Dietary patterns and lifestyle factors in the Norwegian EPIC cohort: the Norwegian Women and Cancer (NOWAC) study.
OBJECTIVE
To identify different dietary patterns in Norway using a combination of cluster and factor analysis.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Nation-wide, population-based study.


METHODS
The Norwegian EPIC cohort is a subcohort of the Norwegian Women and Cancer study (NOWAC), and consist 37.226 women aged 41-56 y who answered a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in 1998.


METHODS
The associations among 50 food variables were first investigated by using principal component analysis. Five important factors were found. The five principal components were then used as input in the cluster analysis. Different socioeconomic and lifestyle variables were examined.


RESULTS
Six clusters of dietary patterns were found, and were labelled accordingly: 'traditional fish eaters', 'healthy eaters', 'average, less fish, less healthy', 'Western', 'traditional bread eaters', and 'alcohol users'. The traditional fish eaters and the traditional bread eaters were both highly represented in the north and west of Norway and were more likely to be present among persons with lower income and lower education. The healthy and the alcohol drinkers were found mostly in the south and east and were more likely to have higher income. Persons in the alcohol group were more likely to be current smokers. The western group had the highest percentage of three or more persons in the household and the shortest time since last birth, indicating that families with children dominate this group.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data indicate six different dietary patterns in Norway, each with different socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics.


BACKGROUND
The Norwegian Cancer Society (E 04038/006).
Engeset
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Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tromsø, Norway. dagrun.engeset@ism.uit.no
Alsaker
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Ciampi
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Lund
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E
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012907:Smoking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires