A surveillance tool to assess diets according to Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide.

BACKGROUND: A surveillance tool was developed to assess dietary intake collected by surveys in relation to Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide (CFG). The tool classifies foods in the Canadian Nutrient File (CNF) according to how closely they reflect CFG. This paper describes the validation exercise conducted to ensure that CNF foods determined to be "in line with CFG" were appropriately classified. DATA AND METHODS: With statistical modelling, 8,000 simulated diets (500 for each of the 16 Dietary Reference Intake [DRI] age/sex groups) were generated using commonly consumed foods classified as "in line with CFG." Criteria for assessing the energy content and nutrient distributions of the simulated diets were based on factors considered in the development of CFG, including Estimated Energy Requirement (EER) and Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) values. RESULTS: The median energy content of the simulated diets was at or below reference EERs. Most age/sex group distributions had macronutrient profiles that met the assessment criterion of 80% of the distribution within the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range, and almost all age/sex group distributions had a low prevalence (less than 10%) of micronutrient profiles below the Estimated Average Requirements. Overall, the findings indicate that diets consisting of foods that are commonly consumed by Canadians and that are "in line with CFG" have a low probability of energy excess and nutrient inadequacy. INTERPRETATION: The classification of foods in the CNF accurately reflects CFG recommendations and can be used to assess surveillance data.

Cohort profile: the maternal-infant research on environmental chemicals research platform.

BACKGROUND: The Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Study was established to obtain Canadian biomonitoring data for pregnant women and their infants, and to examine potential adverse health effects of prenatal exposure to priority environmental chemicals on pregnancy and infant health. METHODS: Women were recruited during the first trimester from 10 sites across Canada and were followed through delivery. Questionnaires were administered during pregnancy and post-delivery to collect information on demographics, occupation, life style, medical history, environmental exposures and diet. Information on the pregnancy and the infant was abstracted from medical charts. Maternal blood, urine, hair and breast milk, as well as cord blood and infant meconium, were collected and analysed for an extensive list of environmental biomarkers and nutrients. Additional biospecimens were stored in the study's Biobank. The MIREC Research Platform encompasses the main cohort study, the Biobank and follow-up studies. RESULTS: Of the 8716 women approached at early prenatal clinics, 5108 were eligible and 2001 agreed to participate (39%). MIREC participants tended to smoke less (5.9% vs. 10.5%), be older (mean 32.2 vs. 29.4 years) and have a higher education (62.3% vs. 35.1% with a university degree) than women giving birth in Canada. CONCLUSIONS: The MIREC Study, while smaller in number of participants than several of the international cohort studies, has one of the most comprehensive datasets on prenatal exposure to multiple environmental chemicals. The biomonitoring data and biological specimen bank will make this research platform a significant resource for examining potential adverse health effects of prenatal exposure to environmental chemicals.