National Diet and Nutrition Survey : Adults Aged 19 to 64 Years, 2000-2001

The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) programme is a joint initiative, established in 1992, between the then Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) and the Department of Health. Responsibility for the programme transferred from MAFF to the Food Standards Agency on the latter's establishment in April 2000. The NDNS programme aims to provide a comprehensive cross-sectional picture of the dietary habits and nutritional status of the population of Great Britain. It will also contribute to the health monitoring programme set out in the Government's White Paper, Saving lives: our healthier nation. So far, the NDNS programme has surveyed four separate age groups: children aged 1.5 years to 4.5 years (study held at the UK Data Archive under SN 3481); young people aged 4 to 18 years (SN 4243); people aged 65 years and over (SN 4036), and adults aged 19 to 64 years (SN 5140). The NDNS programme is intended to:

• provide detailed quantitative information on the food and nutrient intakes, sources of nutrients and nutritional status of the population under study as a basis for government policy
• describe the characteristics of individuals with intakes of specific nutrients that are above and below the national average
• provide a database to enable the calculation of likely dietary intakes of natural toxicants, contaminants, additives and other food chemicals for risk assessment
• measure blood and urine indices that give evidence of nutritional status or dietary biomarkers and to relate these to dietary, physiological and social data
• provide height, weight and other measurements of body size on a representative sample of individuals and examine their relationship to social, dietary, health and anthropometric data as well as data from blood analyses
• monitor the diet of the population under study to establish the extent to which it is adequately nutritious and varied
• monitor the extent of deviation of the diet of specified groups of the population from that recommended by independent experts as optimum for health, in order to act as a basis for policy development
• help determine possible relationships between diet and nutritional status and risk factors in later life
• assess physical activity levels of the population under study
• provide information on oral health in relation to dietary intake and nutritional status

The last national survey of diet and nutrition in adults was the Dietary and Nutritional Survey of British Adults carried out in 1986/87 (held at UKDA under SN 2836). The changes in eating habits and lifestyles noted in that survey have continued throughout the intervening years. Increasing numbers of people are travelling and taking holidays abroad, and with increased multi-culturalism this has led to a greater variety of foods available. Increasing demands on people's time and longer working hours have led to greater demand and availability of pre-prepared and convenience foods. There has also been an increase in eating outside the home. There was a need, therefore, to assess the impact of such changes on diet and nutrition among adults, to update the findings of the 1986/87 Adults Survey and to complete the NDNS cycle by conducting a survey on adults aged 19 to 64 years. The survey of adults aged 19 to 64 years aimed to collect data on diet through a questionnaire and a seven-day weighed intake record for a nationally representative sample living in private households in Great Britain. The study also included a seven-day bowel movement record, a seven-day physical activity diary, anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, a 24-hour urine sample and a blood sample. The Food Standards Agency nutrient databank, which is used to convert food weights into nutrient intake, has also been deposited with this study. Main Topics:There are two groups of datasets included in the study: primary datasets containing data in the format originally collected, and derived datasets. The primary data includes dietary data from the food diary at four levels: person level, day level (seven days were collected per diary), container level (this is a group of foods consumed together at the same serving) and food item level. Also included are data from the seven-day physical activity diary for and the keyed anthropometric and blood pressure data. There is also a file of blood and urine analyte data and a copy of the Food Standards Agency nutrient database which is used to convert food weights into nutrient intake. The derived datasets provided include average nutrient intake for each person, intake of food sub-groups, nutrient intakes at the food item level and average daily intake of each of 55 nutrients from different food types. In addition, files are provided containing the key derived variables for the initial dietary interview, blood and urinary analytes, physical measurements and variables derived from the physical activity diary data. Full details of the datasets are provided in Section 3 of the User Guide. Specifications for the derived variables are given in Appendix A of the User Guide.