Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
The purpose of this survey is to produce data on the food and nutrient intake, nutritional status, anthropometric and blood pressure measurements of the British population aged between 16 and 64 in 1986/7.
Main Topics:
The study incorporated both dietary and physiological elements. Each individual was asked to: answer a short interview questionnaire, giving personal and household information, and general information on dietary habits; keep a record for seven days of weighed intakes of all food and drink consumed both in and out of the home; provide information on any dietary supplements, for example, vitamin tablets, and on all prescribed medicines being taken; agree to certain body measurements being taken - height, weight, wrist diameter, mid-upper arm circumference, and, for males only, calf circumference; have three consecutive measurements taken of their blood pressure and heart rate; provide a 20ml specimen of blood by venepuncture (subjects aged 18 and over only); make a 24-hour collection of urine. SPSS and SIR Databases The SPSS files were extracted primarily to produce the tabulations required for the report published by OPCS and contain only a sub-set of the dietary information collected. The files do, however, contain all of the data collected in the survey interview and all of the data associated with the physical and biochemical measures. The dietary variables included in the SPSS files are aggregates for the whole recording period and are concerned mainly with nutrient intakes rather than with individual foods. The main categories are as follows: i. Total intake of each measured nutrient over the 7-day recording period (both including and excluding the contribution of food supplements). ii. Average daily intake of each nutrient over this period (both including and excluding the contribution of food supplements). iii. Various proportions and ratios for nutrient intakes derived from items (i) and (ii); e.g. nutrient intake per 1000 kilo-calories of energy, proportion of total energy and of food energy from fats, ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fats. iv. The amount of nutrient intake derived from the main food groups (for selected nutrients only). v. Intake of each nutrient from foods consumed outside the home, and proportion of total intake of each nutrient derived from these foods. vi. The quantities of foods from various food groups consumed during the recording week. Content of SPSS files (A) SCHEDS.EX Dictionary given in EXPORT1.OUT. The file includes records for all respondents to the dietary survey and provides the largest sample for analysis of blood, urine and physical measures. The file contains all schedule variables, blood and urine analytes and the main derived variables based on this set of variables. (There is a high degree of overlap between this file and DIARY.EXP). (B) DIARY.EXP Dictionary given in EXPORT2.OUT. The file has records only for those informants who kept the 7-day dietary record and is the main file for analysis of average daily nutrient intake and or linking nutrient intake and the physical measurements. The file includes schedule variables, blood and urine analytes, the main derived variables based on this set of variables and, in addition, the main variables summarising nutrient intake. (C) QUANT.EXP Dictionary given in EXPORT3.OUT. The file contains variables for quantities of food from the various food groups defined for the analysis. It does not contain demographic variables and should be used in conjunction with parts of DIARY.EXP. (D) GROUP1.EXP Details of file given in EXPORT4.OUT. The file contains variables for average daily intake of selected nutrients from each of 51 food groups. The file should be used in comjunction with DIARY.EXP. (E) GROUP2.EXP Details of file given in EXPORT5.OUT. Similar to GROUP1.EXP but for different nutrients. (F) GROUP3.EXP Details of file given in EXPORT6.OUT. Similar to GROUP1.EXP but for different nutrients. Content of SIR database The SIR database retains all of the information collected in the food diary at the level of individual food items. For each food consumed during the recording period the database gives the food code, the brand code, the weight consumed, the time of day when the food was consumed (in time bands), whether the food was eaten at home or not, the date and the day order within the 7-day recording period. The database is, therefore, the source of information on intakes of specific foods, intakes of brands of foods, and food intakes in particular time periods. In addition, the food codes and their associated weights can be converted to nutrient intakes and this allows for analysis within different time periods for different food groups to those used for the SPSS files. The SIR database is complex and is only likely to be of use to those already experienced in the use of SIR. In particular, the depositors recommend that users do not take the SIR database in order to reconstruct variables which already exist on the SPSS files, but only use it if they are interested in the more detailed analysis of food intakes which it allows.
One-stage stratified or systematic random sample
Multi-stage stratified random sample
Face-to-face interview
Clinical measurements
Diaries