Jordan's Population-Based Food Consumption Survey: Protocol for Design and Development

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Dietary patterns significantly impact population health and well-being.
• Accurate food consumption data is crucial for developing effective community nutrition policies.
• Limited data exists on Jordanian dietary habits across different age groups, despite rising rates of overweight, obesity, and chronic diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the design and methodology of Jordan's Population-based Food Consumption Survey (2021-2022).
• To collect comprehensive data on food consumption (energy, nutrients, food groups) from a representative Jordanian sample.
• To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity and their relationship with food consumption patterns.

Main Methods:

• Stratified random sampling used to select 2145 participants (children to older adults) from 632 households.
• Food consumption assessed via 24-hour dietary recalls over two non-consecutive days.
• Data collected on food intake, supplement use, sociodemographics, health status, weight, height, and waist circumference.

Main Results:

• The survey included 2145 participants across various age groups (children, adolescents, adults, older adults).
• Food consumption data stratified by energy, nutrients, and food groups using three databases.
• Prevalence of overweight and obesity calculated and will be compared with Eastern Mediterranean region data.

Conclusions:

• Survey data will support nutritional research, track dietary changes, and inform nutrition and health policies.
• Establishes a foundation for a national surveillance system on food consumption.
• Provides critical insights for public health interventions targeting diet-related diseases in Jordan.