Catarina Vila-Real1, Ana Pimenta-Martins1, Ana Maria Gomes1, Elisabete Pinto1,2, Ndegwa Henry Maina3. 1. a Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado , Escola Superior de Biotecnologia , Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, Porto , Portugal. 2. b Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto , Porto , Portugal. 3. c Division of Food Technology, Department of Food and Environmental Sciences , University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Dietary patterns are often considered as one of the main causes of non-communicable diseases worldwide. It is of utmost importance to study dietary habits in developing countries since this work is scarce. OBJECTIVE: To summarize the most recent research conducted in this field in African countries, namely the most used methodologies and tools. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted on MEDLINE®/PubMed, aiming to identify scientific publications focused on studies of dietary intake of different African populations, in a ten-year period. Papers not written in English/Portuguese/Spanish, studies developed among African people but not developed in African countries, studies aiming to assess a particular nutrient/specific food/food toxin and studies that assessed dietary intake among children were excluded. FINDINGS: Out of 99 included studies, the 24-hour recall and the food-frequency questionnaire were the most used dietary intake assessment tools, used to assess diet at an individual level. It was also observed that often country-unspecific food composition databases are used, and the methodologies employed are poorly validated and standardized. CONCLUSIONS: There is an emergent need to improve the existing food databases by updating food data and to develop suitable country-specific databases for those that do not have their own food composition table.
BACKGROUND: Dietary patterns are often considered as one of the main causes of non-communicable diseases worldwide. It is of utmost importance to study dietary habits in developing countries since this work is scarce. OBJECTIVE: To summarize the most recent research conducted in this field in African countries, namely the most used methodologies and tools. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted on MEDLINE®/PubMed, aiming to identify scientific publications focused on studies of dietary intake of different African populations, in a ten-year period. Papers not written in English/Portuguese/Spanish, studies developed among African people but not developed in African countries, studies aiming to assess a particular nutrient/specific food/food toxin and studies that assessed dietary intake among children were excluded. FINDINGS: Out of 99 included studies, the 24-hour recall and the food-frequency questionnaire were the most used dietary intake assessment tools, used to assess diet at an individual level. It was also observed that often country-unspecific food composition databases are used, and the methodologies employed are poorly validated and standardized. CONCLUSIONS: There is an emergent need to improve the existing food databases by updating food data and to develop suitable country-specific databases for those that do not have their own food composition table.
Authors: Cecilie Blenstrup Patsche; Frauke Rudolf; Antonio Mateus da Silva Mendes; Idalina da Cunha; Victor Francisco Gomes; Christian Wejse; Charlotte Jeppesen Journal: BMC Nutr Date: 2019-02-15