Objective: To analyse trends in food habits and food consumption from 1992 to 2003. Design: Two consecutive cross-sectional nutrition surveys were carried out on random samples of the Catalan population (Evaluation of Nutritional Status in Catalonia (ENCAT) 1992-93 and ENCAT 2002-03). Dietary intake was assessed by means of two 24-hour recalls on non-consecutive days and a food frequency questionnaire was used to ascertain tendencies in the frequency of food consumption. Setting: Catalonia region, Northeastern Spain. Results: The trends from 1992 to 2003 showed an increase in eating between meals and outside the home. There was also an upsurge in consumers for fast food, especially among young adults. Notable decreases in fruit consumption (from 301 to 224 g day 21 ) as well as in vegetables, potatoes, meat (red meat and chicken), fish (whitefish and seafood) and offals were observed. In contrast, there was an increase in dairy product consumption, in general (from 255 to 312 g day 21 ), as well as low fat and skim milk derivatives. Fruit juice, nuts and olive oil consumption also increased, the latter being consumed daily by 96% of the population. Little variation was observed for the rest of the food groups in the period studied. Overall, Catalonia is characterised by a model of consumption that is quite favourable, inherent to Mediterranean countries but with important differences according to age. Conclusion: Based on the food consumption trends observed in Catalonia, an increase in the consumption of fruits and vegetables, as well as wholegrain cereals and fish, should be promoted, along with a reduction in the consumption of meat and sausages. The main causes of mortality in developed countries are closely related to diet, alcohol consumption, smoking and low levels of physical activity. Interventions in public health aim to reduce the average health risk for the general population as well as to achieve an optimal state of health and wellbeing. This objective necessitates the development of food and nutrition policies oriented towards the health of the entire community, thus eliminating or decreasing the identified risk factors 1 . As such, public health systems should incorporate a component of nutrition monitoring, an essential tool for the detection of nutrition problems, policy formation and for the planning and evaluation of action programs in both established care settings as well as in emergency situations [2][3][4] . Nutrition monitoring in the community involves the collection and analysis of precise quantitative measures derived from representative samples of the population for the purpose of detecting trends 5,6 . For this reason, the first step would be to conduct an initial baseline survey so as to assess the nutritional status of the population and thus identify and quantify the magnitude of the major nutrition-related problems, as well as to ascertain the causes, at risk groups, related life style determinants, etc. In this way problems can be prioritised, solutions sought,

Pneumococcal vaccination was effective in preventing invasive pneumococcal disease among all elderly persons in Catalonia. Effectiveness was greater in immunocompetent persons, most of whom had underlying high-risk conditions. The number of subjects was too small to determine whether vaccination was effective in those who were immunocompromised.

With four questions (smoking, daily smoking, time to first cigarette of day and number of daily cigarettes) and minimal calculations, it may be possible to screen whether a smoker has high nicotine dependence. If other studies in other populations and settings verify this finding, this brief measure might be an ideal screening instrument for busy clinicians, epidemiologists developing questionnaires for health surveys and psychiatric researchers.

Objective: To evaluate the trends of overweight and obesity prevalences in the population of Catalonia, Spain, aged 18-75 years, and the influence of socio-economic determinants on these prevalence trends. Design: Analysis based on data from two representative population-based cross-sectional surveys. Setting: Data from the two Evaluations of Nutritional Status in Catalonia (ENCAT 1992-93 and ENCAT 2002-03), Spain. Weights and heights were obtained by direct measurement in standardised conditions by trained interviewers. Overweight and obesity were defined using body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), categorised according to WHO criteria. Subjects: In total, 1015 men and 1233 women from ENCAT 1992-93, and 791 men and 924 women from ENCAT 2002-03. Results: Mean BMI and mean WC were higher in males in 2002-03 as compared to 1992-93, while for females mean BMI was lower except for the youngest group, and mean WC was higher. In men, overall BMI overweight prevalence remained stable (from 44.1% to 43.7%), while obesity increased (from 9.9% to 16.6%); total WC overweight remained stable (from 21.7 to 23.8%), while WC obesity increased (from 13.1% to 24.4%). In women, overall BMI overweight increased (from 29.1% to 30.1%), whereas BMI obesity remained stable (from 15.0% to 15.2%); total WC overweight decreased (from 21.8% to 17.7%), while WC obesity increased (from 24.5% to 31.1%). The socio-economic and education variables had an influence on BMI and WC overweight and obesity rates mainly on females in both surveys and on the youngest men only in the 1992-93 survey. Conclusions: Ten-year trends indicate that Catalan males are getting bigger overall (BMI) and around the waistline (WC), while Catalan females only have bigger waistlines (WC). BMI male obesity prevalence has overtaken that of females. WC obesity continues to be more prevalent among females than males.