Study on transition of dietary patterns in Jiangsu province, 1989–2009, China

Abstract

To study the longitudinal transition of dietary patterns among residents in one of the richer provinces in China, Jiangsu Province from 1989 to 2009, we used a subpopulation of adults aged 18 and older in 6 cities and counties from China Health and Nutrition Survey. Experienced physicians collected detailed dietary data by weighing method in combination with 3 consecutive 24‐hour recalls. All statistical analyses were conducted using SAS version 8.0. There were a decrease in the consumption of grain and a significant increase in animal foods. While energy and protein met the Chinese national Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI), there were marked changes in fat intake and a rapid increase in the consumption of dairy products and the proportion of energy intake from fat, mainly from vegetable oils. A reduction of the gaps in calcium intake below the Chinese RNI occurred. The prevalence of overweight and obesity (BMI≥24) among men increased almost fivefold from 9.4% in 1989 to 41.1% in 2009, with an acceleration in the annual prevalence level increase over the past decade. Hypertension over this period grew from 7.8% in men and 4.8% in women to 37.6% and 30.8% respectively in 2009. The dietary transition in Jiangsu has seen a marked shift in the sources of calories with a marked increase of dietary fat. Overweight, obesity and hypertension are increasingly prevalent.This study was supported by NIH (R01‐HD30880) and Fogarty International Center, NIH (5D43TW007709).