TABLE 1.
Comparison of national-level dietary data available from the FAO and the GDD1
| FAO | GDD | |
| Source of data | National per capita food supply available for consumption based on estimates of production, imports, exports, and changes in stock2 | Individual-level data from national surveys |
| Multiple dietary recalls and records (19%) | ||
| Food-frequency questionnaires (22%) | ||
| Single dietary recalls and records (30%) | ||
| Household budget data from national surveys (24%) | ||
| Measure of data3 | Mean per capita food or nutrient availability | Mean food or nutrient intake by age and sex groups |
| Countries covered, n | 245 | 113 |
| Population covered | 100% | 76% of global adult population |
| Surveys, n | NA | 325 |
| Individuals in surveys, n | NA | 1,747,236 |
| Years included, range | 1961–2009 | 1980–2010 |
| Representativeness | NA | National surveys (72%) |
| Regional surveys (19%) | ||
| Urban or rural; local or selected cohort (9%) | ||
| Foods, n | 101 food items4 | 12 food categories (fruit, fruit juices, fruit and vegetables, vegetables, beans and legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains, red meats, processed meats, fish and seafood, milk, and sugar-sweetened beverages) |
| Nutrients, n | 3 (protein, fat, and energy) | 10 (sodium, calcium, fiber, SFAs, ω-6 fatty acids, seafood ω-3 fatty acids, plant ω-3 fatty acids, trans fatty acids, cholesterol, and total energy) |
| Energy-adjusted estimates | No | Both unadjusted and energy-adjusted estimates |
| Measure of intake distribution | No | Yes (SD) |
| Sex-specific estimates | No | Yes |
| Age-specific estimates | No | Yes (8 age groups) |
1
GDD, Global Dietary Database; NA, not applicable.
2
Calculated by the FAO as the residual from subtracting use (quantity exported, fed to livestock, used for seed, processed for food use and nonfood uses, and losses during storage and transportation) from the total supply (quantity imported and produced with adjustments for changes in stocks) divided by the population of a given nation.
3
GDD national means and means for age-sex subgroups were compared with FAO means for the analysis.
4
A list of FAO food items categorized to GDD food groups is available in Supplemental Table 1.