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The choice of a diet quality indicator to evaluate the nutritional health of populations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Lise Dubois ,
Manon Girard  and
Nathalie Bergeron
Lise Dubois*
Affiliation:
Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Pavillon de l'Est, Université Laval, Sainte-Foy, Québec, CanadaG1K 7P4
Manon Girard
Affiliation:
Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Pavillon de l'Est, Université Laval, Sainte-Foy, Québec, CanadaG1K 7P4
Nathalie Bergeron
Affiliation:
Département des Sciences des Aliments et de Nutrition, Pavillon Paul-Comtois, Université Laval, Sainte-Foy, Québec, CanadaG1K 7P4
*
*Corresponding author: Email lise.dubois@msp.ulaval.ca
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Abstract

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Background

The USA and Canada both want to reduce social health inequalities in their population. These two countries have recently begun a process of harmonization of their nutrient recommendations.

Objective

To develop a standardized indicator to measure the impact of these recommendations on the health of different social groups in North America. The authors have compared three of the methods currently used for measuring overall diet quality for a population.

Design and setting

The three methods, adjusted to the 1990 Canadian nutrition recommendations, were used to analyse the Québec Nutrition Survey data collected by Santé Québec in 1990.

Results

The authors found that the indicator developed by Kennedy and collaborators works best for analysing the Québec data. Moreover, it allows comparisons with the USA. Some questions, such as whether or not to add calories from alcohol consumption to the model and whether the indicators should be adjusted to the different cultures and specific population groups remain unanswered.

Conclusions

In order to determine the role of nutrition in social health inequalities, it is important to develop standard indicators that are suitable for monitoring the relationship between dietary recommendations and eating habits.

Keywords

CanadaDiet quality indicatorNutritionPopulation healthQuébec Nutrition Survey
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 3 , Issue 3 , September 2000 , pp. 357 - 365
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2000

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