title: Intake of whole grains in Scandinavia is associated with healthy lifestyle, socio-economic and dietary factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the dietary, lifestyle and socio-economic factors associated with the intake of whole grains (WG) in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subsample of the Scandinavian cohort 'HELGA' consisting of three prospective cohorts: The Norwegian Women and Cancer Study; The Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study; and the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 8702 men and women aged 30-65 years. Dietary data are from one 24 h dietary recall and data on socio-economic status and lifestyle factors including anthropometric values are from the baseline collection of data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vegetables, fruits, dairy products, fish and shellfish, coffee, tea and margarine were directly associated with the intake of WG, whereas red meat, white bread, alcohol and cakes and biscuits were inversely associated. Smoking and BMI were consistently inversely associated with the intake of WG. Furthermore, length of education was directly associated with the intake of WG among women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intake of WG was found to be directly associated with healthy diet, lifestyle and socio-economic factors and inversely associated with less healthy factors, suggesting that these factors are important for consideration as potential confounders when studying WG intake and disease associations.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Danish Cancer Society, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. ceciliek@cancer.dk
authors.forename: Cecilie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kyrø
authors.forename: Guri
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Skeie
authors.forename: Lars O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Dragsted
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Overvad
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hallmans
authors.forename: Ingegerd
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: Eiliv
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lund
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Slimani
authors.forename: Nina F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Johnsen
authors.forename: Jytte
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Halkjær
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tjønneland
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology; D002523:Edible Grain; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008019:Life Style; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries; D012907:Smoking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors