Riksmaten Adolescents 2016-17: A national dietary survey in Sweden - design, methods, and participation.

BACKGROUND: Nationally representative information on food consumption data is essential to evaluate dietary habits, inform policy-making and nutritional guidelines, as well as forming a basis for risk assessment and identification of risk groups. OBJECTIVE: To describe the methods used in the Swedish national dietary survey of adolescents, Riksmaten Adolescents 2016-2017. DESIGN: Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 (mean ages 12, 15, and 18 years) were recruited in this school-based cross-sectional survey. A new, validated, web-based method was used to assess dietary intake. Information on physical activity, health, and socioeconomic background was collected through web questionnaires. Physical activity was also evaluated by accelerometers. Weight and height were measured in all participants, while blood and urine samples were collected in a subsample of 40% of the participants. RESULTS: A total of 3,477 (68%) respondents participated and 3,099 (60%) had complete dietary information. In the subsample, 1,305 (55%) respondents participated and 1,105 (46%) had complete dietary information. The participants were overall representative for the population with regard to socioeconomic background and school organization (public or independent). All types of municipalities were represented in the survey and overall, the geographic distribution corresponded to the underlying population. Some differences by school grade were observed. Sample weights were calculated for the total sample and the subsample. CONCLUSION: The Riksmaten Adolescents 2016-2017 provides valuable national data on diet, physical activity, and markers of exposure in age groups where data have been lacking. The data will provide a valuable basis for risk assessment, public health policy, and in-depth analyses.

"Functional foods compensate for an unhealthy lifestyle". Some Swedish consumers' impressions and perceived need of functional foods.

The aim of the present study was to explore some Swedish consumers' impressions of and perceived need of functional foods. Data were collected through 10 focus groups. A total of 46 individuals participated (31 females, 18-75 years, and 16 males, 18-78 years). The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed by the use of content analysis. Uncertainties--e.g., if functional foods are normal foods or medicines, if the foods would give additional physiological effects and/or if the ingredients and substances could cause harm--caused questions among the interviewees of trustworthiness and a feeling of losing control. The interviewees debated on the necessity of functional foods. Apart from perceiving functional foods as unnatural, the interviewees thought that functional foods would falsely compensate for an unhealthy lifestyle. The use of functional foods was considered to be justified when a healthy lifestyle is incapable of improving people's health. The interviewees perceived themselves to be in no need of functional foods. They thought that the foods were meant for others, for those in unquestionable need. We conclude that the impressions of FF among Swedish consumers are complex and versatile. The necessity of FF was justified unless no other lifestyle changes were able to improve a person's state of health.

Use of functional foods among Swedish consumers is related to health-consciousness and perceived effect.

The aim of the present study was to survey attitudes to and use of functional foods and to investigate which demographic variables and attitudes to diet and health predict consumption of functional foods among Swedish consumers. A questionnaire was developed and sent to 2000 randomly selected Swedish citizens aged between 17 and 75 years. A total of 972 (48%) responded, 53% were female and 44% male. Mean age was 45 years. The results revealed that 84% of respondents were familiar with the concept of functional foods; 83% had consumed/purchased at least one of the seven functional food products presented in the questionnaire. Of those who had consumed a functional food, 25% had perceived effect of it. Positive correlations were seen between consumers perceiving a personal reward from eating functional foods, having an interest in natural products and an interest in general health. Consumption/purchase of functional foods was related to beliefs in the effects of the products, having consumed nutraceuticals or dietary supplements, having a diet-related problem personally or in the family, and a high level of education. The characteristic Swedish functional food consumer has a high level of education, is health-conscious and interested in healthy foods and believes in the health effect of functional foods. Thus, factors other than demographics better explain consumption of FF. However, the study population may represent a more health-conscious segment of the Swedish population in general. Additional studies are therefore required to elucidate the attitudes and use of FF in different consumer groups.

Attitudes towards genetically modified and organic foods.

Finnish students (N=3261) filled out a questionnaire on attitudes towards genetically modified and organic food, plus the rational-experiential inventory, the magical thinking about food and health scale, Schwartz's value survey and the behavioural inhibition scale. In addition, they reported their eating of meat. Structural equation modelling of these measures had greater explanatory power for attitudes towards genetically modified (GM) foods than for attitudes towards organic foods (OF). GM attitudes were best predicted by natural science education and magical food and health beliefs, which mediated the influence of thinking styles. Positive attitudes towards organic food, on the other hand, were more directly related to such individual differences as thinking styles and set of values. The results of the study indicate that OF attitudes are rooted in more fundamental personal attributes than GM attitudes, which are embedded in a more complex but also in a more modifiable network of characteristics.

Choice of organic foods is related to perceived consequences for human health and to environmentally friendly behaviour.

We designed a questionnaire concerned with attitudes and behaviour towards organic foods, environmentally friendly behaviour (EFB), and perceived consequences of organic food choice in terms of human health, the environment and animal welfare. It was mailed in 1998 to a random nation-wide sample of 2000 Swedish citizens, ages 18-65 years, and 1154 (58%) responded. Self-reported purchase of organic foods was most strongly related to perceived benefit for human health. Performance of EFBs such as refraining from car driving was also a good predictor of purchase frequency. The results indicate that egoistic motives are better predictors of the purchase of organic foods than are altruistic motives.

Factors influencing children's food choice.

Although food habits arc not stable and unchanging during a person's lifetime, a base for healthy food habits can be created in early childhood. Children's food habits can be assumed to be influenced by their parents' food habits and choices. The aim of this article is to review factors influencing food choice in children as well as in adults. The results demonstrate that the development of children's food habits is influenced by a multitude of factors. Parents play an important role in the formation of food habits and preferences of young children. They can influence their children's food choice by making specific foods available, by acting as models for their children and by their behaviour in specific situations. Children tend to be afraid of new foods and do not readily accept them. However, experience is known to enhance preference, and earlier experiences of a particular food are the major determinants of the development of children's food acceptance patterns. Thus, parents should be encouraged to make healthy foods easily available to the child and serve these foods in positive mealtime situations in order to help their child to develop healthy food habits.