Dietary studies on two rural Italian population groups of the Seven Countries Study. 1. Food and nutrient intake at the thirty-first year follow-up in 1991.

The food and nutrient intake at the thirty-first follow-up in 1991 of 16 surviving elderly from Crevalcore and Montegiorgio, two Italian rural ares of the Seven Countries Study, are reported. For dietary appraisal the individual weighed record method for 3 and 9 days in three seasons was used. In autumn the dietary history method was also used. Because the number of survivors was small, 15 additional elderly subjects in both areas were surveyed. Then, to detect any change related to age in food intake, 41 younger subjects were assessed with the dietary history method. The results in both areas showed in general a high intra-individual variability and no statistically significant difference in food group and nutrient intake between seasons. Between the two methods for dietary survey no statistically significant difference, in general, was observed (P > 0.05 only for a few items). The diet of the subjects of Crevalcore was characterized by a rather high intake of milk and meat and a low intake of fish and legumes. In Montegiorgio the picture was similar to that of Crevalcore, but at a lower level of intake. In both areas, but particularly in Montegiorgio, these subjects have been abandoning the traditional Mediterranean diet.