QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Data Supplement Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Pomerleau, J. Articles by Altmann, D. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Pomerleau, J. Articles by Altmann, D. R.

---

Nutritional Epidemiology

The Challenge of Measuring Global Fruit and Vegetable Intake^1,2

European Centre on Health of Societies in Transition and ^* Medical Statistics Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK

³To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Joceline.Pomerleau{at}lshtm.ac.uk.

The WHO recently conducted, within its Global Burden of Disease 2000 Study, a Comparative Risk Assessment (CRA) to estimate the global health effect of low fruit and vegetable intake. This paper summarizes the methods used to obtain exposure data for the CRA and provides estimates of worldwide fruit and vegetable intakes. Intakes were derived from 26 national population-based surveys, complemented with food supply statistics. Estimates were stratified by 14 subregions, 8 age groups, and gender. Subregions were categorized on the bases of child mortality under age 5 y and 15- to 59-y-old male mortality (A: very low child and adult mortality; B: low child and adult mortality; C: low child, high adult mortality; D: high child and adult mortality; E: high child, very high adult mortality). Mean intakes were highest in Europe A [median = 449 g/(person · d)] and the Western Pacific Region A. They were lowest in America B [median = 192 g/(person · d)], and low in Europe C, the South East Asian Regions B and D, and Africa E. Children and elderly individuals generally had lower intakes than middle-aged adults. SDs varied considerably by region, gender, and age [overall median = 223 g/(person · d)]. Assessing exposure levels for the CRA had major methodological limitations, particularly due to the lack of nationally representative intake data. The results showed mean intakes generally lower than current recommendations, with large variations among subregions. If the burden of disease attributable to dietary factors is to be assessed more accurately, more countries will have to assess the dietary intake of their populations using comparable methods.

KEY WORDS: • fruit • vegetables • diet surveys • food supply • epidemiologic research design

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Sirikulchayanonta, P. Pavadhgul, R. Chongsuwat, and S. Srisorrachata A preliminary study of hyperlipidemia in Bangkok school children Asia Pac J Public Health, September 1, 2006; 18(3): 15 - 19. [PDF]

				S. L Thomas, J. G Wheeler, and A. J Hall Micronutrient intake and the risk of herpes zoster: a case-control study Int. J. Epidemiol., April 1, 2006; 35(2): 307 - 314. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Pomerleau, K. Lock, C. Knai, and M. McKee Interventions Designed to Increase Adult Fruit and Vegetable Intake Can Be Effective: A Systematic Review of the Literature J. Nutr., October 1, 2005; 135(10): 2486 - 2495. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]