), Pearson correlation, and Bland-Altman plot analysis to assess consistency and reliability in the data collected. Results The intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) between BEVQ1 and BEVQ2 for kilocalorie intake demonstrated strong reproducibility across beverage categories, with values of 0.942 for total milk consumption, 0.775 for total sugar-sweetened beverages, and 0.905 for total beverage intake. These high ICCs indicate that participants reported beverage consumption reliably between the two administrations of the BEVQ-A. Most beverage types had no significant intake differences between the two assessments, and Bland-Altman plots indicated minimal bias, confirming the consistency and reliability of participants' dietary reporting. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that the BEVQ-A is a reliable and reproducible questionnaire for evaluating beverage consumption among Arabic-speaking adolescents. Applying the BEVQ-A in this population may enhance the evaluation of nutritional status among adolescents.