Diet and nutrition: key data sources
Listed below are the key sources of data on diet and nutritional behaviour in Scotland, along with a brief description of their strengths and weaknesses as information sources. Most of these surveys were examined in the review of diet and nutrition surveys commissioned by the Working group on monitoring Scottish dietary targets. You can also find out more about most of these data sources in our Overview of key data sources.
The report of the Working group on monitoring Scottish dietary targets concluded that the Living Costs and Food Survey should be used to monitor progress towards the Scottish Dietary Targets, but acknowledged that new surveys were required to determine free sugar intakes in children and sodium intake in the Scottish population, which have since been carried out. The Living Costs and Food Survey data does require considerable secondary analysis to calculate statistically meaningful figures.
Surveys:
Living Costs and Food Survey (formerly the Expenditure and Food Survey)
Strengths: able to measure most of the Scottish dietary targets.
Weaknesses: relatively small sample size (but can be accumulated over a number of years); questions relate to households rather than individuals in households, and exclude children.
Strengths: large sample size improves validity and allows sub-analyses by population group/geographical area; wider scope allows analyses of combinations of risk factors, and relationships with health outcomes.
Weaknesses: eating habits module does not look at all food types, is unable to measure nutrients and has limited data on portion size.
Strengths: large longitudinal and cross-sectional survey which has a unique Scottish focus and is driven primarily by the needs of policy; it covers eating habits, main meals, types of food eaten and sources of advice on children's diets/healthy eating.
Weaknesses: limited questions on diet.
Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC)
Strengths: allows limited analysis of diet in relation to other health behaviours; international comparisons.
Weaknesses: limited questions on eating behaviour.
Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS)
Strengths: allows limited analysis of diet in relation to other lifestyle factors.
Weaknesses: only a few food questions on eating behaviour.
Strengths: allows UK comparisons; large amount of historical data available.
Weaknesses: self-selecting sample; based on TV regions so Scottish data includes some areas in North England.
Scottish Social Attitudes Survey (obesity module)
The Scottish Social Attitudes Survey is a repeated cross-sectional survey that aims to facilitate the study of public opinion and inform the development of public policy in Scotland. The obesity module, carried out in the 2016 survey, included 40 questions on perception of overweight and obesity, recognition of the health impacts and how to maintain a healthy weight. In 2017 NHS Health Scotland published a report of the findings of the module.
Food Standards Scotland surveys
Following the report of the Working group on monitoring Scottish dietary targets the Food Standards Scotland have commissioned and published a number of reports, and have several ongoing projects and surveys, aimed at monitoring progress towards the dietary targets and enhancing understanding of diet and nutrition behaviour in Scotland.
National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS)
Strengths: allows UK comparisons.
Weaknesses: very small sample size in Scotland (although the current rolling NDNS programme includes a boost to the Scottish sample) and low response rates. Until now survey findings have related to different age groups in different survey years, therefore unable to look at trends over time.
Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey (LIDNS)
Strengths: good representation of the low income population in the UK, allows comparisons with other UK surveys, provides evidence on the eating habits, nutrient intakes and nutrition-related health of people on low income. Weaknesses: one-off survey.
Scottish Children's Diet Survey 2010 (3.94MB)
The Food Standards Agency in Scotland commissioned ScotCen to conduct a national study of children's diets in Scotland. More information is available on the Scottish Children's Diet Survey 2010 page on the ScotCen website.
Further details on Food Standards Scotland research and current projects are available on the relevant page on their website.
Maternal and Infant Nutrition
In 2010, ScotPHO published a report What is known about maternal and infant nutrition in Scotland? which describes the main patterns and trends in maternal and infant nutrition from the data that are available.
