DOI: 10.5255/ukda-sn-6533-21
title: National Diet and Nutrition Survey Years 1-15, 2008-2023
title: National Diet and Nutrition Surveys
title: NDNS RP

description: &lt;p&gt;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.)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The programme is funded by Public Health England (PHE), an executive agency of the Department of Health, and the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;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 &lt;a title="Eatwell Guide" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"&gt;Eatwell Guide&lt;/a&gt;. The NDNS RP provides an important source of evidence underpinning the &lt;a title="Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-committee-on-nutrition" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"&gt;Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition&lt;/a&gt; (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.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Further information is available from the gov.uk &lt;a title="National Diet and Nutrition Survey" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey"&gt;National Diet and Nutrition Survey&lt;/a&gt; webpage.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;p&gt;The study currently includes data and documentation covering Years 1-15 of the NDNS RP.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Yrs 9-11 food level dietary data are presented in separate annual files due to their size, rather than one combined file as for previous years. A syntax file is included for SPSS users to join these files together if required.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Latest edition information&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For the 21st edition (September 2025) replacement versions of the following Year 12-15 data files were deposited: 'ndns_yr12-15a_dayleveldietarydata_foods' (missing variables RecallNo and RecallCompletionTime added); 'ndns_yr12-15a_dayleveldietarydata_nutrients' (missing variables RecallNo and RecallCompletionTime added); 'ndns_yr12-15a_foodleveldietarydata' (missing variables RecallNo and RecallsCompleted added); and 'ndns_yr12-15a_indiv' (variable Num1to3_2 label updated for "Children aged 1.5 to 3 years", and other label changes as reflected in the variable list; new variables Ferritin, FerritinRes and Daysinpost added alongside two new derived variables, educfinr and qual7r that have been added to show the respondents of educfin and qual7 more clearly). In addition, two data files that were not previously archived have been added: 'ndns_yr10-11a_daysinpost', that can be matched using the archive serial number in the Years 9-11 data, and 'ndns_y2-11a_person-level_physicalactivity_data'. The documentation has been updated accordingly.&lt;/p&gt;