BACKGROUND The assessment of food consumption data using harmonized methodologies at the European level is fundamental to support the development of public policies. Portugal is one of the countries with the most outdated information on individual food consumption. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to describe the design and methodology of the National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, 2015-2016, developed to collect national and regional data on dietary habits, physical activity (PA), and nutritional status, in a representative sample of the Portuguese general population (3 months-84 years). METHODS Participants were selected by multistage sampling, using the National Heath Registry as the sampling frame. Data collection, during 12 months, was harmonized according to European guidelines (EU-MENU, European Food Safety Authority [EFSA]). Computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) was performed on a specific electronic platform synchronized with nutritional composition data and considering the FoodEx2 classification system. Dietary assessment was performed using 24-hour recalls (two nonconsecutive, 8-15 days apart) or food diaries in the case of children aged <10 years, complemented with a food propensity questionnaire; PA data (International Physical Activity Questionnaire [IPAQ], the Activity Choice Index [ACI], and 4-days PA diaries); sociodemographic data, and other health-related data were also collected. RESULTS A sample of 6553 individuals completed the first interview, and 5811 participants completed two dietary assessments. The participation rate among eligible individuals was 33.38% (6553/19,635), considering the first interview, and 29.60% (5811/19,635) for the participants with two completed interviews (about 40% in children and adolescents and 20% in elderly individuals). Results of the survey will be disseminated in national and international scientific journals during 2018-2019. CONCLUSIONS The survey will assist policy planning and management of national and European health programs on the improvement of nutritional status and risk assessment related to food hazards, and the enhancement of PA. The infrastructures and data driven from this Survey are a solid basis to the development of a future national surveillance system on diet, PA, and other health behaviors reproducible over time.
BackgroundThe assessment of food consumption data using harmonized methodologies at the European level is fundamental to support the development of public policies. Portugal is one of the countries with the most outdated information on individual food consumption.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to describe the design and methodology of the National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, 2015-2016, developed to collect national and regional data on dietary habits, physical activity (PA), and nutritional status, in a representative sample of the Portuguese general population (3 months-84 years).MethodsParticipants were selected by multistage sampling, using the National Heath Registry as the sampling frame. Data collection, during 12 months, was harmonized according to European guidelines (EU-MENU, European Food Safety Authority [EFSA]). Computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) was performed on a specific electronic platform synchronized with nutritional composition data and considering the FoodEx2 classification system. Dietary assessment was performed using 24-hour recalls (two nonconsecutive, 8-15 days apart) or food diaries in the case of children aged <10 years, complemented with a food propensity questionnaire; PA data (International Physical Activity Questionnaire [IPAQ], the Activity Choice Index [ACI], and 4-days PA diaries); sociodemographic data, and other health-related data were also collected.ResultsA sample of 6553 individuals completed the first interview, and 5811 participants completed two dietary assessments. The participation rate among eligible individuals was 33.38% (6553/19,635), considering the first interview, and 29.60% (5811/19,635) for the participants with two completed interviews (about 40% in children and adolescents and 20% in elderly individuals). Results of the survey will be disseminated in national and international scientific journals during 2018-2019.ConclusionsThe survey will assist policy planning and management of national and European health programs on the improvement of nutritional status and risk assessment related to food hazards, and the enhancement of PA. The infrastructures and data driven from this Survey are a solid basis to the development of a future national surveillance system on diet, PA, and other health behaviors reproducible over time.
Objective: To evaluate households' diet-quality trends and regional disparities, as well as to identify the influence of its socioeconomic determinants. Methods/Subjects: Two dietary indexes were applied: a revised Healthy Diet Indicator version (HDIr) and the Mediterranean Adequacy Index (MAI). The socioeconomic differences between households with low-diet quality (if their scoring in HDIr or MAI was below the national median) and the remaining ones were analysed by means of logistic regression. Representative samples of households among each region were analysed. Results: Adherence to a Mediterranean diet was poor in all Portuguese regions; the proportion of households adhering to it has diminished in the North, Centre, Lisbon and Tejo valley. The proportion of households with high HDIr decreased in the North, Centre, Lisbon and Tejo valley and Algarve. In multivariate analysis, households whose head had secondary or higher education, living in semi-urban or urban areas, from the Azores region, within the higher income or outside home food expenditures groups were more likely to be in low-quality diet. Conclusions: The decreasing adherence to a Mediterranean food pattern and the diminishing compliance with World Health Organization dietary goals show that Portuguese households have reduced their diet quality. The observed influence of urbanization and region on diet quality highlights the importance of considering regional nutrition strategies.
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