IUNA Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance National Children’s Food Survey Database – Intake and Exposure Datasets

The Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance National Children’s Food Survey 2004 was a cross-sectional study conducted to assess the nutrients and food intake in a nationally representative sample of children aged 5 to 12 years in the Republic of Ireland.  The survey was planned and carried out by the nutrition units in University College Cork, University College Dublin, Cork Institute of Technology and Technological University Dublin, which are a part of the Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance (IUNA). The aim of this survey is to establish a nationally representative database of food consumption in teenagers aged 13-18 years. The data generated would be used to cater to both the nutrition and food safety issues of relevance to the development and implementation of public health policy, food safety risk assessment and the needs of the food industry in terms of compliance. Apart from the food consumption, data regarding weight, lifestyle, physical activities, food recipes and choices were collected.

For the Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance National Children’s Food Survey 2004, children aged 5-12 years (293 boys, 301 girls) were selected from 32 secondary schools throughout the Republic of Ireland. The database of secondary schools available from the Department of Education and Science was used to select the schools for the survey. Schools were randomly selected from secondary, vocational and comprehensive/community schools in a manner that the final sample had equal representation, meaning that the percentage of teenagers surveyed attending each of the categories of schools was equal to the percentage of children attending each of these categories of schools according to the database.

The survey was carried out by trained nutritionists. Principals of the selected schools were first contacted for consent, and upon receiving so, introductory letters and information brochures were given to the guardians of the participating children. A 4-day weighed food record was used to collect food and beverage data. At least one weekend day was included for all the survey participants. Food diary and food scales were provided to the participating children, and the guardians were asked to record detailed information regarding the amount, type and brand of all foods, beverages, and nutritional supplements consumed, as well as the amount of any leftovers. The cooking methods used, the packaging size and type, and details of recipes were also recorded. Additionally, data were collected on the time of each eating or drinking occasion, the participant’s definition of each eating or drinking occasion (e.g. morning snack, lunch) and the location of preparation of the meal or snack (e.g. home, school, childminder). Researchers made three visits to the participant’s home over the survey period: an initial training visit to demonstrate how to complete the food diary and use the weighing scales; a second visit 24-36 hours into the recording period to review the diary and clarify details regarding specific food descriptors and quantities; and a final visit one or two days after the recording period had ended to review the last days and collect the food diary.