Dietary patterns and their socio-demographic determinants in 10 European countries: data from the DAFNE databank.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the dietary patterns of 10 European countries and their socio-demographic determinants, using the comparable between-countries DAFNE data. DESIGN: Analysis of standardized and postharmonized data collected through the national household budget surveys. SETTING: Nationally representative surveys undertaken in 10 European countries, generally in the second half of the 1990s. RESULTS: The differences in the fruit and vegetable consumption previously identified between Mediterranean and Northern European countries seem to be leveling out, particularly in relation to fruit consumption. Pulses, however, still characterize the diet of the Mediterraneans. Straying from their traditional food choices, Mediterraneans recorded high availability of unprocessed red meat, while Central and Northern Europeans preferably consumed meat products. The household availability of beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) is generally higher among Central and Northern European populations. Principal component (PC) analysis led to the identification of two dietary patterns in each of the 10 countries. The first was similar in all countries and indicated 'wide-range' food buyers. The second was slightly more varied and described 'beverage and convenience' food buyers. PC1 was common among households of retired and elderly members, while PC2 was common among households located in urban or semi-urban areas and among adult Scandinavians living alone. CONCLUSIONS: The dietary patterns identified point towards a progressive narrowing of dietary differences between North and South European countries. The comparable between-countries DAFNE data could prove useful in ecological studies, in the formulation of dietary guidelines and public health initiatives addressing specific population groups. SPONSORSHIP: European Commission.

Methodology for rendering household budget and individual nutrition surveys comparable, at the level of the dietary information collected.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the methodology applied in order to render comparable, at the level of the dietary information collected, the household budget survey (HBS) and individual nutrition survey (INS) data from four European countries (Belgium, Greece, Norway and the United Kingdom). SETTING: In Belgium, data from the HBS of 1987-88 were compared with data from the Belgian Interuniversity Research on Nutrition and Health collected from 1980 to 1985. In Greece, data from the HBS undertaken in 1993-94 in the greater Athens area were compared with data collected around 1994 in the same region, in the context of the Greek segment of the European Prospective Investigation on Cancer and Nutrition study. In Norway, data from the HBS carried out in 1992, 1993 and 1994 were compared with the NORKOST study conducted in 1993-94. In the United Kingdom, data from four HBSs carried out in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988 were compared with the National Dietary and Nutritional Survey of British adults conducted in 1987-88. DESIGN: INS-generated data were converted into 'HBS-like' estimates with the application of yield factors for weight changes during cooking, recipe-based calculations and edible proportion coefficients taking into account weight changes during the food preparation. The 'HBS-like' estimates thus obtained were compared with the original HBS values, after applying an adjustment factor for food spoiled or given to pets. CONCLUSION: The methodological considerations overviewed in the present paper indicate that a number of issues need to be taken into account before a proper comparison of the dietary data collected through surveys implemented with varied methodologies is carried out.

Fruit and vegetable availability among ten European countries: how does it compare with the 'five-a-day' recommendation? DAFNE I and II projects of the European Commission.

Recasting the role of fruit and vegetables (F&V) in the diet, and planning national and international campaigns to enhance their consumption are major public health service objectives. The present study seeks to describe F&V availability patterns in ten European countries and examine compliance with current recommendations. The mean and median F&V availability (g/person per d) was estimated based on household budget survey data retrieved from the Data Food Networking (DAFNE) databank. Low F&V consumers were identified based on WHO international recommendations (minimum combined F&V intake of about 400 g/person per d) and current conservative guidelines of a minimum daily intake of three portions of vegetables and two portions of fruit. Considerable disparities in F&V availability were found among the surveyed European populations. Only in Mediterranean countries did the mean daily population intake clearly exceed combined F&V recommendations. Dietary patterns were positively skewed in all populations studied, on account of the presence of exceptionally high values among segments of the populations. Moreover, the correlation was unexpectedly weak between the proportion of low fruit and low vegetable consumers (Spearman's correlation coefficient +0.18). More than 50% of the households in the surveyed populations are likely to consume less than the recommended daily vegetable intake of three portions, and this applies even to the two Mediterranean populations. The efficiency of F&V promoting strategies may be enhanced if F&V are addressed separately; furthermore, interventions that would specifically focus on vegetables are probably needed.