Consumption of foods with the highest nutritional quality, and the lowest greenhouse gas emissions and price, differs between socio-economic groups in the UK population.

OBJECTIVE: To establish a baseline understanding of whether consuming food with the highest nutritional quality, lowest greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and cost differs between different UK demographic and socio-economic population groups. DESIGN: Multiple linear regression models were fitted to evaluate the relationship between predictor socio-demographic variables in this study (i.e. sex, ethnic group, age, BMI and level of deprivation) and the response variables (i.e. consumption of items considered most nutritious, with a low GHGE and price, as a proportion of total items consumed). SETTING: The UK. PARTICIPANTS: 1374 adult (18-65 years) participants from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey latest waves 9-11 (2016-2017 and 2018-2019). RESULTS: Based on the total energy consumption in a day, the average diet-based GHGE was significantly higher for participants with a higher BMI. Non-white and most deprived participants spent significantly (P < 0·001) less money per total energy consumption. Participants with a BMI between 18·6 and 39·9 kg/m2 and those living in the least deprived areas consumed a significantly (P < 0·001) higher amount of those items considered the most nutritious, with the lowest GHGE and cost per 100 kcal. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of food with the highest nutritional quality, lowest GHGE and cost in the UK varies among those with different socio-demographic characteristics, especially the deprivation level of participants. Our analysis endorses the consideration of environmental sustainability and affordability, in addition to the consideration of nutritional quality from a health perspective, to make current dietary guidelines more encompassing and equitable.

Socio-economic differences in diet, physical activity and leisure-time screen use among Scottish children in 2006 and 2010: are we closing the gap?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate socio-economic differences in children's diet, activity and inactivity and changes in these differences over 4 years during which new policies on food in schools were introduced. DESIGN: Two cross-sectional surveys in which diet was assessed by FFQ and physical activity and inactivity were assessed by interviewer-administered questionnaire. Socio-economic status was assessed by the area-based Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. SETTING: Scotland, 2006 and 2010. SUBJECTS: Children aged 3-17 years (n 1700 in 2006, n 1906 in 2010). RESULTS: In both surveys there were significant linear associations between socio-economic deprivation and intakes of energy, non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES) as a percentage of food energy, sugar-sweetened beverages, confectionery, crisps and savoury snacks and leisure-time screen use (all higher among children in more deprived areas), while intakes of fruit, fruit juice and vegetables showed the opposite trend. In 2010 children in more deprived areas engaged in more physical activity out of school than those in more affluent areas, but between 2006 and 2010 there was an overall reduction in physical activity out of school. There were also small but statistically significant overall reductions in intakes of confectionery, crisps and savoury snacks, energy and NMES and saturated fat as a percentage of food energy, but no statistically significant change in socio-economic gradients in diet or activity between the two surveys. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to improve diet and physical activity in children in Scotland need to be designed so as to be effective in all socio-economic groups.

Assessing the relative validity of the Scottish Collaborative Group FFQ for measuring dietary intake in adults.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relative validity of the latest version of the Scottish Collaborative Group (SCG) FFQ (version 6.6) in adults living in Scotland. DESIGN: A cross-sectional validation study. Participants completed the self-administered, 169-item SCG FFQ followed by a 7 d, non-weighed food diary. Energy and energy-adjusted macronutrients and micronutrients were examined for relative validity through Spearman's correlation, the percentage of classification into thirds of intake, Cohen's weighted kappa (κ w) and Bland-Altman analysis. SETTING: General population living in Scotland. SUBJECTS: Ninety-six adults aged 18-65 years. RESULTS: Spearman's correlation coefficients ranged from 0·21 (retinol) to 0·71 (Mg). A median of 52 % of adults were correctly classified into thirds of intake (range: 42 % (PUFA, MUFA and Fe) to 64 % (percentage energy from carbohydrates)) and 8 % were grossly misclassified into opposite thirds of intake (range: 3 % (carbohydrates, percentage energy from carbohydrates) to 19 % (thiamin)). Values of κ w ranged between 0·20 (PUFA, ß-carotene) to 0·55 (percentage energy from carbohydrates). In the Bland-Altman analysis, the smallest limits of agreement, when expressed as a percentage of the mean intake from the FFQ and food diary, were seen for the main macronutrients carbohydrates, fat and protein. CONCLUSIONS: As in the previous validation study more than 10 years ago, the FFQ gave higher estimates of energy and most nutrients than the food diary, but after adjustment for energy intake the FFQ could be used in place of non-weighed food diaries for most macronutrients and many micronutrients in large-scale epidemiological studies.

A comparison of preprepared commercial infant feeding meals with home-cooked recipes.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the cost, nutritional and food variety contents of commercial meals and published infant and young child feeding (IYCF) home-cooked recipes, and to compare nutritional contents to age-specific recommendations. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Full range of preprepared main meals available within the UK market. Main-meal recipes identified from a survey of Amazon's top 20 best-sellers and IYCF cookbooks available from local libraries. SAMPLES: 278 commercial IYCF savoury meals from UK market and 408 home-cooked recipes from best-selling IYCF published cookbooks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cost and nutritional content per 100 g and food variety per meal for both commercial meals and home-cooked recipes. RESULTS: Commercial products provided more 'vegetable' variety per meal (median=3.0; r=-0.33) than home-cooked recipes (2.0). Home-cooked recipes provided 26% more energy and 44% more protein and total fat than commercial products (r=-0.40, -0.31, -0.40, respectively) while costing less (£0.33/100 g and £0.68/100 g, respectively). The majority of commercial products (65%) met energy density recommendations but 50% of home-cooked recipes exceeded the maximum range. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of commercial meals provided an energy-dense meal with greater vegetable variety per meal to their home-cooked counterparts. Home-cooked recipes provided a cheaper meal option, however the majority exceeded recommendations for energy and fats.