title: The Baltic Sea Diet Score: a tool for assessing healthy eating in Nordic countries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The health-related effects of the Nordic diet remain mostly unidentified. We created a Baltic Sea Diet Score (BSDS) for epidemiological research to indicate adherence to a healthy Nordic diet. We examined associations between the score and nutrient intakes that are considered important in promoting public health. We also examined the performance of the BSDS under two different cut-off strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cross-sectional study included two phases of the National FINRISK 2007 Study. Diet was assessed using a validated FFQ. Food and nutrient intakes were calculated using in-house software. Nine components were selected for the score. Each component was scored according to both sex-specific consumption quartiles (BSDS-Q) and medians (BSDS-M), and summed to give the final score values.
  
  
  METHODS
  A large representative sample of the Finnish population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Men (n 2217) and women (n 2493) aged 25 to 74 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the age- and energy-adjusted model, adherence to the diet was associated with a higher intake of carbohydrates (E%), and lower intakes of SFA (E%) and alcohol (E%, where E% is percentage of total energy intake; P < 0·01). Furthermore, the intakes of fibre, Fe, vitamins A, C and D, and folate were higher among participants who adhered to the diet (P < 0·05). After further adjustments, the results remained significant (P < 0·05) and did not differ remarkably between BSDS-Q and BSDS-M.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The BSDS can be used as a measure of a healthy Nordic diet to assess diet-health relationships in public health surveys in Nordic countries.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Chronic Disease Prevention,National Institute for Health and Welfare,PO Box 30,FI-00270 Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: Noora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kanerva
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Chronic Disease Prevention,National Institute for Health and Welfare,PO Box 30,FI-00270 Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: Niina E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Kaartinen
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Clinical Nutrition,Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition,University of Eastern Finland,Kuopio,Finland.
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.affiliation: 4Finnish Heart Association,Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: Marjaana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lahti-Koski
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Chronic Disease Prevention,National Institute for Health and Welfare,PO Box 30,FI-00270 Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: Satu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Männistö
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards; D015930:Diet Records; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D011634:Public Health; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins