Trends in food intakes in Swedish adults 1986-1999: findings from the Northern Sweden MONICA (Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease) Study.

OBJECTIVE

To determine changes in reported food frequency in adults between 1986 and 1999.

DESIGN

Four consecutive cross-sectional surveys.

SETTING

Counties of Norrbotten and Västerbotten, Northern Sweden.

SUBJECTS

The Northern Sweden MONICA (Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease) population, four independent cross-sectional surveys in 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1999. Randomly selected age-stratified samples of the population aged 25-64 years. Analysis is based on 2982 males and 3087 females who completed an 84-item food-frequency questionnaire.

RESULTS

Between 1986 and 1999, average reported consumption of 3%-fat milk decreased from 42 to 7 intakes month(-1) in men and from 28 to 4 intakes month(-1) in women. Reported use of 1.5%-fat milk increased from 6 to 27 intakes month(-1) in men and from 6 to 24 in women. Monthly intakes of potatoes and root vegetables decreased from 38 to 27 in men and from 39 to 32 in women. Consumption of pasta increased from 4 to 7 intakes month(-1) in both sexes. Intakes of solid fats with 80% fat content dropped from 92 to 62 per month in men and from 78 to 52 per month in women, whereas use of 40%-fat spread increased from 12 to 22 intakes month(-1) in men and from 5 to 26 in women. Monthly intakes of vegetable oil increased from 3 to 12 in men and from 3 to 15 in women. The percentage of overweight or obese individuals (body mass index >25 kg m(-2)) increased from 52 to 65% in men and from 41 to 52% in women (P for linear trend in all these changes, <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data indicate reduced consumption of foods with a high content of saturated fats. In spite of that, there is an unbroken trend towards increased obesity.