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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

Development and expert appraisal of a lifestyle questionnaire for microbiome host metadata

  • Andrea Rocchetti1
  • Franca Gotta1
  • Paolo Bottino1
  • Daria Vay1
  • Valentina Pizzo1
  • Valerio Gugliotta2
  • Alessandra Agnese Grossi3,4
  • Valeria Besutti5
  • Mario Bianchetti6
  • Elisa Bona7,8
  • Ignazio Castagliuolo9
  • Marta Corbella10
8 more authors
  • Antonio Gasbarrini11
  • Antonella Marangoni12
  • Luca Masucci13,14
  • Maria Vittoria Mauro15
  • Lorenza Putignani16,17
  • Gianluca Quaranta13
  • Maurizio Sanguinetti13,14
  • Lorenzo Drago18,19
19 affiliations
  1. 1Clinical Microbiology and Virology Unit, IRCCS AOU SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy
  2. 2Department of Science and Technological Innovation, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
  3. 3Department of Human Sciences and Innovation for the Territory (DISUIT), University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
  4. 4Research Center for Clinical Ethics (CREC), Department of Biotechnologies and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
  5. 5Microbiology Unit, University Hospital Padova, Padova, Italy
  6. 6Division of Gastroenterology, San Giuseppe Hospital, Gruppo Multimedica, Milan, Italy
  7. 7Department of Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition, University of Piemonte Orientale, Vercelli, Italy
  8. 8Center for Translational Research on Allergic and Autoimmune Diseases (CAAD), University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
  9. 9Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
  10. 10Microbiology and Virology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
  11. 11CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
  12. 12Microbiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
  13. 13Department of Laboratory and Hematological Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
  14. 14Department of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensive and Perioperative Clinics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
  15. 15Microbiology and Virology Department, AO Cosenza, Cosenza, Italy
  16. 16Unit of Microbiomics and Unit of Research of Microbiome, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
  17. 17Department of Life Science, Health, and Health Professions, Link Campus University, Rome, Italy
  18. 18UOC Laboratory of Clinical Medicine with Specialized Areas, IRCCS MultiMedica, Milan, Italy
  19. 19Clinical Microbiology and Microbiome Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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Abstract

Introduction: Lifestyle information can help contextualize variation in the human gut microbiome, but its collection and operational definitions differ across studies. We developed a candidate questionnaire combining diet, physical activity and sleep for microbiome host metadata and undertook an initial appraisal by Italian experts. Candidate content was informed by a focused narrative literature appraisal and established lifestyle-assessment frameworks.

Methods: Seventeen experts were invited and nine responded (53%). In a single anonymous rating round, experts assessed the relevance of 37 candidate items on a five-point scale. The prespecified agreement criterion was at least 70% of respondents assigning a rating of 4 or 5, corresponding to at least seven of nine experts.

Results: Twenty-five items (67.6%) met this criterion: 18 of 23 dietary items (78.3%), six of eight physicalactivity items (75.0%), and one of six sleep items (16.7%). Twelve items remained exploratory.

Discussion: These findings provide an initial prioritization of candidate lifestyle metadata within an Italian specialist network. They do not establish a stable iterative Delphi consensus, instrument reliability, construct validity, or associations between questionnaire responses and microbiome outcomes. Participant testing, operational refinement and empirical evaluation are required before research deployment or potential use in fecal microbiota transplantation donor characterization.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{rocchetti2026development,
  title = {{Development and expert appraisal of a lifestyle questionnaire for microbiome host metadata}},
  author = {Andrea Rocchetti and Franca Gotta and Paolo Bottino and Daria Vay and Valentina Pizzo and Valerio Gugliotta and Alessandra Agnese Grossi and Valeria Besutti and Mario Bianchetti and Elisa Bona and Ignazio Castagliuolo and Marta Corbella and Antonio Gasbarrini and Antonella Marangoni and Luca Masucci and Maria Vittoria Mauro and Lorenza Putignani and Gianluca Quaranta and Maurizio Sanguinetti and Lorenzo Drago},
  journal = {Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fcimb.2026.1932122},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2026.1932122},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Development and expert appraisal of a lifestyle questionnaire for microbiome host metadata
AU  - Andrea Rocchetti
AU  - Franca Gotta
AU  - Paolo Bottino
AU  - Daria Vay
AU  - Valentina Pizzo
AU  - Valerio Gugliotta
AU  - Alessandra Agnese Grossi
AU  - Valeria Besutti
AU  - Mario Bianchetti
AU  - Elisa Bona
AU  - Ignazio Castagliuolo
AU  - Marta Corbella
AU  - Antonio Gasbarrini
AU  - Antonella Marangoni
AU  - Luca Masucci
AU  - Maria Vittoria Mauro
AU  - Lorenza Putignani
AU  - Gianluca Quaranta
AU  - Maurizio Sanguinetti
AU  - Lorenzo Drago
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/21
JO  - Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
DO  - 10.3389/fcimb.2026.1932122
UR  - https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2026.1932122
AB  - Introduction: Lifestyle information can help contextualize variation in the human gut microbiome, but its collection and operational definitions differ across studies. We developed a candidate questionnaire combining diet, physical activity and sleep for microbiome host metadata and undertook an initial appraisal by Italian experts. Candidate content was informed by a focused narrative literature appraisal and established lifestyle-assessment frameworks.  Methods: Seventeen experts were invited and nine responded (53%). In a single anonymous rating round, experts assessed the relevance of 37 candidate items on a five-point scale. The prespecified agreement criterion was at least 70% of respondents assigning a rating of 4 or 5, corresponding to at least seven of nine experts.  Results: Twenty-five items (67.6%) met this criterion: 18 of 23 dietary items (78.3%), six of eight physicalactivity items (75.0%), and one of six sleep items (16.7%). Twelve items remained exploratory.  Discussion: These findings provide an initial prioritization of candidate lifestyle metadata within an Italian specialist network. They do not establish a stable iterative Delphi consensus, instrument reliability, construct validity, or associations between questionnaire responses and microbiome outcomes. Participant testing, operational refinement and empirical evaluation are required before research deployment or potential use in fecal microbiota transplantation donor characterization.
SN  - 2235-2988
ER  -