DNSIYC Diet and Nutrition Survey Infants and Children Database United Kingdom – Intake and Exposure Datasets

The Diet and Nutrition Survey of Infants and Young Children (DNSIYC)  2011 was a large-scale one-off survey study commissioned by the Department of Health and Food Standards Agency of the United Kingdom to gather detailed information on food consumption, nutrient intake and nutritional status of infants and young children aged 4 up to 18 months. The study was conducted by a joint consortium of several organisations: Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research (MRC HNR), NatCen Social Research (NatCen), the MRC Epidemiology Unit and the Human Nutrition Research Centre at Newcastle University. DNSIYC serves as the standard and authentic source of high-quality nationally representative data on the different types and amounts of food products consumed by infants of the age group 4 months to 18 months. The information collected from this survey is used with the data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS), which collects both adults and children of all ages from 18 months. This is deemed to provide a comprehensive picture of the diet, health and food safety of the nation, to support public health policy and food safety assessments.

The DNSIYC 2011 was carried out in all four countries of the UK. In total, the survey was completed in two phases.  The first stage was conducted in the participant’s home, where a detailed face-to-face interview was taken to collect background information on family dietary habits, socio-economic status, feeding practices, eating patterns, developmental stages, sunlight exposure and gastrointestinal symptoms. For four consecutive days, dietary data were collected by using a food diary to gather a quantitative estimate of food consumption and nutrient intake. Additionally, physical measurements of the mother – height, length and weight and head circumference of the child were also taken. In the second stage, a more detailed assessment of the food items was done out in a clinic or a mobile unit. This included stable isotope measurement to estimate fluid intake, breast milk intake and body composition. Blood samples were also collected to analyse iron and vitamin D status. In total, 2683 unique samples were taken for the DNSIYC 2011.