National Diet and Nutrition Survey: England Sodium Survey, 2018-2019

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) Rolling Programme (RP) began in 2008 and is designed to assess the diet, nutrient intake and nutritional status of the general population aged 1.5 years and over living in private households in the UK. (For details of the previous NDNS series, which began in 1992, see the documentation for studies 3481, 4036, 4243 and 5140.)The programme is funded by Public Health England (PHE), an executive agency of the Department of Health, and the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA).The NDNS RP is currently carried out by a consortium comprising NatCen Social Research (NatCen) (NatCen, contract lead) and the MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge (scientific lead). The MRC Epidemiology Unit joined the consortium in November 2017. Until December 2018, the consortium included the MRC Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, Cambridge (former scientific lead). In Years 1 to 5 (2008/09 – 2012/13) the consortium also included the University College London Medical School (UCL).Survey activities at the MRC Epidemiology Unit are delivered with the support of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (IS-BRC-1215- 20014), comprising the NIHR BRC Nutritional Biomarker Laboratory and NIHR BRC Dietary Assessment and Physical Activity Group. The NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre is a partnership between Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Cambridge, funded by the NIHR. The NDNS RP provides the only source of high quality, nationally representative UK data on the types and quantities of foods consumed by individuals, from which estimates of nutrient intake for the population are derived. Results are used by Government to develop policy and monitor progress toward diet and nutrition objectives of UK Health Departments, for example work to tackle obesity and monitor progress towards a healthy, balanced diet as visually depicted in the Eatwell Guide. The NDNS RP provides an important source of evidence underpinning the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) work relating to national nutrition policy. The food consumption data are also used by the FSA to assess exposure to chemicals in food, as part of the risk assessment and communication process in response to a food emergency or to inform negotiations on setting regulatory limits for contaminants.Further information is available from the gov.uk National Diet and Nutrition Survey webpage.England Sodium Survey, 2018-2019Estimated salt intake of adults aged 19 to 64 years in England was assessed from 24-hour urinary sodium excretion of 596 adults, selected to be representative of this section of the population and to be sufficient to detect a difference of 0.5 g of salt intake compared with the previous survey in England in 2014 (using an estimate of variation from the England 2011 and 2014 surveys - see SN 8233). Urine samples were collected over seven months (November 2018 to May 2019). The survey was carried out by NatCen Social Research (NatCen) and the National Institute of Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (Cambridge BRC NDNS team). The latter consists of the NIHR BRC Diet, Anthropometry and Physical Activity Group and the NIHR BRC Nutritional Biomarker Laboratory hosted at the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge. The survey was funded by Public Health England.Further information, including reports and tables can be found on the GOV.UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Assessment of salt intake from urinary sodium in adults (aged 19 to 64 years) in England, 2018 to 2019 webpage.Main Topics: Biomeasure of sodium intake (from urine sample) Health behaviour