The diet of the population of rural Galicia (NW Spain) : Nutritional quality of energy sources

Objective: To evaluate the nutritional quality of energy sources in the diet of the rural population of Galicia (N.W. Spain), including their alcohol and fibre intake, in order to detect risk groups with nutritional unbalance of the energy sources within a balanced group in global terms. All this with a view to the development of a nutritional education policy addressed to such groups to change their food habits little by little with specific clear messages. Design: Cross-sectional assessment of diet from a representative sample of rural Galician population by means of a 24-hour dietary recall questionnaire (in three visits on non-consecutive days). Subjects: 981 healthy subjects of either sex aged 20-64 years (482 belonging to three inland municipalities and 499 from three coastal municipalities) were evaluated along one year since Spring 1994 till Winter 1995. Main outcome measures: The data obtained for each sex, age group, season and geographical area were compared with published recommendations for the Spanish population (recommended intakes, Rl, and nutritional objectives, NO). Results: The results show that the diet of the communities studied features an excess of alcohol (30-150 NO%), animal fat (150-160 NO%) and protein (200-225 RI%), while it is low in fibre (60-65 NO%), complex carbohydrates (45-49 NO%), and also simple carbohydrates consumed as fruit and vegetables (47-92 NO%). Conclusions: It is proposed the development of nutritional education programmes directed to the rural Galician population to modify their diet in order to achieve the Spanish nutritional recommended intakes. Sponsorship: This work was financed by Instituto de Desarrollo Comunitario (IDC) in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, NW Spain, an organization dedicated to rural development. Descriptors: nutritional intake, energy sources, nutritional education programmes, Galicia.