Description
The National Food Survey and Physical Activity project aims to collect data on dietary intake (including nutritional, food safety and insecurity dimensions) and physical activity using harmonized tools and protocols, in the view of a pan-European survey (EFSA Guidelines). Analyzing data according to socio-economic status will allow to better understanding the gaps and inequalities. The Survey outcomes will support solid evidence-based information for all age groups of the population, not available in Portugal since 1980, and will contribute to develop a national infrastructure for monitoring progress of specific targets supporting policies and future interventions. The project will also provide innovative tools for health indicators monitoring and improve human resources training. A consortium with experts with know-how from different specific areas will be an additional asset. Sharing expertise and comparing data between Portugal and Norway will strengthen the maintenance of the system and the capacity of future funding.
Summary of project results
The development of nutritional policies aiming to contribute to the improvement of the Portuguese population health depends upon updated and quality data on food consumption and eating habits. The first National Dietary Survey was conducted in 1980, and no nationwide individual information has been collected since then, using harmonized instruments able to answer to official European indicators. The National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey of the Portuguese population 2015-2016 (IAN-AF 2015-2016 Survey) aimed to collect nationwide and regional data on dietary intake and physical activity, and evaluate their relation with health determinants, namely socioeconomic factors. The Survey outcomes will assist policy planning and management of national health programs related to the improvement of food consumption, nutritional status and risk assessment related with food biological and chemical hazards, and the increase of physical activity. The infrastructures and data driven from this Survey can also be used as a solid basis to the development of a future surveillance system on diet, physical activity, and other health behaviours, reproducible over time. Throughout the project, Portugal was also able to conclude the adaptation of tools and instruments from the Pan-European Survey (EU-Menu), promoted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), allowing data collection in different domains, such as food and nutrient intake, eating behaviours, nutritional status, food safety and food insecurity, comparable with other European countries. Accurate and detailed food consumption data are important for the assessment of risk exposure to potentially hazardous substances. The use of the Foodex2 food classification system, proposed by EFSA, improved the information of risk assessment related with food biological and chemical hazards.
Summary of bilateral results
Four team members of the IAN-AF 2015-2016 Survey met with Professor Lene Frost Andersen, from the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo (Nordic partner of the project), and with the Coordinators of the "Nordic monitoring system on diet, physical activity and overweight". This visit to Norway (Oslo), allow the contact with the Nordic web-based tool and exchange experiences under this domain, namely discussing methodological constrains related with National Dietary Surveys. The Promoter had the opportunity of assisting to presentations and to discuss with colleagues from different areas of nutrition (Anne Lene Kristiansen, Jannicke B Myhre, Anette Hjartåker, Anine Medin) and from the area of physical activity (Bjørge H Hansen) and to meet colleagues working with birth cohorts studies (Helle M Meltzer & Margaretha Haugen) and also colleagues from the Scientific Committee for Food Safety (Inger Therese Lillegaard). The opportunity of knowing the Nordic monitoring system enhanced the discussion on the developing and implementation of a Surveillance System in Portugal in the future. Nordic and other international experts head a Workshop in Portugal on Dietary Monitoring systems (Workshop "Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Surveillance Systems" held in Porto on May 12, 2016). This Workshop allowed the discussion on several key issues between several stakeholders (researchers, politics, health decision makers). This Workshop contributed to the discussion of the best model and health indicators to be assessed on a future Surveillance System in Portugal.