Dietary habits of the population of rural Galicia (NW Spain): Towards the development of a dietary education programme

This study was aimed to evaluate the diet of the population of rural Galicia (NW Spain) to detect groups at risk and thereby aid the development of nutritional and dietary education policy.Design was cross-sectional assessment of diet from representative sample of rural Galician population, using triple 24-h dietary recall questionnaires (in three visits on non-consecutive days).Three inland municipalities (Arzúa, Melide and O Pino) and three coastal municipalities (Carnota, Muxía and Camariñas) were studied, all of which belong to the province of A Coruña.Personel were 981 healthy subjects of either sex aged 20–64 years (482 belonging to three inland municipalities and 499 from three coastal municipalities) evaluated over one year, from spring 1994 and winter 1995.Food patterns found were compared with the Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SSCN) Food Guide Pyramid recommendations. Also studied were the influence of the dietary patterns for each sex, age group, season and geographical area.In all the population groups evaluated, the main findings were a low intake of carbohydrate foods, vegetables, fruits and dairy products, and a high intake of foods rich in animal protein and saturated fatty acids.According to other authors, the major health problems related to the dietary pattern found in the population studied are cardiovascular diseases. Government institutions combined with sanitation should promote healthier dietary habits by designing and leading dietary educational programmes, including simple messages to initiate a change in food habits.