Association between vegetable intake and dietary quality in Japanese adults: A secondary analysis from the National Health and Nutrition Survey, 2003

• Published in: Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology Vol. 54; no. 5; pp. 384 - 391
• Main Authors: Wakita Asano, A.(National Inst. of Health and Nutrition, Tokyo (Japan)), Miyoshi, M, Arai, Y, Yoshita, K, Yamamoto, S, Yoshitake, N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Center for Academic Publications Japan 01.10.2008
• Subjects: Adult; ADULTE; ADULTOS; ADULTS; AGE; Aged; ANALYTICAL METHODS; Biological and medical sciences; CALIDAD; Cross-Sectional Studies; DIET; Diet - standards; DIETA; dietary quality; EDAD; Energy Intake; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; FOOD INTAKE; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; HEALTH; HORTALIZAS; Humans; INGESTION DE ALIMENTOS; JAPAN; Japanese; JAPON; LEGUME; Male; Middle Aged; NUTRICION; NUTRITION; Nutrition Policy; Nutrition Surveys; PRISE ALIMENTAIRE (HOMME); QUALITE; QUALITY; recommendations; REGIME ALIMENTAIRE; SALUD; SANTE; TECHNIQUE ANALYTIQUE; TECNICAS ANALITICAS; vegetable; VEGETABLES; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Young Adult; Japan; Human; Secondary; Vegetables; Nutrition survey; Health; vegetable; Japanese; recommendations; Recommendation; Vertebrata; Association; Mammalia; Food intake; Quality; Adult; dietary quality
• ISSN: 0301-4800; 1881-7742
• DOI: 10.3177/jnsv.54.384

Objective: To investigate dietary quality among Japanese adults with a high vegetable diet, to consider dietary recommendation for vegetable intake. Design and setting: In the cross-sectional study of the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2O03, we conducted the secondary analyses. The food-weighing method in one-day assessed the dietary intake. From 11,630 subjects, 2,305 men and 2,312 non-pregnant/lactating women, aged 20-69 y and with an energy intake between 1,500 and 3,712 kcal were selected. Associations between vegetable, nutrient-density, and food intake were analyzed according to tertile cutoff: low vegetable diet (LVD), medium vegetable diet (MVD), or high vegetable diet (HVD). Differences across subgroups were tested after age adjustment. Results: Mean vegetable intakes were 309 g for men and 318 g for women. Only 35% of Japanese met the vegetable intake (VI) recommendation of = 350 g/d. VI had a positive association with age. Men 2O-29 y-old and women 30-39 y-old were the subjects with the lowest VI. HVD subjects had higher intake for most food groups, whereas wheat in men; and wheat, sweets, and alcohol in women were negatively associated with VI. Main sources of energy for men and women with HVD were rice, wheat, and meat. HVD also had higher micronutrient-density. Conclusion: These analyses demonstrated the beneficial effects of HVD on dietary quality in the population studied. We concluded recommendations for adequate vegetable intake are expected to improve diet quality among Japanese adults, especially for the group aged 20-39.