Dietary survey of the FINMONICA project in 1982

A dietary survey concerning 1348 persons aged 25-64 was carried out in connection with the first FINMONICA risk factor survey in the three monitoring areas, North Karelia and Kuopio in the east, and Turku-Loimaa in the south-west in 1982. Three-day food records were used in the dietary assessment. The fat content of the diet in men was 38-39% of energy in all areas, whereas in women it was about 36% in the east compared to 38% in the south-west. The ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fat of the diet was lower in the east than in the south-west in both sexes (0.25 vs. 0.31). This seemed to be the result of higher milk and butter consumption in the east. The regional differences in the quality of dietary fats seemed to be the result of both different occupational structures and different dietary habits within each occupational group, especially among women.