Scottish Health Survey 2013 - volume 1: main report

5 Diet

Tracey Hughes and Geraldine McNeill

SUMMARY

Fruit and vegetable consumption in adults

• Adults consumed a mean of 3.2 portions of fruit and vegetables per day in 2013.
• Only 22% consumed the recommended 5 portions per day, with no evidence of a change since 2003 (21%).
• Consumption levels remain similar for men and women (mean of 3.2 portions per day for men and 3.3 portions for women).
• Consumption was lowest among those aged 16-24 (3.0 portions) and highest among those aged 65-75 (3.5 portions).

Fruit and vegetable consumption in children

• Children aged 2-15 consumed a mean of 2.7 portions of fruit per day in 2013.
• Just 13% consumed 5 portions per day, with no evidence of change since 2008.
• There remains no difference in the fruit and vegetables consumption of boys and girls (average of 2.7 portions and 2.8 portions per day, respectively).
• Consumption was highest among 2-4 year olds (3.0 portions) and lowest among those aged 13-15 (2.5 portions).

Consumption of other foods in children

• In 2012/2013, 53% of children aged 2-15 consumed white fish once a week or more, while 16% consumed oily fish at least once a week, and 28% consumed tuna with the same frequency. While frequency of consumption of white fish and oily fish has gradually increased since 2003, the percentage eating tuna fish once a week or more has seen a small decline over the same period (from 33% to 28% in 2012/2013).
• Half (51%) of children consumed sweets or chocolate at least once a day or more in 2012/2013. Four in ten drank non-diet soft-drinks at least once a day and around a third (35%) ate biscuits with the same frequency.
• The frequency with which children consume sugary foods and snacks declined between 2003 and 2012/2013. While most of the change occurred earlier in the series, the percentage eating biscuits once a day or more continued to decline in 2012/2013 (40% in 2010/2011 and 35% in 2012/2013). The exception is cakes, with a small increase observed in the percentage of children eating cake at least twice a week (from 30% in 2003 to 34% in 2010/2011 and 2012/2013.
• In 2012/2013, a third (32%) of children ate 2-3 slices of high fibre bread each day. Consumption has not changed significantly since 2008/2009. While the frequency with which children eat chips has declined since 2003 (54% at least twice a week), there has been no change since 2008/2009 (40% in 2012/2013).

Urinary sodium and potassium in adults

• Urinary sodium concentration in spot urine samples was 113.8 mmol/l in men and 95.1 mmol/l in women.
• Urinary potassium concentration in spot urine samples was 58.5 mmol/l in men and 53.1 mmol/l in women.
• While concentrations of both sodium and potassium have generally fallen since 2003 in both men and women, creatinine concentrations in the samples have also fallen and Na/Cre and K/Cre ratios have risen. As a result the changes in sodium and potassium concentrations over time cannot be assumed to reflect changes in dietary intake.

Vitamin and mineral supplement use in adults

• Just over a quarter (27%) of adults took some kind of vitamin or mineral supplement in 2012/2013.
• Women remain more likely than men to use vitamin or mineral supplements (31%, compared with 24%). Use was lowest among those aged 16-24 year olds (21%).
• Among women, folic acid supplements were taken by 4% of 16-24 year olds, 10% of 25-34 year olds, 5% of 35-44 year olds and 3% if 45-49 year olds.
• Only 31% of those aged 65 and over took any vitamin or mineral supplement, suggesting a low level of compliance with advice to take supplements of Vitamin D in this age group.

5.1 INTRODUCTION

5.1.1 Diet and health

In recent decades evidence has been accumulating on the influence of diet on the incidence of a wide range of health conditions, particularly cardiovascular disease and other non-communicable diseases such as type II diabetes and certain types of cancer. Estimates from international comparisons have suggested that around 30% of cases of cancer[1] and cardiovascular disease[2] worldwide could be prevented by prudent dietary habits, though confounding of these observations by other lifestyle factors is difficult to exclude. For many common cancers the influence of overweight and obesity as a result of poor diet may be as important as the influence of specific nutrients or foods.[3]

Early research on diet and chronic diseases focussed on the possible role of fat, particularly saturated fat, and fruit and vegetable intake. In recent decades other aspects of diet, notably fibre and wholegrains, salt, oily fish intake and trans fatty acid intake have been studied in relation to cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline in later life. Other more established roles for diet components are folate in the prevention of neural tube defects;[4] vitamin D and calcium for bone health;[5] sugar intake in relation to dental decay[6] and salt intake in the development of hypertension[7]. More recently a link between consumption of red and processed meats in bowel disease has been proposed,[8],[9] while it has been suggested that added sugars, particularly those consumed in drinks, may have a particular role in development of obesity and type 2 diabetes.[10]

Given the broad range of health conditions which may be influenced by diet it is difficult to estimate the economic and social costs of poor eating habits, but some examples can highlight the potential benefits of improving the diet of the population. Treatment of cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, and type 2 diabetes, represent significant costs to the NHS, as do treatment of dental decay in children and bone disease in adults. Another area in which a small effect of good nutrition could lead to significant benefits to health is in the preservation of cognitive function in the aging population but at present further evidence for beneficial effects of e.g. antioxidant vitamins is still needed.[11]

In recent years the wider environmental cost of a diet high in red meat and a food system which involves significant food waste has been recognised,[12] adding to the need for long-term, comprehensive food strategies at national and local level.

The most widely promoted diet and health message has been the World Health Organisation (WHO) 'five a day' advice for adults to consume five varied portions of 80g of fruit and vegetables per day. A target to reduce salt intake from around 9g to 6g per day for adults has been set by the Food Standards Agency.[13] Advice on fruit and vegetables and salt intake are included in the Food Standards Agency's 'Eight tips for Eating Well, while the 'Eatwell Plate' model describes the proportions of 5 main food groups which would constitute a balanced diet.[14] More recently the WHO and Public Health England have proposed that added sugars should be reduced by more than half, to provide 5% of energy in the diet.[15],[16]

Surveys of household food intake and of children's diet in Scotland have highlighted socio-economic inequalities in consumption of a wide range of food groups such as fruit and vegetables and soft drinks though differences in fat and sugar content of the diet between those in more versus less deprived areas are not marked.[17],[18],[19]

5.1.2 Policy background

In Scotland the poor record on diet was first highlighted in 1993 with the publication of the Scottish Diet report and associated Action Plan.[20],[21] The Action Plan included specific Scottish Dietary Targets for eight nutrients and food groups which were replaced in 2013 by the Scottish Dietary Goals.[22] These include the fruit and vegetable and salt advice as well as a reduction in average calorie intake by 120 kcal per day and average intake of red meat to 70g per day as well as advice to limit fat and sugar intake and increase consumption of fibre and oil-rich fish.

To tackle the poor diet in children in Scotland, the main target has been food in schools with Hungry for Success guidance on the nutrient content of school meals[23] and the Schools Food and Nutrition legislation which prohibits the sale of foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and/or salt in schools.[24] The foods available to children who leave school at lunchtimes have also been considered in the 'Beyond the School Gate' advice to caterers in the vicinity of schools.[25] Most recently the Scottish Government has outlined specific measures which could be taken by retailers and caterers which would affect the wider population in its 'Supporting Healthy Choices' framework.[26] This is a voluntary framework based on four core principles. These are to:

• Put the health of children first in food-related decisions
• Rebalance promotional activities
• Support consumers and communities
• Formulate healthier products

5.1.3 Reporting on diet in the Scottish Health Survey (SHeS)

This chapter provides information on fruit and vegetable consumption in adults and children from 2003-2013, along with data on consumption of selected foods and drinks by children over the same period. Urinary sodium, potassium and creatinine in adults are presented as an indicator of trends in salt intake from 2003 - 2012/2013. Information on vitamin and mineral supplement use by adults in 2012/2013 is also provided. Supplementary tables on diet, including analysis by socio-economic classification, household income and area deprivation (SIMD) will be published on the Scottish Health Survey website.[27]

5.2 METHODS AND DEFINITIONS

5.2.1 Measuring fruit and vegetable consumption

The module of questions on fruit and vegetable consumption was designed with the aim of providing sufficient detail to monitor adherence to the 5-a-day recommendation. This module has been asked of all adults (aged 16 and over) participating in the survey since 2003 and of children aged 2 to 15 since 2008.

To determine the total number of portions consumed in the 24 hours preceding the interview, the fruit and vegetable module includes questions about consumption of the following food types: vegetables (fresh, frozen or canned); salads; pulses; vegetables in composites (e.g. vegetable chilli); fruit (fresh, frozen or canned); dried fruit; and fruit in composites (e.g. apple pie). A portion is defined as the conventional 80g of a fruit or vegetable. As 80g is difficult to visualise, a 'portion' was described using more everyday terms, such as tablespoons, cereal bowls and slices. Examples are given in the questionnaire to aid the recall process, for instance, tablespoons of vegetables, cereal bowls full of salad, pieces of medium sized fruit (e.g. apples) or handfuls of small fruits (e.g. raspberries). In spite of this, there may be some variation between participants' interpretation of a portion. These everyday measures were converted back to 80g portions prior to analysis. The following table shows the definitions of the portion sizes used for each food item included in the survey:

Food item	Portion size
Vegetables (fresh, frozen or canned)	3 tablespoons
Pulses (dried)	3 tablespoons
Salad	1 cereal bowlful
Vegetables in composites, such as vegetable chilli	3 tablespoons
Very large fruit, such as melon	1 average slice
Large fruit, such as grapefruit	Half a fruit
Medium fruit, such as apples	1 fruit
Small fruit, such as plum	2 fruits
Very small fruit, such as blackberries	2 average handfuls
Dried fruit	1 tablespoon
Fruit in composites, such as stewed fruit in apple pie	3 tablespoons
Frozen fruit/canned fruit	3 tablespoons
Fruit juice	1 small glass (150 ml)

Since the 5-a-day policy stresses both volume and variety, the number of portions of fruit juice, pulses and dried fruit is capped so that no more than one portion can contribute to the total number of portions consumed. Interviewers record full or half portions, but nothing smaller.

5.2.2 Measuring consumption of other foods and drinks

The eating habits module of the interview was developed from the Dietary Instrument of Nutrition Education (DINE) questionnaire and is similar to that used in the Health Survey for England (HSE). The DINE questionnaire was developed by the Imperial Cancer Research Fund's General Practice Research Group to assess usual intake of a wide range of nutrients, including protein, starch, fat and fibre.[28] The module asks about the frequency of consumption for categories of food, but does not ask about the amount consumed or specific types of food. It cannot be used to estimate daily nutrient intake but can reflect differences in consumption of the specified foods between population and sub-groups or within a population over time. These questions are asked of all children aged 2-15 annually, and a sub-sample of adults biennially.

5.2.3 Measuring urinary sodium and potassium

Sodium (Na) is obtained from the diet in the form of sodium chloride (salt) and potassium (K) from fruits and vegetables. Urinary excretion of sodium and potassium over a 24-hour period reflects the dietary intake over that day in normal healthy individuals. However, collection of urine over 24-hours is inconvenient and completeness of collection is difficult to achieve. Spot samples (taken at any time of day) are much easier to collect but the concentration of electrolytes is influenced by hydration.

Creatinine (Cre), a non-enzymic breakdown product of creatine in muscle, is produced and excreted in the urine at a constant rate, so the ratio Na/Cre or K/Cre are considered more robust indices for comparative purposes than sodium or potassium concentrations alone. The concentration of sodium and potassium in spot urine samples cannot be used to estimate 24-hour excretion and hence intake, but it has been suggested that the values can provide information on differences between subgroups within a population and on trends over time.

Since 2003 a spot urine sample has been collected in the survey from adults and analysed for Na, K and Cre. Details of the sample collection and analysis are given in Volume 2 of this report.

5.2.4 Measuring vitamin and mineral supplement use

The following question, designed to measure self-administered supplement use, is included in the core interview:[29]

At present, are you taking any vitamins, fish oils, iron supplements, calcium, other minerals or anything else to supplement your diet or improve your health, other than those prescribed by your doctor?

In addition, women aged 16-49 are also asked:

At present, are you taking any folic acid supplements such as Solgar folic acid, Pregnacare tablets, Sanatogen Pronatal, or Healthy Start, to supplement your diet or improve your health?

Women, pregnant and taking folic acid at the time of interview, are asked if they started taking supplements before they became pregnant, and whether they had taken them for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Those women who are not pregnant at the time of interview but who are taking folic acid are asked if they are taking it because they hope to become pregnant.

5.3 FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION

5.3.1 Trends in adult fruit and vegetable consumption since 2003

Trends in fruit and vegetable consumption for men, women and all adults aged 16 and over are presented in Table 5.1 for the period 2003 to 2013. In addition to the mean and median number of portions consumed, the proportions meeting, exceeding and falling short of the 5-a-day recommendation are also presented.

In 2013, adults consumed a mean of 3.2 portions of fruit and vegetables (median of 3.0) per day. Average consumption has fluctuated a little since 2003 (3.1-3.3 mean, 2.7-3.0 median portions) but with no obvious pattern. Trends in average consumption were very similar for men and women, with some fluctuation for both but with no observable changes in overall.

The percentage of adults meeting the 5-a-day recommendation was similarly stable over this period: 21% met the target in 2003, as did 22% in 2013. The percentage of men consuming at least 5-a-day ranged between 19% and 22% in the decade 2003-2013 but in no clear direction. Over this same period, the figure for women meeting the target ranged between 21% and 25%, with a slight increase detectable up until 2009, followed by a small decrease thereafter.

The percentage of adults reporting that they did not eat any fruit and vegetables in the 24 hours prior to interview has been very stable over time (9-10%). Table 5.1

5.3.2 Adult fruit and vegetable consumption in 2013, by age and sex

More detailed figures on adult (aged 16 and over) fruit and vegetable consumption in 2013 are presented in Table 5.2. As seen in previous years, in 2013, the average portions consumed per day by men and women were very similar (means of 3.2 and 3.3, respectively).

Consumption remains lowest for the youngest age group (those aged 16-24) who, on average, ate 3.0 portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Those aged 65-74 consumed an average of 3.5 portions per day, while the equivalent figure for those aged 75 and over was 3.2 portions per day.

Figure 5A illustrates the way in which the pattern in consumption differs by age for men and women. Mean consumption was broadly similar (3.0-3.2 portions) among men aged 16-64 and increased to an average of 3.4 portions per day for those aged 65 and over. In contrast, women's consumption more closely resembled the pattern for all adults - with the youngest and oldest women consuming fewest portions on average (3.0-3.1 portions per day, compared with 3.3-3.5 for those aged 25-74).

Just over one in five adults (22%) met the 5-a-day recommendation in 2013. Adherence did not differ by sex but, as would be expected given the patterns in mean consumption, there was some variation by age. Again, adults aged 25-74 were most likely to eat at least five portions a day (22-25%). The pattern in adherence levels by age was clearer for women than men. The percentage of men eating at least 5-a-day peaked among those aged 45-54 (25%) and 65-74 (27%), and ranged between 19% and 21% for remaining age groups.

Supplementary tables on adult fruit and vegetables consumption in 2013, including analysis by socio-economic classification, household income and area deprivation (SIMD), will be published on the Scottish Health Survey website.[30] Figure 5A, Table 5.2

5.3.3 Trends in child fruit and vegetable consumption since 2003

No information on the fruit and vegetable consumption of children under the age of five was collected on the survey prior to 2008. Therefore, two sets of trends are presented in Table 5.3: one for children aged 5-15 from 2003 to 2013, and one for children aged 2 to 15 from 2008 to 2013.

Over the last decade (2003-2013) there has been very little change in the average number of portions of fruit and vegetables consumed daily by children aged 5-15 (2.6 mean portions in 2003 and 2.7 in 2013). The separate figures for boys and girls show some small fluctuations across the period, but as with adults, the overall picture suggests that consumption levels have been relatively stable since 2003. A similar trend has been observed for children aged 2-15 since 2008, with average portion consumption varying between 2.6 and 2.8 portions per day over this period, and, with one exception (2010), there has been no variation in the median number of portions consumed (2.5).

The proportion of children aged 5-15 who met the 5-a-day recommendation was identical in 2003 and 2013: 12%. The 2008 and 2013 figures for children aged 2-15 were also identical (13%). The separate trends for boys and girls show small fluctuations of 2-3 percentage points over time for boys and 4 points for girls, but with no consistent patterns for either. Table 5.3

5.3.4 Child fruit and vegetable consumption in 2013, by age and sex

The mean portions of fruit and vegetables consumed by children aged 2-15 in 2013 (2.7 portions) did not differ significantly between boys (2.7) and girls (2.8), and was well below the recommended 5 portions a day.

While it appears that mean portions consumed decreased with increased age for children, the relationship was not statistically significant. Children aged 2-4 consumed an average of 3.0 portions per day (2.9 portions for boys 3.0 portions for girls). The equivalent figure for those aged 13-15 was 2.5 portions (2.7 portions for boys and 2.8 portions for girls).

In 2013 13% of children aged 2-15 met the 5-a-day recommendation. With the exception of a drop at age 8-10 (9%), adherence was broadly similar across age groups (13-15%). Boys and girls were equally likely to meet the recommendation, and the lower adherence among those aged 8-10 was observed for both boys and girls (8% and 9%, respectively).

One in ten children reported not eating any fruit or vegetables (10%) in the day prior to interview. There was a notable difference between children aged 2-4 (6% of whom ate 0 portions) and those aged 13-15, who have more control over their diets, 17% of whom ate 0 portions. These patterns were true for both boys and girls. Figure 5B, Table 5.4

5.4 CONSUMPTION OF OTHER FOODS IN CHILDREN

5.4.1 Trends in consumption of other foods since 2003

Trends in consumption of a number of food and drink items are presented in Table 5.5 for all children aged 2-15 and for boys and girls separately. To increase the sample sizes, figures for the 2008-2013 period are based on data from three sets of combined years (2008/2009, 2010/20011 and 2012/2013).

Sugary foods and snacks

The previously reported[31] reduction in children's consumption of many sugary foods and snacks since 2003 has largely been maintained in the most recent years of the survey (2012/2013). The proportions reporting at least daily consumption of sweets or chocolates (51%), non-diet soft drinks (40%), crisps (37%) and biscuits (35%), and weekly (or more) consumption of ice-cream (51%), were all statistically significantly lower than those observed in 2003.

For most of these food types, the largest reduction in consumption occurred between 2003 and 2008/2009, with the trend either levelling off, or continuing, albeit more gradually since then. The exception was daily consumption of biscuits for which there has been similarly large declines between 2003 (48%) and 2008/2009 (42%), and between 2010/2011 (40%) and 2012/2013 (35%).

In contrast, the past 10 years has seen a gradual increase in the proportion of children eating cakes at least twice a week (from 30% in 2003 to 34% in 2010/2011 and 2012/2013).

The patterns in consumption of sugary foods and snacks were broadly similar for boys and girls, with the only significant difference being that boys were more likely than girls to eat biscuits at least once a day (38% and 32% respectively, in 2012/2013).

Fibre and starch

The proportion of children eating a high fibre and low sugar cereal at least 5-6 times a week has remained stable since 2008/2009 (ranging between 27% and 28% over this period).

In 2012/2013, around a third (32%) of children aged 2-15 reported eating 2 to 3 slices of high fibre bread a day and, again, this figure has been broadly stable in recent years (35% in 2008/2009 and 34% in 2010/2011).

The previously reported[32] decline in the percentage of children eating chips two or more times a week, from 54% in 2003 to 40% in 2008/2009, was a maintained in 2012/2013 (40%).

Half of children ate potatoes, pasta or rice five or more times a week in 2003, as did 53-54% in more recent years.

Some small differences in fibre and starch consumption were apparent by gender. While the percentage of boys consuming 2-3 slices of high fibre bread daily has remained stable over time, the fall observed for girls in 2010/2011 was maintained in 2012/2013 resulting in a gap of 4 percentage points in the consumption rates of boys and girls. Conversely, in 2012/2013, girls were significantly more likely than boys to consume potatoes, pasta and rice five or more times a week (56%, compared with 51% for boys), despite there being no clear gap between the genders prior to this.

Meat and fish

The proportion of children consuming oily fish once a week or more doubled between 2003 and 2012/2013 (from 8% to 16%, respectively), though much of the increase occurred between 2003 and 2008/2009. There has been a somewhat more sustained increase in the consumption of white fish once a week or more (from 42% in 2003 to 53% in 2012/2013). In contrast, between 2003 and 2012/2013 there was a decline in the percentage of children consuming tuna fish at least once a week, from 33% to 28%.

Consumption of red meat at least twice a week increased between 2003 and 2008/2009 (from 53% to 57%) and remained at a similar level to this in 2012/2013 (58%). While the proportion of children eating meat products (such as pies, sausages) twice a week or more was lower in 2012/2013 (40%) than in 2003 (43%), the observed difference was not statistically significant.

Girls were more likely than boys to eat tuna fish once a week or more often (31%, compared with 24%), while the reverse was true of white fish (56% of boys, compared with 49% of girls). The frequency with which boys and girls consumed oily fish was broadly similar (17% and 15%, respectively). Boys have, however, consistently been more likely than girls to eat meat products at least twice weekly. For example, in 2012/2013 45% of boys reported this, compared with 33% of girls. Frequency of red meat consumption was similar for boys and girls (59% and 58%, respectively).

Dairy products

Between 2003 and 2008/2009 there was a statistically significant increase in the proportion of children drinking skimmed or semi-skimmed milk (from 51% to 57%). It has remained around this level since then (57-58%). The frequency with which boys and girls drank skimmed or semi-skimmed milk was similar in 2012/2013 (57% and 58%, respectively). Table 5.5

5.5 URINARY SODIUM AND POTASSIUM IN ADULTS

5.5.1 Trends in urinary sodium and potassium in adults since 2003

Sodium (Na), potassium (K) and creatinine (Cre) levels from spot urine samples are presented in Table 5.6, alongside the Na/Cre ratio and K/Cre ratio for 2003, 2008/2009, 2010/2011 and 2012/2013. In addition to mean and median levels, levels for the 5th, 10th, 90th and 95th percentiles are also presented for all adults aged 16 and over as well as for men and women separately.

Since 2003 there has been a statistically significant drop in the mean urinary sodium level for adults, although there appears to have been a levelling-off in more recent years. In 2003 the mean level of sodium for adults was 116.1mmol/l, falling to 109.0mmol/l in 2008/2009, and to 104.3mmol/l and 104.1mmol/l in 2010/2011 and 2012/2013, respectively. There was no significant change in the mean level between 2010/2011 and 2012/2013.

This decline in urinary sodium has been evident for both men and women, though in absolute terms it has been larger for men: between 2003 and 2012/2013, the mean urinary sodium level for men fell from 129.3mmol/l to 113.8mmol/l, while for women the corresponding figures were 104.3mmol/l and 95.1mmol/l, respectively. For women, the slight increase between the two most recent time periods was not statistically significant.

In contrast, mean urinary potassium levels were broadly stable in the earlier part of the time series (62.5mmol/l and 63.9mmol/l), but have since fallen to 55.7mmol/l (2012/2013). This decline is reflected in the fact that the mean levels at the upper end of the distribution (the 95th percentile) reduced significantly from 2010/2011 onwards. Again, while mean potassium levels have declined for both men and women, the absolute decline has been larger for men.

Creatinine levels in adults follow a similar trend to urinary sodium, with a decrease in the mean from 12.2mmol/l in 2003 to 10.9mmol/l in 2008/2009, and to 10.1mmol/l from 2010/2011 onwards. As with the sodium levels, average creatinine levels have declined for both men and women.

In line with the figures presented above, the ratios of sodium to creatinine (Na/Cre) and potassium to creatinine (K/Cre) have both increased since 2003, though with slightly different patterns. The Na/Cre ratio increased from 12.2 in 2003 to 13.3 in 2010/2011, and was 13.1 in 2012/2013. The ratio for K/Cre increased from 5.9 in 2003 to 6.7 in 2008/2009, and has been at a similar or identical level since then (6.7 in 2012/2013). The changes in the creatinine concentrations and Na/Cre and K/Cre ratios mean that the changes in Na and K concentrations cannot be assumed to reflect changes in intake. Table 5.6

5.5.2 Urinary sodium and potassium in adults in 2012/2013 combined, by age and sex

Urinary sodium, potassium and creatinine levels for adults in 2012/2013 are presented for by age group and sex in Table 5.7. Women had lower mean urinary sodium levels (95.1mmol/l) than men (113.8mmol/l) - and this pattern was true across all age groups. It should be noted, however, that urinary sodium levels varied markedly by age group for both sexes. Younger men (16-44), for example, had notably higher levels of urinary sodium (121.4mmol/l) than older men (98.8-112.0mmol/l).

Women also had a lower mean potassium level (53.1mmol/l) than men (58.5mmol/l) in 2012/2013, however, in contrast with the results above for sodium, potassium levels did not significantly decline with increased age.

Creatinine levels, in 2012/2013, followed similar patterns to urinary sodium levels, with women (8.7mmol/l) having a lower mean than men (11.5mmol/l) at all ages. For both men and women average creatinine levels declined with increased age.

The Na/Cre and K/Cre ratios followed the expected patterns: ratios were higher in women than men, and increased with age, for both sexes. Table 5.7

5.6 VITAMIN AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENT USE IN ADULTS

5.6.1 Vitamin and mineral supplement use in adults in 2012/2013 combined, by age and sex

The percentage of adults using vitamin and mineral supplements, in the years 2012/2013 combined, are presented in Table 5.8, by age and sex. In 2012/2013, just over a quarter (27%) of adults aged 16 and over reported taking any supplements. Women were more likely than men to report supplement use (31%, compared with 24%); and with the exception of those aged 75 and over, this difference was apparent across all age groups.

For both men and women, supplement use was lowest among those aged 16-24 (17% and 24%, respectively), though the patterns in use among remaining age groups differed somewhat for men and women. Among women, supplement use ranged from 31-33% for those aged 25 and over. In contrast, usage was more varied for men - ranging between 20% and 25% for those aged 25-64, and between 29-30% for the two oldest age groups.

While these figures highlight a general pattern of increasing supplement use with age, they do not to tell us which types of vitamins and minerals people take. The figures in Table 5.8 show that the majority (69%) of all adults aged 65 and over do not take any supplements, indicating low adherence to the recommendation that people of this age should take a Vitamin D supplement. Table 5.8

5.6.2 Folic acid supplement use in women in 2012/2013 combined

Vitamin use for women aged 16-49 in 2012/2013 combined is presented in Table 5.9. This table also displays folic acid supplement use among this same age group.

Almost three in ten (29%) women aged 16-49 reported taking any vitamin or mineral supplement in 2012/2013, with the youngest group (aged 16-24) least likely to do so (24%). Just 6% of women aged 16-49 reported taking a folic acid supplement at the time of interview. Women aged 25-34 were most likely to report taking folic acid (10%) and were twice as likely as those aged 16-24 and 35-44 to do so (4% and 5%, respectively). Just 3% of women aged 45-49 took a folic acid supplement.

With the average age of women giving birth now around 30 years,[33] the increased usage of folic acid supplements among the 25-34 age group likely reflects adherence to advice that folic acid supplements should be taken both, before, and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. To assess if this was the case, women who reported taking folic acid were asked if they were doing so because they hoped to become pregnant.

Fifty-five percent of non-pregnant women who were taking folic acid at the time for interview were doing so because they hoped to become pregnant. A similar proportion (57%) of those who were pregnant and taking folic acid at the time of interview reported that they started taking the supplement before becoming pregnant. Note, however, the small sample sizes for these groups. Table 5.9

Table list

Table 5.1 Adult fruit and vegetable consumption, 2003 to 2013
Table 5.2 Adult fruit and vegetable consumption, 2013, by age and sex
Table 5.3 Child fruit and vegetable consumption, 2003 to 2013
Table 5.4 Child fruit and vegetable consumption, 2013, by age and sex
Table 5.5 Summary of child eating habits, 2003 to 2012/2013 combined
Table 5.6 Urinary sodium (Na), potassium (K) and creatinine (Cre), Na/Cre ratio, K/Cre ratio, 2003 to 2012/2013 combined
Table 5.7 Urinary sodium (Na), potassium (K) and creatinine (Cre), Na/Cre ratio, K/Cre ratio, 2012/2013 combined, by age and sex
Table 5.8 Vitamin and mineral supplements use, 2012/2013 combined, by age and sex
Table 5.9 Folic acid supplement use, 2012/2013 combined

Additional tables available on the survey website include:

• Times in the last week people in household ate main meal together, by age & key demographics
• Portions of fruit and vegetables consumed, by age & key demographics
• Summary fruit and vegetable serving type, by age & key demographics
• Adult use of vitamin or mineral supplements, by age & key demographics
• Child: Summary diet, by age & key demographics
• Child: Frequency and type of bread & cereal, by age & key demographics
• Child: How often eat chips & potatoes, by age & key demographics
• Child: How often eat meat & meat products, by age & key demographics
• Child: How often eat tinned tuna fish, white fish & oily fish, by key demographics
• Child: How often eat cheese, by age & key demographics
• Child: How often eat sweets or chocolates, ice cream, crisps, by age & key demographics
• Child: How often drink milk, & soft drinks, diet/low calorie soft drinks, by age & key demographics
• Child: How often eat cakes, scones or pastries, & biscuits, by age & key demographics

Table 5.1 Adult fruit and vegetable consumption, 2003 to 2013

Aged 16 and over							2003 to 2013
Portions per day	2003	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Men
None	11	10	11	12	10	11	11
5 portions or more	20	20	22	20	20	19	22
Mean	3.0	3.1	3.1	3.1	3.1	3.0	3.2
Standard error of the mean	0.06	0.07	0.05	0.06	0.05	0.08	0.07
Median	2.7	2.7	2.8	2.7	2.7	2.7	3.0
Women
None	8	7	7	9	8	9	8
5 portions or more	22	24	25	23	23	21	22
Mean	3.2	3.4	3.4	3.3	3.3	3.2	3.3
Standard error of the mean	0.05	0.06	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.06
Median	3.0	3.0	3.0	3.0	3.0	2.8	3.0
All adults
None	9	9	9	10	9	10	9
5 portions or more	21	22	23	22	22	20	22
Mean	3.1	3.3	3.3	3.2	3.2	3.1	3.2
Standard error of the mean	0.05	0.05	0.04	0.04	0.04	0.05	0.05
Median	2.7	3.0	3.0	3.0	3.0	2.7	3.0
Bases (weighted):
Men	3834	3087	3594	3465	3606	2309	2343
Women	4281	3375	3926	3775	3931	2502	2547
All adults	8115	6462	7520	7239	7537	4811	4890
Bases (unweighted):
Men	3590	2840	3283	3112	3275	2126	2138
Women	4526	3621	4241	4127	4260	2686	2754
All adults	8116	6461	7524	7239	7535	4812	4892

Table 5.2 Adult fruit and vegetable consumption, 2013, by age and sex

Aged 16 and over								2013
Portions per day	Age							Total
	16-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65-74	75+
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Men
None	15	13	12	13	9	6	5	11
Less than 1 portion	4	3	3	3	4	5	5	4
1 portion or more but less than 2	17	20	17	19	19	18	15	18
2 portions or more but less than 3	15	19	18	16	19	17	16	17
3 portions or more but less than 4	18	15	17	14	15	13	22	16
4 portions or more but less than 5	10	12	14	10	13	14	15	12
5 portions or more	21	19	20	25	21	27	21	22
Mean	3.0	3.1	3.1	3.2	3.2	3.4	3.4	3.2
Standard error of the mean	0.23	0.14	0.15	0.14	0.15	0.14	0.17	0.07
Median	2.5	2.7	2.7	2.7	2.8	3.0	3.2	3.0
Women
None	13	11	7	11	5	2	5	8
Less than 1 portion	2	3	6	5	7	4	5	5
1 portion or more but less than 2	18	15	16	16	17	15	22	17
2 portions or more but less than 3	24	17	20	15	18	21	18	19
3 portions or more but less than 4	17	18	16	17	16	20	20	17
4 portions or more but less than 5	9	12	11	13	14	14	11	12
5 portions or more	17	24	24	24	23	23	19	22
Mean	3.0	3.3	3.3	3.3	3.4	3.5	3.1	3.3
Standard error of the mean	0.19	0.13	0.14	0.12	0.13	0.13	0.13	0.06
Median	2.3	3.0	3.0	3.0	3.0	3.2	3.0	3.0
All adults
None	14	12	9	12	7	4	5	9
Less than 1 portion	3	3	4	4	5	4	5	4
1 portion or more but less than 2	18	17	17	17	18	16	19	17
2 portions or more but less than 3	19	18	19	16	19	19	17	18
3 portions or more but less than 4	17	16	17	16	16	17	21	17
4 portions or more but less than 5	9	12	13	12	14	14	13	12
5 portions or more	19	22	22	24	22	25	20	22
Mean	3.0	3.2	3.2	3.2	3.3	3.5	3.2	3.2
Standard error of the mean	0.17	0.11	0.11	0.10	0.11	0.11	0.12	0.05
Median	2.5	3.0	3.0	3.0	3.0	3.0	3.0	3.0
Bases (weighted):
Men	338	367	387	438	366	269	178	2343
Women	334	389	412	462	383	303	265	2547
All adults	671	756	799	900	749	572	443	4890
Bases (unweighted):
Men	206	310	339	395	353	318	217	2138
Women	242	419	432	540	442	373	306	2754
All adults	448	729	771	935	795	691	523	4892

Table 5.3 Child fruit and vegetable consumption, 2003 to 2013

Aged 2-15							2003 to 2013
Portions per day	2003	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Boys
Total 5 - 15
None	12	13	10	12	11	13	12
5 portions or more	12	14	13	11	12	11	13
Mean	2.6	2.6	2.6	2.5	2.6	2.4	2.6
Standard error of the mean	0.07	0.11	0.07	0.10	0.09	0.10	0.10
Median	2.0	2.0	2.3	2.3	2.3	2.0	2.3
Total 2 - 15
None	n/a	11	9	11	10	12	11
5 portions or more	n/a	14	14	12	13	12	13
Mean	n/a	2.7	2.7	2.6	2.7	2.5	2.7
Standard error of the mean	n/a	0.09	0.06	0.09	0.08	0.09	0.09
Median	n/a	2.3	2.3	2.3	2.5	2.2	2.3
Girls
Total 5 - 15
None	12	9	10	11	10	11	11
5 portions or more	13	14	15	12	11	12	12
Mean	2.6	2.8	2.8	2.6	2.7	2.8	2.7
Standard error of the mean	0.07	0.10	0.09	0.09	0.09	0.10	0.09
Median	2.0	2.5	2.4	2.5	2.5	2.7	2.7
Total 2 - 15
None	n/a	8	9	10	9	9	10
5 portions or more	n/a	13	16	13	12	14	13
Mean	n/a	2.9	2.9	2.7	2.8	2.9	2.8
Standard error of the mean	n/a	0.09	0.08	0.08	0.08	0.09	0.09
Median	n/a	2.7	2.7	2.5	2.5	2.7	2.7
All children
Total 5 - 15
None	12	11	10	12	10	12	12
5 portions or more	12	14	14	12	12	11	12
Mean	2.6	2.7	2.7	2.6	2.6	2.6	2.7
Standard error of the mean	0.05	0.08	0.06	0.07	0.07	0.08	0.08
Median	2.0	2.3	2.3	2.3	2.3	2.3	2.5
Total 2 - 15
None	n/a	10	9	11	9	11	10
5 portions or more	n/a	13	15	12	13	13	13
Mean	n/a	2.8	2.8	2.6	2.7	2.7	2.7
Standard error of the mean	n/a	0.07	0.05	0.07	0.06	0.07	0.07
Median	n/a	2.5	2.5	2.3	2.5	2.5	2.5
Bases (weighted):
Boys 5 - 15	1225	618	910	621	686	614	637
Boys 2 - 15	n/a	791	1153	792	881	800	830
Girls 5 - 15	1166	591	867	591	652	588	607
Girls 2 - 15	n/a	736	1108	759	835	759	787
All children 5 - 15	2391	1209	1777	1212	1338	1202	1243
All children 2 - 15	n/a	1527	2261	1551	1716	1559	1616
Bases (unweighted):
Boys 5 - 15	1152	591	923	629	649	580	608
Boys 2 - 15	n/a	764	1153	821	855	761	819
Girls 5 - 15	1170	597	837	532	619	602	554
Girls 2 - 15	n/a	752	1100	708	833	784	761
All children 5 - 15	2322	1188	1760	1161	1268	1182	1162
All children 2 - 15	n/a	1516	2253	1529	1688	1545	1580

Table 5.4 Child fruit and vegetable consumption, 2013, by age and sex

Aged 2-15						2013
Portions per day	Age					Total
	2-4	5-7	8-10	11-12	13-15
	%	%	%	%	%	%
Boys
None	6	11	8	16	16	11
Less than 1 portion	4	4	8	8	5	6
1 portion or more but less than 2	21	19	20	24	23	21
2 portions or more but less than 3	25	20	24	15	17	21
3 portions or more but less than 4	18	19	17	17	15	17
4 portions or more but less than 5	11	12	15	7	9	11
5 portions or more	15	15	8	12	16	13
Mean	2.9	2.8	2.5	2.3	2.7	2.7
Standard error of the mean	0.14	0.18	0.12	0.24	0.23	0.09
Median	2.7	2.5	2.3	2.0	2.0	2.3
Girls
None	6	8	6	13	17	10
Less than 1 portion	5	4	5	3	5	4
1 portion or more but less than 2	17	24	19	16	21	20
2 portions or more but less than 3	27	19	20	15	19	21
3 portions or more but less than 4	21	18	28	22	17	21
4 portions or more but less than 5	9	11	12	17	10	11
5 portions or more	15	16	9	15	11	13
Mean	3.0	2.8	2.8	2.8	2.4	2.8
Standard error of the mean	0.21	0.16	0.16	0.20	0.18	0.09
Median	2.7	2.7	2.7	3.0	2.3	2.7
All children
None	6	10	7	14	17	10
Less than 1 portion	4	4	6	5	5	5
1 portion or more but less than 2	19	21	20	20	22	21
2 portions or more but less than 3	26	20	22	15	18	21
3 portions or more but less than 4	20	19	22	20	16	19
4 portions or more but less than 5	10	11	14	12	9	11
5 portions or more	15	15	9	14	13	13
Mean	3.0	2.8	2.7	2.6	2.5	2.7
Standard error of the mean	0.13	0.12	0.10	0.17	0.15	0.07
Median	2.7	2.7	2.7	2.5	2.0	2.5
Bases (weighted):
Boys	193	169	197	101	169	830
Girls	180	170	178	107	152	787
All children	373	339	375	208	321	1616
Bases (unweighted):
Boys	211	174	191	86	157	819
Girls	207	173	160	89	132	761
All children	418	347	351	175	289	1580

Table 5.5 Summary of child eating habits, 2003 to 2012/2013 combined

Aged 2-15				2003 to 2012/2013 combined
Food type and frequency of consumption	2003	2008/2009 combined	2010/2011 combined	2012/2013 combined
	%	%	%	%
Boys
Eats oily fish once a week or more	8	12	13	17
Eats white fish once a week or more	45	51	50	56
Eats tuna fish once a week or more	29	28	25	24
Eats red meat 2+ times a week	55	59	59	59
Eats meat products 2+ times a week	48	43	43	45
Drinks skimmed/semi-skimmed milk	51	55	56	57
Sweets or chocolates once a day or more	57	53	50	53
Biscuits once a day or more	51	44	44	38
Cakes 2+ times a week	31	33	35	35
Ice-cream once a week or more	58	53	53	50
Non-diet soft drinks once a day or more	46	39	39	41
Crisps once a day or more	50	36	38	38
Eats chips 2+ times a week	55	41	43	41
Eats potatoes, pasta, rice 5+ times a week	48	54	52	51
Eats at least 2-3 slices of high fibre bread a day	n/a	35	36	34
Eats high fibre/low sugar cereal at least 5-6 times a week	n/a	28	30	30
Girls
Eats oily fish once a week or more	8	13	15	15
Eats white fish once a week or more	39	45	47	49
Eats tuna fish once a week or more	37	36	33	31
Eats red meat 2+ times a week	52	56	57	58
Eats meat products 2+ times a week	39	32	35	33
Drinks skimmed/semi-skimmed milk	50	59	60	58
Sweets or chocolates once a day or more	60	52	48	50
Biscuits once a day or more	45	41	36	32
Cakes 2+ times a week	28	31	34	32
Ice-cream once a week or more	57	54	51	53
Non-diet soft drinks once a day or more	43	36	38	39
Crisps once a day or more	53	35	39	36
Eats chips 2+ times a week	53	39	41	38
Eats potatoes, pasta, rice 5+ times a week	51	54	53	56
Eats at least 2-3 slices of high fibre bread a day	n/a	34	32	30
Eats high fibre/low sugar cereal at least 5-6 times a week	n/a	26	27	25
All children
Eats oily fish once a week or more	8	13	14	16
Eats white fish once a week or more	42	48	49	53
Eats tuna fish once a week or more	33	32	29	28
Eats red meat 2+ times a week	53	57	58	58
Eats meat products 2+ times a week	43	38	39	40
Drinks skimmed/semi-skimmed milk	51	57	58	57
Sweets or chocolates once a day or more	59	53	49	51
Biscuits once a day or more	48	42	40	35
Cakes 2+ times a week	30	32	34	34
Ice-cream once a week or more	58	53	52	51
Non-diet soft drinks once a day or more	44	38	38	40
Crisps once a day or more	52	36	38	37
Eats chips 2+ times a week	54	40	42	40
Eats potatoes, pasta, rice 5+ times a week	50	54	53	53
Eats at least 2-3 slices of high fibre bread a day	n/a	35	34	32
Eats high fibre/low sugar cereal at least 5-6 times a week	n/a	27	28	27
Bases (weighted):a
Boys	1511	1942	1673	1630
Girls	1440	1845	1597	1548
All children	2957	3789	3270	3178
Bases (unweighted):
Boys	1459	1917	1677	1580
Girls	1461	1852	1544	1545
All children	2924	3771	3221	3125

a Bases vary: the smallest of the range is presented and may be marginally higher for some food items

Table 5.6 Urinary sodium (Na), potassium (K) and creatinine (Cre), Na/Cre ratio, K/Cre ratio, 2003 to 2012/2013 combined

Aged 16 and over with a valid urine sample				2003 to 2012/2013 combined
Urinary sodium, potassium, creatinine (mmol/l)	2003	2008/2009 combined	2010/2011 combined	2012/2013 combined
Men
Sodium (mmol/l)
Mean	129.3	120.9	117.6	113.8
Standard error of the mean	3.69	2.18	2.35	2.35
5th percentile	34	37	30	29
10th percentile	51	47	45	43
Median	125	117	113	108
90th percentile	215	197	195	190
95th percentile	230	219	213	210
Potassium (mmol/l)
Mean	67.1	67.9	62.4	58.5
Standard error of the mean	1.70	1.44	1.31	1.29
5th percentile	18	17	16	15
10th percentile	26	24	23	22
Median	63	64	59	57
90th percentile	115	119	105	101
95th percentile	129	138	119	101
Creatinine (mmol/l)
Mean	14.3	12.7	11.8	11.5
Standard error of the mean	0.37	0.27	0.27	0.32
5th percentile	3.8	2.9	2.6	2.5
10th percentile	5.6	4.3	3.7	3.7
Median	13.9	12.2	11.0	10.6
90th percentile	23.5	20.9	20.1	20.2
95th percentile	27.5	23.7	24.8	24.3
Na/Cre ratio
Mean	10.9	11.6	12.0	12.3
Standard error of the mean	0.42	0.27	0.26	0.32
5th percentile	3.5	3.5	3.6	3.3
10th percentile	4.7	4.7	4.7	5.0
Median	9.5	10.3	10.9	11.1
90th percentile	17.7	19.2	20.4	20.5
95th percentile	21.8	23.2	24.3	25.4
K/Cre ratio
Mean	5.2	5.9	5.9	5.9
Standard error of the mean	0.13	0.10	0.11	0.13
5th percentile	2.0	2.3	2.4	2.3
10th percentile	2.6	3.0	2.8	2.9
Median	4.7	5.5	5.6	5.5
90th percentile	8.1	9.8	9.2	9.3
95th percentile	9.6	11.2	10.6	10.5
Women
Sodium (mmol/l)
Mean	104.3	97.9	91.5	95.1
Standard error of the mean	2.88	1.85	2.16	2.10
5th percentile	26	23	22	23
10th percentile	36	32	28	31
Median	97	87	81	85
90th percentile	189	186	176	176
95th percentile	214	212	197	202
Potassium (mmol/l)
Mean	58.3	60.1	55.6	53.1
Standard error of the mean	1.57	1.16	1.25	1.00
5th percentile	14	14	12	14
10th percentile	19	19	17	19
Median	52	55	48	49
90th percentile	108	111	105	97
95th percentile	132	129	123	101
Creatinine (mmol/l)
Mean	10.3	9.2	8.5	8.7
Standard error of the mean	0.30	0.18	0.22	0.22
5th percentile	2.2	1.8	1.6	1.7
10th percentile	2.8	2.8	2.1	2.4
Median	9.3	8.3	7.4	7.5
90th percentile	19.1	16.9	16.4	17.0
95th percentile	22.1	19.5	19.2	19.6
Na/Cre ratio
Mean	13.3	13.3	14.6	13.9
Standard error of the mean	0.46	0.30	0.36	0.35
5th percentile	3.6	3.5	3.3	3.7
10th percentile	4.8	4.9	5.0	5.2
Median	11.3	11.4	12.4	12.1
90th percentile	22.2	23.4	26.8	24.5
95th percentile	27.3	27.7	32.8	28.0
K/Cre ratio
Mean	6.5	7.4	7.9	7.4
Standard error of the mean	0.14	0.12	0.14	0.15
5th percentile	2.6	3.0	3.0	3.0
10th percentile	3.1	3.8	3.7	3.6
Median	6.0	6.6	7.1	6.6
90th percentile	10.5	11.8	13.0	11.9
95th percentile	12.5	14.5	15.9	14.2
All adults
Sodium (mmol/l)
Mean	116.1	109.0	104.3	104.1
Standard error of the mean	2.76	1.55	1.72	1.76
5th percentile	29	27	24	25
10th percentile	40	38	33	35
Median	110	99	98	96
90th percentile	202	191	187	185
95th percentile	222	217	208	206
Potassium (mmol/l)
Mean	62.5	63.9	58.9	55.7
Standard error of the mean	1.13	1.00	0.93	0.88
5th percentile	16	15	13	15
10th percentile	21	21	19	21
Median	58	59	54	53
90th percentile	110	113	105	100
95th percentile	131	133	121	101
Creatinine (mmol/l)
Mean	12.2	10.9	10.1	10.1
Standard error of the mean	0.25	0.17	0.19	0.21
5th percentile	2.4	2.2	1.9	2.1
10th percentile	3.6	3.2	2.5	2.8
Median	11.4	10.1	9.2	9.0
90th percentile	22.0	19.3	18.6	18.5
95th percentile	25.0	22.1	22.3	22.0
Na/Cre ratio
Mean	12.2	12.5	13.3	13.1
Standard error of the mean	0.32	0.21	0.23	0.25
5th percentile	3.5	3.5	3.5	3.5
10th percentile	4.7	4.8	4.8	5.0
Median	10.4	10.9	11.5	11.6
90th percentile	20.2	21.4	23.7	22.7
95th percentile	25.4	26.4	29.5	26.8
K/Cre ratio
Mean	5.9	6.7	6.9	6.7
Standard error of the mean	0.11	0.09	0.10	0.11
5th percentile	2.3	2.6	2.6	2.7
10th percentile	2.9	3.3	3.2	3.2
Median	5.3	6.1	6.3	5.9
90th percentile	9.6	10.9	11.3	10.6
95th percentile	11.3	12.7	13.6	12.9
Bases (weighted):
Men	535	998	885	896
Women	594	1075	915	974
All adults	1129	2074	1800	1870
Bases (unweighted):
Men	508	921	793	846
Women	640	1165	1004	1026
All adults	1148	2086	1797	1872

Table 5.7 Urinary sodium (Na), potassium (K) and creatinine (Cre), Na/Cre ratio, K/Cre ratio, 2012/2013 combined, by age and sex

Aged 16 and over with a valid urine sample				2012/2013 combined
Urinary sodium, potassium, creatinine (mmol/l)	Age			Total
	16-44	45-64	65+
	%	%	%	%
Men
Sodium (mmol/l)
Mean	121.4	112.0	98.8	113.8
Standard error of the mean	4.16	3.75	3.48	2.35
5th percentile	33	23	34	29
10th percentile	45	38	45	43
Median	114	111	95	108
90th percentile	201	184	159	190
95th percentile	224	206	179	210
Potassium (mmol/l)
Mean	59.0	59.9	55.1	58.5
Standard error of the mean	1.85	2.04	1.80	1.29
5th percentile	15	15	20	15
10th percentile	20	24	23	22
Median	59	58	53	57
90th percentile	101	101	88	101
95th percentile	101	101	101	101
Creatinine (mmol/l)
Mean	12.9	10.9	9.4	11.5
Standard error of the mean	0.54	0.44	0.42	0.32
5th percentile	2.6	2.3	2.9	2.5
10th percentile	4.0	2.9	3.3	3.7
Median	11.5	10.7	8.4	10.6
90th percentile	23.7	17.9	16.5	20.2
95th percentile	27.6	20.9	18.1	24.3
Na/Cre ratio
Mean	12.0	11.8	13.8	12.3
Standard error of the mean	0.51	0.37	0.75	0.32
5th percentile	3.1	4.1	3.3	3.3
10th percentile	4.8	5.6	4.5	5.0
Median	10.5	11.3	12.0	11.1
90th percentile	20.4	19.3	23.8	20.5
95th percentile	25.5	22.0	27.7	25.4
K/Cre ratio
Mean	5.4	6.2	6.7	5.9
Standard error of the mean	0.20	0.18	0.24	0.13
5th percentile	2.0	2.7	3.3	2.3
10th percentile	2.4	3.2	3.7	2.9
Median	4.9	5.9	6.2	5.5
90th percentile	8.3	9.4	10.4	9.3
95th percentile	9.6	10.5	12.6	10.5
Women
Sodium (mmol/l)
Mean	109.9	85.7	79.6	95.1
Standard error of the mean	3.78	2.87	3.04	2.10
5th percentile	29	21	25	23
10th percentile	36	26	31	31
Median	107	78	70	85
90th percentile	193	162	150	176
95th percentile	214	188	177	202
Potassium (mmol/l)
Mean	55.7	50.9	51.1	53.1
Standard error of the mean	1.76	1.64	1.79	1.00
5th percentile	13	15	17	14
10th percentile	19	19	21	19
Median	52	46	48	49
90th percentile	101	90	89	97
95th percentile	101	101	98	101
Creatinine (mmol/l)
Mean	10.1	8.0	7.1	8.7
Standard error of the mean	0.38	0.31	0.26	0.22
5th percentile	2.1	1.5	1.7	1.7
10th percentile	2.9	2.1	2.3	2.4
Median	9.3	6.7	6.4	7.5
90th percentile	18.7	15.5	12.5	17.0
95th percentile	21.3	18.9	14.3	19.6
Na/Cre ratio
Mean	13.3	13.7	15.4	13.9
Standard error of the mean	0.46	0.49	1.09	0.35
5th percentile	4.2	2.9	3.2	3.7
10th percentile	5.3	5.2	5.0	5.2
Median	12.6	11.7	12.0	12.1
90th percentile	22.7	25.1	24.6	24.5
95th percentile	27.1	30.0	30.3	28.0
K/Cre ratio
Mean	6.4	7.8	8.5	7.4
Standard error of the mean	0.20	0.22	0.30	0.15
5th percentile	2.8	3.1	4.2	3.0
10th percentile	3.0	3.8	4.7	3.6
Median	5.6	6.9	7.5	6.6
90th percentile	10.3	12.9	13.2	11.9
95th percentile	12.5	15.8	17.3	14.2
All adults
Sodium (mmol/l)
Mean	115.5	98.5	88.1	104.1
Standard error of the mean	3.04	2.69	2.58	1.75
5th percentile	31	21	27	25
10th percentile	42	29	34	35
Median	109	93	82	97
90th percentile	199	176	155	185
95th percentile	218	201	179	206
Potassium (mmol/l)
Mean	57.3	55.3	52.9	55.7
Standard error of the mean	1.39	1.31	1.36	0.88
5th percentile	14	15	17	15
10th percentile	19	21	22	21
Median	55	54	49	53
90th percentile	101	98	89	100
95th percentile	101	101	101	101
Creatinine (mmol/l)
Mean	11.5	9.4	8.1	10.1
Standard error of the mean	0.34	0.29	0.26	0.21
5th percentile	2.4	1.8	1.9	2.1
10th percentile	3.3	2.4	2.6	2.8
Median	10.3	8.7	7.4	9.0
90th percentile	21.1	17.1	13.9	18.5
95th percentile	24.7	19.7	17.7	22.0
Na/Cre ratio
Mean	12.7	12.8	14.7	13.1
Standard error of the mean	0.37	0.32	0.72	0.25
5th percentile	3.7	3.8	3.2	3.5
10th percentile	5.0	5.2	4.8	5.0
Median	11.5	11.3	12.0	11.6
90th percentile	22.3	22.5	24.3	22.7
95th percentile	26.4	25.9	30.3	26.8
K/Cre ratio
Mean	5.9	7.0	7.7	6.7
Standard error of the mean	0.15	0.16	0.21	0.11
5th percentile	2.3	2.9	3.6	2.7
10th percentile	2.8	3.5	4.2	3.2
Median	5.2	6.3	6.9	5.9
90th percentile	9.5	11.1	12.3	10.6
95th percentile	11.3	13.3	13.8	12.9
Bases (weighted):
Men	415	309	171	896
Women	433	323	218	974
All adults	849	632	389	1870
Bases (unweighted):
Men	328	287	231	846
Women	378	392	256	1026
All adults	706	679	487	1872

Table 5.8 Vitamin or mineral supplements use, 2012/2013 combined, by age and sex

Aged 16 and over								2012/2013 combined
Use of vitamin or mineral supplements	Age							Total
	16-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65-74	75+
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Men
Taking any supplement	17	24	23	20	25	29	30	24
No supplements taken	83	76	77	80	75	71	70	76
Women
Taking any supplement	24	31	31	31	32	33	31	31
No supplements taken	76	69	69	69	68	67	69	69
All adults
Taking any supplement	21	28	27	26	29	31	31	27
No supplements taken	79	72	73	74	71	69	69	73
Bases (weighted):
Men	671	731	768	869	726	534	354	4653
Women	660	772	817	915	760	600	525	5048
All adults	1331	1503	1584	1783	1487	1134	879	9701
Bases (unweighted):
Men	376	538	685	804	717	703	442	4265
Women	469	748	906	1039	885	761	632	5440
All adults	845	1286	1591	1843	1602	1464	1074	9705

Table 5.9 Folic acid supplement use, 2012/2013 combined

Women aged 16-49				2012/2013 combined
Vitamin and folic acid supplement use; Reason for folic acid supplement use	Yes	No	Weighted Bases	Unweighted Bases
	%	%
Vitamin supplement use
Taking any supplement
16-24	24	76	660	469
25-34	31	69	772	748
35-44	31	69	817	906
45-49	30	70	475	545
Total	29	71	2723	2668
Taking any folic acid supplements
16-24	4	96	660	469
25-34	10	90	770	746
35-44	5	95	816	905
45-49	3	97	475	545
Total	6	94	2721	2665
Reason for taking folic acid supplement
Taking folic acid supplements because hope to become pregnanta	55	45	94	87
Start taking folic acid supplements before becoming pregnantb	57	43	63	60
Taking folic acid supplements for the first 12 weeks of pregnancyc	[100]	[-]	36	30

a Base is those who were taking folic acid but were not pregnant at the time of interview
b Base is those who were taking folic acid and were pregnant at the time of interview
c Base is those who said they were taking folic acid before becoming pregnant