Changes in carotenoid intake in the United States: the 1987 and 1992 National Health Interview Surveys.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the changes in carotenoid intake between 1987 and 1992 among US adults by sociodemographic characteristics and high-risk groups for chronic disease; and to identify the dietary sources of specific carotenoid intake.


METHODS
A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was collected from a representative sample of respondents to the 1987 and 1992 National Health Interview Surveys throughout two calendar quarters. Black and white adults, 18 to 69 years old, participated in 1987 (n = 8,161) and 1992 (n = 8,341).


METHODS
FFQ data were matched and linked to the US Department of Agriculture-National Cancer Institute carotenoid food composition database for analysis.


METHODS
Mean differences in carotenoid intake over time were compared by sociodemographic characteristics and region of the country, after adjustment for sampling weights in a multiple linear regression model.


RESULTS
Mean intake of the carotenoid lutein declined among white women (18%), among adults aged 40 to 69 years (16%), among persons with 9 to 12 years of education (11%), among nondrinkers (18%), among drinkers of 1 to 6 alcoholic drinks/ week (7%), among smokers (former smokers by 11%, current smokers by 7%, and never smokers by 9%), among income groups (< $20,000 by 7%, > or = $20,000 by 9%), and residents in the south and northeast (by 13% each, respectively). Mean intake of the carotenoid lycopene increased among white men (9%), among adults aged 18 to 39 years and aged 40 to 69 years (by 5% and 6%, respectively), among those with 13 years of education or more (12.5%), among alcohol drinkers (by 10% and 7% for 1 to 6 vs 7 or more drinks/week, respectively), among former and current smokers (by 6% each), among those with incomes > or = $20,000 (8%), and among residents in the west (16%) and midwest (5%). All differences described were statistically significant (P < .01).


CONCLUSIONS
The decline in lutein intake (from dark green leafy vegetables), particularly in white women, may have public health implications as a result of the recognized inverse association between carotenoid intake and disease risk.
Nebeling
L C
LC
National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md. 20892-7326, USA.
Forman
M R
MR
Graubard
B I
BI
Snyder
R A
RA
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D015930:Diet Records; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D014975:Lutein / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077276:Lycopene; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014675:Vegetables; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000008:administration & dosage
D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids; D000077276:Lycopene; D014975:Lutein