Appendix G - Stage 2 Participant documents NI Report NDNS 2019-2023
Source: data.gov.uk (2025-10-10)

National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2017 to 2023 Report for Northern Ireland. This report presents results from 2017-2023 of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) for Northern Ireland. NDNS is a continuous cross-sectional survey, designed to assess the diet, nutrient intake and nutritional status of the general population aged 18 months and over living in private households in the UK.

National Diet andNutrition Survey (NDNS) 
Dear _____________________,
You recently helped us with the first stage of the National Diet and Nutrition Study (NDNS). Thank you 
for all the help you have given so far for this important study. 
You were recently visited by an interviewer who gave you a leaflet about the second stage of the 
study, which is a short visit by a registered nurse. Information collected at the nurse stage is really 
important as it adds to the details you have already provided about what you had to eat and drink. This 
completes the picture of how diet affects people’s nutrition and health. 
When the nurse visits, they will ask you a few questions about your/ your child’s health and explain a 
bit more about the other parts of the nurse visit. Please find enclosed a leaflet about the second stage 
of the study for your information. 
A nurse (______________________) from NatCen Social Research has tried visiting your household 
to contact you but unfortunately hasn’t been able to speak with you to arrange an appointment. 
________________________ will be in your area over the next few weeks and would like to contact you 
to arrange a short visit to complete the study. Please call the office on Freephone xx-xxxx-xxxx or 
email xxx@xxx.xx and we can then arrange for the nurse to visit you at a convenient time to tell 
you more about this short stage of the study. 
We hope you are still willing and able to complete this second (and final) stage, as we rely on the 
goodwill and voluntary cooperation of those who are selected to continue to make the study a success.
Thank you very much for your help with this very important national study.
Gillian Swan 
Diet, Obesity and Healthy Behaviours Directorate 
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities

NatCen Social Research, Kings House, 101-135 Kings Road, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4LX  Tel. xx-xxxx-xxxx. Company 
limited by guarantee. Reg No. 4392418. A Charity registered in England and Wales (1091768) and in Scotland (SC038454).
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Frequently asked questions
What does taking part involve?
With your permission we would like to take a few measurements and, if you/your child  consent, 
a small blood sample. We also want to ask you a few questions about your health/your child’s 
health. All parts of the study are optional and you/ your child can choose to take part in some 
parts and not others.
Why should I take part?
The information collected at the nurse stage completes the picture with the dietary information 
you/your child  have already provided. It helps us to understand how diet can affect the health 
and nutritional status of the population.
What will happen to any information I give?
We take great care to protect the confidentiality of the information people give us and we take 
careful steps to ensure that the information is secure at all times. Answers are put together with 
the answers collected from thousands of other people across the UK and the survey findings 
are published in a report. The findings will not identify anyone who took part in the survey.
We will handle data in accordance with data protection legislation. The survey findings are 
anonymised and nothing we publish will identify anyone. The results collected will help inform 
official statistics on diet and nutrition.
Where can I find out more? 
If you would like to talk to someone about the study, please visit: www.natcen.ac.uk/taking-
part/studies-in-field/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey or freephone xx-xxxx-xxxx.

Continue to help us understand the nation’s eating habits 
Dear Sir or Madam,
Some time ago you/your child completed the first part of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey 
(NDNS). Thank you for the time and effort you/your child have so far put into this important study, 
your help is very much appreciated.
You have agreed for us to contact you about the vital second (and final) stage of the study. The 
information you/your child have already given us is very useful, but with the extra information 
obtained from the second stage nurse visit, it will be even more valuable.
What’s next?
The second stage of the study will include a short visit by a registered nurse from 
NatCen Social Research. A nurse will ask your permission to take a few health related 
measurements and a small blood sample. The blood sample is very important as it allows 
us to see how nutrients and minerals are absorbed in in your/your child’s body. When we 
put this information together with other people’s blood sample results it helps us to know 
important information about the health of the UK population, and gives us very important 
information about the ways in which our body benefits from the food we eat. 
The nurse will contact you shortly to explain what the short visit entails and arrange a 
time to carry out these measurements. 
Thank you
We will offer each person who provides a blood sample a £15 gift card as a thank you.
Any questions?
For more information please read the frequently asked questions on the back of this 
letter. You can also visit: www.natcen.ac.uk/taking-part/studies-in-field/national-diet-
and-nutrition-survey or call the study’s Freephone on xx-xxxx-xxxx.
We hope you/your child will be willing to take part – with your help we can gain a better 
understanding of the diet and nutrition of the nation.
Yours sincerely, 
Gillian Swan  
Diet, Obesity and  
Healthy Behaviours Directorate  
The Office for Health Improvement  
and Disparities
Beverley Bates  
Research Director 
NatCen Social Research

NatCen Social Research, Kings House, 101-135 Kings Road, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4LX  Tel. xx-xxxx-xxxx. Company 
limited by guarantee. Reg No. 4392418. A Charity registered in England and Wales (1091768) and in Scotland (SC038454).
Item_n50_NDNS_Nurse Spare Advance letter_GB_v2.0_01.12.2021 For use from 01.04.2022.
Frequently asked questions
What does taking part involve?
With your permission we would like to take a few measurements and, if you/your child  consent, 
a small blood sample. We also want to ask you a few questions about your health/your child’s 
health. All parts of the study are optional and you/ your child can choose to take part in some 
parts and not others.
Why should I take part?
The information collected at the nurse stage completes the picture with the dietary information 
you/your child  have already provided. It helps us to understand how diet can affect the health 
and nutritional status of the population.
What will happen to any information I give?
We take great care to protect the confidentiality of the information people give us and we take 
careful steps to ensure that the information is secure at all times. Answers are put together with 
the answers collected from thousands of other people across the UK and the survey findings 
are published in a report. The findings will not identify anyone who took part in the survey.
We will handle data in accordance with data protection legislation. The survey findings are 
anonymised and nothing we publish will identify anyone. The results collected will help inform 
official statistics on diet and nutrition.
Where can I find out more? 
If you would like to talk to someone about the study, please visit: www.natcen.ac.uk/taking-
part/studies-in-field/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey or freephone xx-xxxx-xxxx.

What happens next?
National Diet and Nutrition Survey 
(NDNS)
For more info have a look at natcen.ac.uk/taking-part/studies-in-
field/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey
The 
nurse 
visit

The 
second 
part –  
a nurse 
visit
Thank you for telling us about what 
you eat and answering our questions 
so far. Because of your help, we’ll 
be able to better understand the diet 
and nutrition of people living in the 
UK. We would now like to invite you 
to take part in the second stage to 
complete the study.
For the second stage you will be 
contacted by a registered nurse to 
arrange a visit at a time convenient  
to you.
Information collected at the nurse 
stage is really important. It adds 
to the details you gave us about 
what you had to eat and drink and 
completes the picture of how diet 
affects people’s nutrition and health. 
When the nurse visits, they will ask 
you a few questions about your/ 
your child’s health and explain a bit 
more about the other parts of the 
nurse visit, which are:
A small  
blood sample
If you are eligible the 
nurse will ask if you and/or your 
child are willing to provide a small 
blood sample. Blood tests can give 
us very important information about 
nutritional health that we cannot get 
in any other way, and about the ways 
in which our body benefits from the 
food we eat. 
We would like you and/or your child 
to provide a fasting blood sample. A 
fasting sample gives the best quality 
of blood to test. However, there are 
some reasons why we wouldn’t ask 
some people to fast for the blood 
test and if your child is under 4 years, 
they will not need to fast for a blood 
sample.
We can send you (and/or your GP) 
the results of the blood tests which 
are clinically relevant (e.g. vitamin 
and mineral levels, cholesterol, 
haemoglobin) to complement your 
dietary feedback.
As a token of our 
appreciation, each person 
providing a blood sample 
will receive a £15 gift card.
More information about the blood 
sample can be found in the ‘giving a 
blood sample’ leaflet that the nurse 
will give you upon his/her visit.
Waist and hip 
measurements
The nurse will ask if 
you are willing to have your waist 
& hip measurements taken. This 
measurement tells us about the 
distribution of weight over your body 
and is taken from people aged 11 
or older. This is done using a tape 
measure when fully clothed.
Demispan 
measurement
The nurse may ask if 
you are willing to have a demispan 
measurement. Demispan is an estimate 
of height and is taken from people aged 
65 years or older, or those 16 or older 
who did not have height measured at 
the interviewer visit.
It is half the distance between your 
hands outstretched to either side  
and is measured by the nurse with a 
tape measure when you are standing 
or sitting.
Infant length
If you agree, the nurse will 
measure the length of your 
child if they are aged 18-23 months. 
This is done by laying your child on 
a measurement mat and measuring 
their length from the top of their head 
to the underside of their heels. 
What will 
happen to my 
results?
With your written agreement we will 
send you and/or your GP the results 
from your/ your child’s blood tests 
that are clinically relevant, this is 
your choice. 
If you agree to your results being 
sent to your GP, then they may use 
them in medical reports about you. 
For example, if you apply for a new 
life insurance policy, or for a new job. 
When people apply for new policies, 
insurance companies may ask if they 
can obtain a medical report from your 
GP. But they cannot do this without 
your permission. 
Having given your permission, you 
then have the right to see the report 
before your GP sends it to the 
insurance company, and you can 
ask for the report to be amended 
if you consider it to be incorrect or 
misleading. 
Your results will be put together with 
the results collected from the other 
people who take part in this survey.  
The survey findings will be published 
in reports on the GOV.UK website. 
The results are also put on the UK 
Data Service for health and other 
researchers to use. We will make sure 
no-one can work out who you are 
from the information on the UK Data 
Service or in the reports we write.

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Do I have to 
take part?
No. At this time you 
are only agreeing for a nurse to 
contact you. 
Your nurse will give you more 
information and explain the 
different measurements in more 
detail when they visit. All parts of 
the nurse visit are optional and 
you/your child can take part in as 
few or as many measurements as 
you would like. If you don’t want to 
do one of the measurements then 
just tell the nurse. 
As with the interviewer stage, 
we take great care to protect the 
confidentiality of all information and 
samples collected. 
Thank you for your 
interest and time.
Your contribution is very valuable 
to the NDNS study.
We hope that you will help us with 
this next part of this important study!
Any Questions?
Great Britain participants:  
Beverley Bates 
NDNS Research Director  
National Centre for Social Research, 
Kings House, 101-135 Kings Road, 
Brentwood, Essex, CM14 4LX 
Freephone: xx-xxxx-xxxx
Northern Ireland participants: 
Jennifer Myers 
Survey Manager 
NISRA – Central Survey Unit 
2nd Floor, Colby House Stranmillis 
Court, Belfast, BT9 5RR
Email: xxx@xxx.xx

What happens next?
National Diet and Nutrition Survey 
(NDNS)
For more info have a look at natcen.ac.uk/taking-part/studies-in-
field/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey
The  
nurse visit
Information for 
children
Thank you for taking part so far. You have 
helped us to learn a lot more about what 
people eat and drink.
We would now like to ask you to take part in 
the last piece of the study – a visit by a nurse.

For more info have a look at www.natcen.ac.uk/taking-part/
studies-in-field/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey
What is the nurse visit?
The nurse visit is where a nurse will 
visit you in your house. This part is 
really important because we can 
find out about what happens to food 
and drink in our bodies, for example 
about levels of important vitamins 
and minerals.
What will I be asked  
to do?
We would also like to take a small 
bit of blood from your arm and, if 
you are aged 11 or older, measure 
your waist and hip size.
Do I have to do all  
the measurements?
No, you can choose to take part 
in some and not others  –  just tell 
the nurse.
The nurse will tell you more about 
each measurement and won’t do 
anything without asking you first.
Will I get anything  
for taking part?
We can send you the results of 
some of the measurements you do. 
There are also more stickers and 
certificates for helping science.
There is also a £15 gift card for 
people that give some blood. 
Any questions?
If you have any other 
questions, please get  
in touch
Great Britain participants:  
Beverley Bates 
NDNS Research Director  
National Centre for Social Research, 
Kings House, 101-135 Kings Road, 
Brentwood, Essex, CM14 4LX 
Freephone: xx-xxxx-xxxx
Northern Ireland participants: 
Jennifer Myers 
Survey Manager 
NISRA – Central Survey Unit 
2nd Floor, Colby House Stranmillis 
Court, Belfast, BT9 5RR
Email: xxx@xxx.xx
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Giving a blood sample
Frequently asked questions
National Diet and  
Nutrition Survey (NDNS)
Nurses from the National Centre 
for Social Research follow ‘best 
practice’ principles which meet 
current national standards used 
within the NHS. 
This leaflet gives answers to some 
of the questions people often ask 
about giving a blood sample.
If you have any further queries, 
please ask the nurse.
For more info have a look at www.natcen.ac.uk/taking-part/ 
studies-in-field/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey

Why do you 
need to take a 
blood sample? 
The analysis of the blood samples will 
tell us a lot about the health of the 
general population.
The food and drink information you 
provided will help us understand the 
eating habits of the nation, including 
calories and nutrient intake.
However, there is some information 
that we can’t get from your what you 
told us you had to eat and drink. The 
blood sample will help us complete 
the picture.
Because the amount of vitamins 
and minerals absorbed in the body 
varies from person to person, a 
blood sample is the only way we 
can accurately measure vitamin and 
mineral intake such as vitamin D and 
iron, which are both very important 
to health. This is especially important 
for children, as they often have low 
levels of key nutrients, for example 
if they don’t eat certain foods. It is 
especially important that we know if 
the number of children with low levels 
of important nutrients is changing 
in the UK. We can only do this if we 
measure nutrient levels in their blood. 
We can also look at people’s risk for 
certain conditions. Serum cholesterol, 
for example, tells us about risk for 
heart disease. 
What will  
I need  
to do?
The nurse will visit at time that is 
convenient for you.
We will ask you to sign a consent 
form to say you and/or your child 
agrees to provide a blood sample. 
If a blood sample is given, we will 
also ask whether you are willing for 
any remaining blood to be stored for 
future research.
The nurse will speak to you about 
fasting overnight. This means not 
eating or drinking anything other 
than water for a minimum of 8 hours 
before the blood sample is taken. If 
you and/or your child are diabetic 
or not willing to fast (or if your child 
is under 4 years old), the nurse will 
speak to you about providing a 
non-fasting sample. You may wish to 
wear a face covering/mask during the 
blood sample.
The blood samples you take will 
be processed at local hospitals or 
research labs and subsequently 
stored and looked after according to 
ethically approved conditions.
How much blood  
do you need? 
The nurse will take no more than 
12-35ml (2 tsp- 7 tsp) of blood 
depending on you or your child’s age.
What do I get 
for providing a 
blood sample?
If you wish to receive them, we will 
send you the results of your and/ or 
your child’s blood measurements 
(e.g. vitamin and mineral levels, 
cholesterol, haemoglobin). Also, with 
your agreement, we will send the 
results to your GP. If a result suggests 
there may be a problem, we will 
advise you to see your GP who can 
then follow up what we found.
As a token of our appreciation, each 
person providing a blood sample will 
receive a £15 gift card.
What about hygiene 
standards?
In line with NHS best practice 
principles, our nurses maintain 
the highest hygiene standards to 
reduce any risk of infection. We use 
single use and sterile equipment for 
every person and appropriate to the 
age of the person giving a blood 
sample. Our nurses will also maintain 
Covid-19 secure protocols in line with 
Government guidance to minimise the 
risk of Covid-19 transmission. 
 
What if I  
feel faint?
Most people do not feel faint during 
or after giving a blood sample but 
occasionally people do. If you actually 
faint, which can happen but is very 
unlikely, the nurse will stop taking 
blood and you will be advised not to 
drive for at least 30 minutes once you 
have come round.
Does it hurt?
Our nurses are very experienced in 
taking blood samples. You should 
hardly feel anything other than a 
scratch.
However, some people do see this 
as being more painful than a scratch. 
Please tell the nurse immediately 
if you are at all concerned. If you 
would like, we may be able to use a 
skin-numbing agent – the nurse can 
explain more about this.
Our nurses are also specially trained 
to take blood from children and they 
can help make it easier for children 
who might be frightened of needles 
by using a cream or spray to numb 
the arm.

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Will I get a bruise?
The nurse will make every attempt 
to avoid bruising but it does 
sometimes occur. The skin area 
around any bruise may be slightly 
uncomfortable for a day or so but 
usually no action is required. To 
reduce any risk of bruising, where 
possible, we suggest you avoid any 
heavy lifting or strenuous exercise 
for at least two hours after you have 
given your blood sample.
It’s unlikely that you will have 
any adverse effects, however 
if you experience any of the 
following, you should seek 
further help, for instance from 
your GP or NHS Direct:
•	 Severe pain
•	 Numbness or persistent ‘pins and 
needles’ in the arm, hand or fingers
•	 Swelling which is large or increasing 
in size
•	 Bruising which gets worse  
(for example hurts more or  
gets much bigger)
•	 Painful redness/inflammation.
Thank you for your 
interest and time.
Your contribution is very valuable to 
the NDNS study.
Any Questions?
Our nurse will try to answer any 
questions you have. If you have any 
questions about taking part, please do 
not hesitate to contact us:
Great Britain participants:  
Beverley Bates 
NDNS Research Director  
National Centre for Social Research, 
Kings House, 101-135 Kings Road, 
Brentwood, Essex, CM14 4LX 
Freephone: xx-xxxx-xxxx
Northern Ireland participants: 
Jennifer Myers 
Survey Manager 
NISRA – Central Survey Unit 
2nd Floor, Colby House Stranmillis 
Court, Belfast, BT9 5RR
Email: xxx@xxx.xx
For more info have a look at www.natcen.ac.uk/taking-part/ 
studies-in-field/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey

Cryogesic Spray
Information leaflet for ages 6 years+
National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS)
If you take part in this study and 
agree to provide a blood sample, you 
can have Cryogesic Spray before the 
sample is taken if you want to.
This leaflet tells you about what the 
spray does and how it works.
It is important to remember that 
you do NOT have to have the spray 
applied; it is up to you to decide.
What is Cryogesic Spray?
Cryogesic (ethyl chloride) is a thin 
liquid, which, when sprayed on to the 
skin, makes the skin cold and less 
sensitive as the liquid evaporates. 
The coolant effect on the skin means 
that the slight scratch when the need 
pricks the skin is hardly felt.
How long does it take 
to work?
The spray creates a thin white film and 
takes effect within a few seconds of 
being sprayed onto the skin. The skin 
will feel cold and will feel less sensitive. 
The effect wears off within a few 
minutes as the skin warms back up.
Can Cryogesic Spray 
be used on anyone?
Cryogesic Spray is very safe. People 
who are allergic to ethyl chloride are 
the only ones who should not have 
the spray applied. If you decide you 
would like to have the spray applied, 
the nurse will check with you that 
it is safe for you to have the spray 
BEFORE it is applied.
The nurse would not apply the spray 
to any skin which is sore or broken 
or an area on the skin where there is 
eczema.
Are there any  
side effects?
Some people can be allergic to the 
spray, which may cause itching, 
swelling or bruising where the spray 
has been applied. Some change in 
skin colour may occur, but this is 
normal. None of these effects are 
serious or harmful.

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Ametop Gel
Information leaflet for parents and children
If you take part in this study and 
agree to provide a blood sample, 
you can have Ametop gel before the 
sample is taken if you want to.
This leaflet tells you about what the 
gel does and how it works.
It is important to remember that 
you do NOT have to have the gel 
applied; it is up to you to decide.
What is Ametop gel?
It is a white gel which is put on the 
skin and left for 30 minutes. The gel 
makes the skin go numb. This means 
that the slight scratch when the 
needle pricks the skin is hardly felt.
How long does it  
take to work?
The gel works best if it is left on the 
skin for half an hour before the blood 
sample is taken, and it needs to be kept 
covered. The nurse will apply the gel 
and cover it with an adhesive dressing.
Once the blood sample has been 
taken, the effect of the Ametop will 
wear off slowly over the next few hours.
Can Ametop gel be 
used on anyone?
Ametop gel is very safe. People 
who are allergic to or have had a 
bad reaction to local or general 
anaesthetics are the only ones who 
should not have the Ametop gel 
applied. If you decide you would like 
to have the gel applied, the nurse will 
check with you that it is safe for you 
to have the gel BEFORE it is applied.
The nurse would not apply the gel to 
any skin which is sore or broken or an 
area on the skin where there is eczema.
Are there any  
side effects?
Sometimes the area where the gel 
has been applied goes pale, and 
on some people the skin goes a bit 
red. Occasionally, the area can be a 
bit itchy, or puff up slightly. None of 
these effects are serious or harmful 
and they will wear off as the effect of 
the Ametop wears off.
Some people know that they have 
allergies to some types of plaster: if 
you have this, please tell the nurse, 
who will make sure that the plaster 
used to cover the gel is right for you.
If you have any questions about 
Cryogesic Spray or Ametop gel, 
or if you are worried about any 
aspect of the blood sample, please 
speak to the nurse before you 
make up your mind.
For more info have a look at  
www.natcen.ac.uk/taking-part/ 
studies-in-field/national-diet-and-
nutrition-survey

NATIONAL DIET AND  
NUTRITION SURVEY (NDNS)
Measurement Record Card
SN
 Full name
 Interviewer name
 Date of visit
 Nurse name
 Date of visit
For more info have a look at  
www.natcen.ac.uk/taking-part/studies-in-
field/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey
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Measurement Record Card
WAIST AND HIP MEASUREMENT (age 11 and over)
DEMISPAN MEASUREMENT
INFANT LENGTH (under age 2)
First measurement
First measurement
Second measurement
Second measurement
Waist	
	
	
  cm		
	
	
inches
Hip 	 	
	
	
  cm		
	
	
inches
 	
	
	
	
  cm		
	
	
cm
 	
	
	
	
  cm		
	
	
Waist	
	
	
  cm		
	
	
inches
Hip 	 	
	
	
  cm		
	
	
inches
ANY QUESTIONS?
Our nurse will try to answer any questions you have. Or, if you like you can 
email or speak to one of us using these contact details:
Beverley Bates NatCen Social Reseach, Kings House, 101-135 Kings Road, 
Brentwood, Essex, CM14 4LX  Freephone: xx-xxxx-xxxx
THANK YOU  
FOR YOUR  
CO-OPERATION