Tobacco smoking, an independent determinant for unhealthy diet?: A cross-sectional study of Norwegian workers on platforms in the North Sea

The objective of the study was to examine whether male tobaccosmokers had a more unhealthy diet than non-smokers. Data onsmoking and other variables were collected by questionnaireinterviews and food intake by one 24 h recall. The setting was2 oll platforms. The participants were 310 healthy men workingon 2 platforms in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Themean ages were 37 and 39 years for non-smokers and smokers.The prevalence of smoking was 50.3%. Smoking decreased withincreasing level of education, but increased with degree ofurbanization. Smokers consumed less vegetables, fruit and fish,but more meat, soft drinks containing sugar and more coffeethan non-smokers. Smokers had a higher intake of fat and a lowerintake of carbohydrate, vitamins A, D and C and dietary fibre.Smoking was an independent predictor for increasing the consumptionof coffee and high intake of energy, energy from fat and cholesteroland a decreasing consumption of vegetables, fruit, energy fromcarbohydrates, dietary fibre and vitamins A and C. It is concludedthat smokers had a more unhealthy diet than non-smokers.     

Higher nutrition training in Europe: towards the establishment of a database

A survey of higher training in nutrition in Europe was conductedin 1989. Replies came from 57 institutions in 22 of the 31 WHOmember countries, reporting in 69 courses. Only 33 of the reportedcourses awarded an MSc, PhD or diploma, in addition ten awardedBSc, five trained dietitians or clinical nutritionists and twocourses gave the title of bio-engineer and food technologist.Thus 69% of the courses reported trained nutritionists for adiploma, BSc or higher degree. Higher training in nutrition in Europe is dominated by femalestudents. Only in Greece were there equal numbers of femaleand male students. The proportion of male students did howeverincrease in PhD courses compared to MSc and diploma courses. There are differences in duration of similar types of courses.Duration of a diploma course can wuy from eight weeks to fouryears, MSc from one to five years and a PhD from three to fouryears. Very few students complete PhDs in nutrition. The majoritystop their training at BSc, MSc or diploma level A strengtheningof higher nutrition training in Europe as part of a health promotionstrategy is called for.