Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) encourages countries to undertake national dietary survey (NDS) but implementation and reporting is inconsistent. This paper provides an up-to-date review of adult macro and micronutrient intakes in European populations as reported by NDS. It uses WHO Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs) to assess intake adequacy and highlight areas of concern. NDS information was gathered primarily by internet searches and contacting survey authors and nutrition experts. Survey characteristics and adult intakes by gender/age group were extracted for selected nutrients and weighted means calculated by region. Of the 53 WHO Europe countries, over a third (n = 19), mainly Central & Eastern European countries (CEEC), had no identifiable NDS. Energy and nutrient intakes were extracted for 21 (40%) countries but differences in age group, methodology, under-reporting and nutrient composition databases hindered inter-country comparisons. No country met more than 39% WHO RNIs in all age/gender groups; macronutrient RNI achievement was poorer than micronutrient. Overall RNI attainment was slightly worse in CEEC and lower in women and female elderly. Only 40% countries provided adult energy and nutrient intakes. The main gaps lie in CEEC, where unknown nutrient deficiencies may occur. WHO RNI attainment was universally poor for macronutrients, especially for women, the female elderly and CEEC. All countries could be encouraged to report a uniform nutrient set and sub-analyses of nationally representative nutrient intakes.

Highlights

  • The burden of malnutrition in the form of overweight and obesity, nutrient deficiency and preventable diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is significant and worsening [1].An unhealthy diet is one of the four major behavioral risk factors for NCDs in all World Health Organization (WHO) regions [2], with the European region proportionately suffering the greatest burden

  • Adult energy and nutrient intakes could not be extracted for 60% (32) of European countries; 19 of these, mainly Central & Eastern European countries (CEEC), had no identifiable nationally representative survey, making up over a third of WHO Europe countries

  • Considering all macro and micronutrients investigated, no country met more than 39% WHO Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs) in all age/gender groups

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Summary

Introduction

The burden of malnutrition in the form of overweight and obesity, nutrient deficiency and preventable diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is significant and worsening [1]. An unhealthy diet is one of the four major behavioral risk factors for NCDs in all WHO regions [2], with the European region proportionately suffering the greatest burden. Organization (WHO) European Food and Nutrition Action Plan aims to ‘significantly reduce’ the human, economic and social costs of all forms of malnutrition in the WHO European region [1]. National diet surveys (NDS) have an important role to play in assessing dietary patterns and intakes in populations and informing policy decisions; the WHO European Food & Nutrition Action. Nutrition and health surveys formed the main source of information for dietary risk factors and physical inactivity in a systematic analysis of disease risk in 21 regions Plan [1] explicitly encourages member states to ‘strengthen and expand nationally representative diet and nutrition surveys.’ Nutrition and health surveys formed the main source of information for dietary risk factors and physical inactivity in a systematic analysis of disease risk in 21 regions

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