Global Dietary Data Availability: Results of a Systematic Worldwide Search for Data on Dietary Intakes of 55 Foods and Nutrients
Authors: Singh Gitanjali , Shulkin Masha , Morrish Kurtis , Tahira Adeem , Marsden Daniel , Mozaffarian Dariush 
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Quantification of dietary intakes of key foods and nutrients across the lifecourse in all regions of the world is foundational to developing/targeting population‐based dietary policies and interventions to improve both maternal/child health and reduce chronic disease burdens. Yet currently, comprehensive/comparable data on dietary intakes around the world remains sparse in low/ middle‐income countries (LMIC), many of which currently bear dual burdens of under‐ and over‐nutrition characteristic of rapid nutrition transition.

Objective

To systematically search for and assess the availability/quality of nationally or subnationally‐representative dietary intake data in 188 countries around the world, with particular focus on children and pregnant women in LMIC.

Methods

To identify, assess, and harmonize dietary data from around the world, we established the Global Dietary Database (GDD) Consortium, a global collaborative effort to compile individual‐level data on dietary intakes of 55 foods and nutrients between 1990 and 2015 stratified by age, sex, urban vs. rural residence, and level of education. We systematically searched databases of published literature to identify contacts for national or subnational data, as well as databases of publically available microdata. Our current data searches focus on eight world regions that encompass most LMIC : Sub‐Saharan Africa, North Africa and the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Oceania, Latin America, and the Caribbean. We contacted the corresponding authors of relevant publications, inviting them to become members of the GDD Consortium and contribute dietary intake data. For countries in which no data source was identified through either PubMed searches, personal contact with experts, or searches for public data, we have launched searches of region‐specific databases. To identify publically‐available data, we have searched large databases such as WHO Global Health Observatory data repository, the Harvard Dataverse, the Inter‐university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), and the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), as well as country ministry of health website. Identified data is currently being graded for quality of both dietary assessment and survey sampling methodology.

Results

To‐date, we have completed systematic searches of PubMed, screening a total of 2,878 articles and identifying ~600 unique data owners around the world. Thus far, we have identified 139 country‐specific surveys through personal contact with data owners. Overall, 36% of these data are nationally representative, 33% are based on multiple 24 hr recall, 53% are based on food‐frequency questionnaires, 38% include data on pregnant/nursing women, and 66% include data on children and adolescents. Additionally, we have identified over 800 publically‐available country‐year‐specific surveys that may have relevant data on dietary intakes or biomarkers, and we are in the process of assessing these surveys for relevance and quality (Figure).

Conclusions

Through systematic global data searches, we have identified numerous surveys on dietary intakes of key foods and nutrients. These data, once harmonized, will provide comprehensive estimates of dietary intakes of key foods and nutrients in countries around the world, crucial for understanding diet in poor and vulnerable populations and for characterizing epidemiologic transition in LMIC.

Support or Funding Information

This work was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.