Secular and socio-economic trends in compliance with dietary targets in the north Glasgow MONICA population surveys 1986-1995: did social gradients widen?
OBJECTIVE
To compare trends in the consumption of key foods over 10 years in the most deprived and least deprived quarters in north Glasgow, Scotland as defined by the Carstairs deprivation index for their postcode of domicile.


METHODS
Four random, cross-sectional, age- and gender-stratified population surveys carried out in 1986, 1989, 1992 and 1995. After assigning a deprivation score, food-frequency questionnaires from 2883 men and 3127 women were examined for compliance with dietary targets, examining trends by gender and within the most and least deprived quarters of the population.


METHODS
North Glasgow, Scotland.


METHODS
Over 600 men and 600 women (aged 25-64 years) in each of the four survey years who completed a lifestyle questionnaire including a food frequency section.


RESULTS
Increasing trends in the reported consumption of fruit and vegetables and oil-rich fish were observed over the 10-year period. However, the trend to increased fruit and vegetable consumption in the most deprived groups was not significant, and in 1995 only 8% of men and 12% of women in this group claimed consumption of these foods 4 or more times a day. In general, a higher percentage of those in the least deprived group met the targets for the key foods.


CONCLUSIONS
Trends to increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables and fish were in the right direction, but the targets for consumption of certain key foods were met by a minority of the population. The progress towards the target for fruit and vegetables showed widening social gradients with time.
Centre for Public Health Nurition Research, The Institute for Cardiovascular Research, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, UK. w.l.wrieden@dundee.ac.uk
Wendy Louise
WL
Wrieden
John
J
Connaghan
Caroline
C
Morrison
Hugh
H
Tunstall-Pedoe
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000639:trends*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012606:Scotland; D017747:Seafood; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables