Title: Nutrition Surveys and Studies collaborative programme
Funder: Medical Research Council

Abstract: The Nutrition Surveys and Studies (NSS) collaborative programme to contribute to the evidence base of policy, particularly through participation in the UK nutrition surveys. MRC EWL (and previously HNR) has a long history of involvement in population nutrition studies and surveys including the UK’s National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS), sodium (salt surveys) and one-off specialist surveys such as the Diet and Nutrition Survey of Infants and Young Children (DNSIYC, 2008-11), as well as specific contributions to externally led research. Activities also include provision of specialist research expertise for external groups (including MRC investments) enabling the examination of nutrition and diet in conjunction with lifestyle and other environmental factors to understand influences on health. In addition we contribute to international harmonisation programmes (e.g. Vitamin D Standardisation Programme, VDSP NIH). The NSS programme is predominantly externally funded. The primary activity is the NDNS Rolling Programme (RP) Years 1-10 (2008 – 2018), funded by Public Health England (PHE), UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. MRC EWL provide the scientific lead and all nutritional components; the survey is delivered in partnership with National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the University of Cambridge (Y10). This work, including measures of food consumption, nutrient intake and nutritional status and measurement of energy expenditure by doubly-labelled water, forms the backbone of the UK nutrition surveillance programme. These data underpin health risk assessment, the evaluation of government health recommendations and allow analysis of the ways diet and nutrition differ across the population and change over time. MRC EWL outputs include interpretation and production of detailed results reports, analysis of trends in intake and status, focused reports on issues of specific public health priority and detailed methodological reporting. As part of the UK nutrition survey programme, we also undertake population representative assessments of salt intake in adults aged 19-64yrs in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, through measurement of sodium excretion in 24h urine collections. NSS Activities are delivered through EWL’s nutritional specialisms, most often carried out in collaboration with or on behalf of external partners, including government departments and agencies, other academic and clinical research groups, and industry. We focus the provision of nutritional expertise, advice and techniques for population and public health initiatives of high relevance and importance. We support robust collection of data in the field, provide analysis of dietary and biochemical data and delivery of datasets and reports, against rigorous quality standards, including provision of high-level scientific oversight and methodological innovation in the areas of dietary assessment and measurements of nutritional status. Other activities include international collaborations, primarily through the MRC International Nutrition Group to measure micronutrient status in observational cohorts and intervention studies, such as trials of early nutrition and immune development in The Gambia.


Research activity codes: 2.2 FACTORS RELATING TO PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT;2.3 PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS;2.5 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGIES (AETIOLOGY)
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS;CARDIOVASCULAR;METABOLIC AND ENDOCRINE;ORAL AND GASTROINTESTINAL;STROKE