Northern Sweden Diet Database (NSDD)
NSDD is a uniform database that since 1985 has collected self-reported data on habitual eating habits in >130,000 residents in Northern Sweden, of which more than half have repeated measures available.
The diet data in NSDD are collected with a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in two large ongoing research projects in Northern Sweden; DietVIP within the Västerbotten Intervention Program (VIP) and DietMON within the Northern Sweden MONICA study. The NSDD is thus regularly updated with new data from VIP and the recurrent MONICA screenings. Over the years two variants of FFQs have been used, with the second version being a condensed version of the initial variant.
An updated digitalized version of the FFQ, called FFQ-2020, was successively introduced in 2022.
The semi-quantitative FFQ contains three main sections covering:
- General portion size: estimated for three different food groups (potatoes/rice/pasta, meat/fish/vegetarian alternatives, and vegetables)
- Frequencies of food intake: reported on a 9-level scale ranging from never, over few times a year, 1-3 times/month, 1 time/week, 2-3 times/week, 4-6 times/week, 1 time/day, 2-3 times/day to >4 times/day
- Dietary supplements: intake of multi-vitamins, multi-minerals, iron, and selenium during the latest 14 days or year.
Some general information is also collected related to meal habits and adherence to specific diet regimes.
NSDD also contains estimated daily energy and nutrient intakes based on the food database at the Swedish Food Agency (https://www.livsmedelsverket.se/en).
Principal head of the NSDD is the Biobank Research Unit, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| Institution | Umeå University |
|---|---|
| Country | Sweden |
| Infrastructure type | On-line collection or database |
| Disciplines | Health and medicine |
| Language of operation | Swedish English |
| Keywords | food frequency questionnairedietnutrition variablesNorthern Swedendatabase |
Availability
The database is open for both national and international research. Ethical approval is a prerequisite for data access. To apply, a request of data withdrawal (including project description and list of diet variables) is submitted to the Biobank Research Unit. All proposals undergo scientific review by the NSDD Steering Group at the Biobank Reseach Unit. More information can be found on the homepage.
Contact information
Prof. Anna Winkvist, anna.winkvist@umu.se
The Biobank Research Unit homepage:
https://www.umu.se/en/biobank-research-unit/