Background: Training, travel, and competition can make an athlete's fluid needs different from the general population. As such, there is a need for an acceptable tool to determine the unique beverage intake habits of athletes. The BEVQ-15 is one such tool to determine beverage intake over time but has not yet been confirmed for accuracy in college athletes. Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the validity and reliability of the beverage questionnaire (BEVQ-15) for measuring fluid intake in collegiate NCAA athletes. Design: Athletes were recruited from two NCAA Division I universities. The individuals in this study (n=61) completed two short BEVQ-15 surveys plus three dietary recall interviews administered by trained diet technicians to compare the surveys against. The two surveys were administered at least three days apart and the 24-hour dietary recalls included two weekdays and one weekend day. Results: This study included 61 athletes at the conclusion. Comparing the BEVQ-15 to the 24-hour recall standard, Spearman's rho correlation tests found that 7 of the 15 categories are significant at P≤0.01 when comparing fluid ounces, while 5 of the 14 categories are significant at P≤0.01 when comparing kcal consumed. An additional 3 categories for both ounces and kcal consumed are significant at P≤0.05. With these findings, validity criteria are met. Fruit juice, sweetened fruit juice, low fat milk, diet soft drinks, sweetened tea or coffee, and hard liquor are not strongly correlated between testing methods in the collegiate athlete population. Pearson correlations demonstrated significant reliability comparing BEVQ-15 responses of test one and two for all but one category for ounces consumed and three for calories consumed at P≤0.01. The results of Bland-Altman suggested acceptable limits of agreement between the two measures. Follow up linear regression models indicated no proportional bias. Conclusions: The BEVQ-15 is a valid tool for the assessment of beverage intake in an NCAA Division I athlete population. As such, the BEVQ-15 may be a useful tool for assessing beverage intake and patterns in collegiate athletes. / MS / How hydrated an athlete is can play a major role in their physical performance and overall health1. Athletes may have unique fluid needs that depend, at least in part, on the timing, volume, and type of beverage consumed and the needs required by their training and competition specific to their given sport. Training, travel, and competition can make an athlete’s fluid needs different from the general population. As such there is a need for an acceptable tool to determine the beverage intake habits of athletes. This makes a short survey asking about drink consumption desirable for this population. The BEVQ-15 fits this description but has not yet been confirmed for accuracy in college athletes. Therefore the purpose of this study is to prove the accuracy of using drink survey (BEVQ-15) in measuring beverage intake in collegiate NCAA athletes. To do so, this study will look at results from 61 NCAA collegiate athletes recruited from Virginia Tech and Radford Universities. The participants completed two short BEVQ-15 surveys as well as three dietary recall interviews to compare the surveys against. The BEVQ-15 surveys were repeated on two occasions and found to be reliable. The beverage (and food) intake from the recalls was analyzed using dietary analysis software, compared to the data obtained by the BEVQ-15, and found to be a valid tool to assess beverage intake patterns among NCAA Division I collegiate athletes.

The prevalence of children and adolescents who are considered overweight or obese has grown drastically in the United States. Childhood overweight and obesity is associated with serious long-term health consequences, including an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, strokes, and different types of cancers. Added sugar intake (AS), in the form of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), may contribute to weight gain and obesity development in children and adolescents. Due to the negative health implications of SSB consumption, a valid and reliable brief beverage intake assessment tool is needed for children and adolescents to advance research in this area. The BEVQ-15 food frequency questionnaire has been validated as a tool to assess habitual beverage intake in adults. By validating this tool in youth, there will be a rapid, feasibly administered method to assess beverage intake in children and adolescents. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the comparative validity and test-retest reliability of the BEVQ-15 for assessing usual beverage intake in children and adolescents. Participants (n=326) completed four laboratory sessions, which included providing demographic information, assessment of height/weight, and four record-assisted 24 hour dietary recalls (24HR) from January 2014-September 2015. The BEVQ was completed at 2 sessions (BEVQ1, BEVQ2). Validity was assessed by comparing beverage intake from dietary recalls (24HR) to the BEVQ1; reliability was assessed by comparing BEVQ responses at two sessions (BEVQ1, BEVQ2). Data analysis included descriptive statistics, paired sample t-tests, independent sample t-tests, and chi-squared test, and one-way ANOVA tests. Comparisons of validity and reliability were also made within two subsets; children (aged 6-11) and adolescents (aged 12-18). In the full sample, self-reported water and total sugar-sweetened beverage intake (in fl oz and kcal) were not different between BEVQ1 and 24HR. Responses between BEVQ1 and BEVQ2 were not different in intake (fl oz) or energy (kcal) for water, milk, and total sugar-sweetened beverages. In children, milk and energy (kcal) for total beverages were not different between BEVQ1 and 24HR. No differences were reported between BEVQ1 and BEVQ2 across beverage categories. In adolescents, water and energy (kcal) for total-sugar sweetened beverages were not different between BEVQ1 and 24HR. No differences were reported between BEVQ1 and BEVQ2 with the exception of sweetened juice drinks and total beverages. Overall, these results demonstrate that the BEVQ-15 appears to be a valid and reliable tool to assess habitual water and total SSB intake in children and adolescents. This tool could further epidemiological and clinical research examining the impact of SSB intake, as well as intake of other beverages, on health. / Master of Science