ARS | Publication request: What We Eat In America, NHANES 2005-2006: Documentation and Data Files

Submitted to: World Wide Web
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: July 16, 2008
Publication Date: July 31, 2008
Reprint URL: http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=15044
Citation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2008. What We Eat In America, NHANES 2005-2006: Documentation and Data Files. Available: www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.html?docid=15044.

Interpretive Summary: High quality and timely data are needed on dietary intakes of the American population. New nationwide dietary intake data were collected in the integrated survey What We Eat In America (WWEIA), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 2005-2006 and are now available for public use on the Internet. The data include information on dietary intakes of 9,349 individuals from two nonconsecutive 24-hour dietary recalls along with sample weights that can be used to make estimates about intakes of the U.S. population. These data are used by Federal- and State-level decision makers and researchers in such tasks as monitoring the nutritional adequacy of U.S. diets, measuring the impact of food fortification on nutrient intakes, estimating exposure of population groups to contaminants, developing dietary guidance and related programs, evaluating the nutritional impact of USDA food assistance programs, and assessing the demand for agricultural products. Linked with health indicators from other components of NHANES, these data provide opportunities to study relationships between eating patterns and health conditions. Information about WWEIA, NHANES, with links to relevant methodology (interview method and database) are available at http://www.ars.usda.gov/ba/bhnrc/fsrg. The WWEIA, NHANES 2005-2006 dietary interview data and related files are available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/nhanes/nhanes2005-2006/nhanes05_06.htm.

Technical Abstract: New nationwide dietary intake data were collected in What We Eat In America (WWEIA), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 2005-2006 and are now available for public use. Two days of dietary intake data are included for most participants. The dietary interview data are in two types of files for each day of intake: the Total Nutrient Intakes Files and the Individual Foods Files. The Individual Foods Files contain information about each food eaten by a respondent (interview day of week, eating occasion name and time of day, food code, where obtained, whether eaten at home or not, combination code, amount eaten in grams, and amounts of energy and 63 nutrients/food components). The Total Nutrient Intakes Files contain, for each participant, daily aggregates of energy and nutrients/food components and information about water intakes. Information on salt use and whether the participant is on a diet to lose weight or for another health-related reason is also included for all participants, and frequency of fish and shellfish consumption is provided for selected age-sex groups. The documentation files give a brief overview of WWEIA, NHANES and include information on what has changed since WWEIA, NHANES 2003-2004, the contents of the data files, eligibility and exclusion criteria of sampled participants, the examination protocol, quality control procedures, data processing and editing, and analytic notes including guidance on weights designed specifically for dietary recall data. Information about WWEIA, NHANES, with links to relevant methodology (interview method and database), are available at http://www.ars.usda.gov/ba/bhnrc/fsrg. The WWEIA, NHANES 2005-2006 dietary interview data and related files are available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/nhanes/nhanes2005-2006/nhanes05_06.htm.