Effects of a healthy food supply intervention in a military setting: positive changes in cereal, fat and sugar containing foods.

BACKGROUND: In Finland, all men are liable to military service and a clear majority completes service. The increasing prevalence of obesity also among soldiers concerns conscripts' food choices. Conscripts are served nutritionally planned regular main meals but individual choices take place in free-time eating. This study assesses the effects in conscripts' eating habits in an intervention targeting the supply of healthy foods available in the military setting. METHODS: Participants were 604 18-21-year old male conscripts of whom 242 belonged to Control Group and 362 to Intervention Group. Participants of Control Group were historical controls performing military service one year before Intervention Group. The intervention targeted selection, placement, and attractiveness of healthy foods in garrison refectories and soldier's home cafeterias, the two main food providers in the military. Dietary intake data was collected by self-administered questionnaire at three time points: before/beginning of military service (T0), 8 weeks (T1) and 6 months (T2) of military service. Outcome measures were food consumption frequencies and four dietary indexes (Cereal Index, Fruit and Vegetable Index, Fat Index and Sugar Index) developed to characterize the diet. Changes between study groups in outcome variables and in time were analysed by repeated-measures analysis of covariance. RESULTS: Significant (p < 0.05) intervention effects and time-intervention interactions mostly in favor of Intervention Group were found. In Intervention Group, Cereal Index was significantly higher at T2 and the overall level of porridges and cereals was higher during follow-up when comparing to Control Group. Also, the overall levels of Fat Index, potato chips, soft drinks and desserts as well as sweet pastries at T1 were significantly lower in Intervention Group. At the same time, Fruit and Vegetable Index and the level of fruit and berries were lower in Intervention Group during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: In the military setting, healthier food choices can be promoted by intervening on the main food environments by improving the supply of healthy foods. However, impacting on conscripts' individual selection as fruit and vegetable consumption is more challenging.

Awareness and use of the Heart Symbol by Finnish consumers.

OBJECTIVE: To study the awareness of the Heart Symbol in different age and educational groups, and changes in the awareness over a 9-year period. In addition, the reported use of products with the symbol was examined. DESIGN: A series of annual cross-sectional postal surveys on Health Behaviour and Health among the Finnish Adult Population. SETTING: A random sample (n 5000 per annum) from the Finnish population aged 15-64 years, drawn from the National Population Register, received a questionnaire. SUBJECTS: Men and women (n 29 378) participating in the surveys in 2000-2009. RESULTS: At the early 2000s, 48 % of men and 73 % of women reported to be familiar with the symbol. The corresponding rates were 66 % for men and 91 % for women in 2009. The reported use of products with the symbol increased from 29 % to 52 % in men and from 40 % to 72 % in women. In men, the awareness did not vary by age, whereas older women (45-64 years) were less likely to be aware of the symbol compared with younger women (25-34 years). Men and women with the highest education were best aware of the symbol and more likely to use the products in the early 2000s. The educational differences diminished or disappeared during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of Finnish adults are familiar with the Heart Symbol, and the reported use of such products increased in all age and educational groups, especially among the less educated. The symbol may work as an effective measure to diminish nutrition-related health inequalities.

Quality of diet and food choices of Finnish young men: a sociodemographic and health behaviour approach.

OBJECTIVE: Eating habits of Finns have improved dramatically in 40 years. The proportion of fat in the diet has decreased and vegetable and fruit consumption increased. Knowledge of Finnish young men's dietary habits is limited. The aim was to assess food choices and quality of diet among young men and to analyse how background and health behaviour factors explain it. DESIGN: In 2007, data on eating habits, sociodemographic background factors and health behaviours of 17-21-year-old men (n 2905) entering military service were collected by self-administrated questionnaire. Two indexes - core food index (CFI) and extra food index (EFI) - were formed to describe daily and redundant snacking-type eating, respectively. Associations of background factors and health behaviours on the indexes were analysed by general linear modelling. RESULTS: In all, 13 % consumed fruits and berries daily and 8 % consumed vegetables, whereas 24 % consumed pizza and 19 % consumed hamburgers more than once a week. CFI increased with educational level (P < 0.001) and was explained by background and health behaviour (smoking, physical activity and eating breakfast). EFI was inversely associated with BMI (P < 0.001) and explained by health behaviour: (smoking, physical activity, drinking beer and eating breakfast). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that in early adulthood, eating habits cluster with other health behaviours among men. In this age group, education is associated with core food but not with extra food eating habits. Furthermore, seasonal variation is seen in both types of eating. When promoting healthy eating, a distinction between core foods and extra foods by using feasible indexes will be helpful in targeting the efforts.

Trends and socioeconomic differences in overweight among physically active and inactive Finns in 1978-2002.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to study the associations of physical activity and socioeconomic status with overweight from 1978 to 2002 and to explore whether the trend in overweight was different across educational groups or leisure time and commuting physical activity groups. METHOD: The study population comprised 37,084 women and 34,191 men who participated in cross-sectional postal surveys carried out annually from 1978 to 2002. The surveys included independent nationally representative random samples of Finns aged 25 to 64 years. Information on weight, height, leisure time and commuting physical activity was self-reported. The level of education was obtained from national register data. Overweight was defined as a body mass index (kg/m2) of 25 or higher. RESULTS: Overweight was more prevalent among the physically inactive and lower educated. The prevalence of overweight increased over time. Across the study years, those men and women who participated in leisure time or commuting physical activity had a lower prevalence of overweight in all educational groups. The increase in the prevalence of overweight followed a similar pattern in all physical activity and education groups. CONCLUSION: Engagement in physical activity has not prevented an increase in the prevalence of overweight in any socioeconomic group among Finnish men and women from 1978 to 2002.