In short
Food is important to our health and well-being. Eating patterns have changed over the past 50 years, including where we get our food, the types of food that we eat, and the settings in which we eat our food. The study helps us understand differences in dietary intake in Belgium. We compare this to other countries, including how food and nutrition policies influence dietary behaviours. For example, do changes in food labelling or industry marketing practices affect our diet quality?
Project description
Food is important to our health and well-being. Eating patterns have changed over the past 50 years, including where we get our food, the types of food that we eat, and the settings in which we eat our food.
The International Food Policy Study consists of national surveys conducted annually in a series of countries internationally to evaluate the impact of national-level food policies.
Surveys are being conducted in six countries since 2017 (www.foodpolicystudy.com) —Australia, Canada, Mexico, Chile, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Sciensano joins this international consortium in 2023 to collect data for a representative sample of adults in Belgium. The aim is to examine dietary patterns and policy-relevant behaviours in Belgium and across countries. The study will provide a quasi-experimental design for evaluating federal-level policies by providing both ‘within’ and ‘between-country’ measures over time.
The aim is to have a yearly Belgian survey as well as part of this international consortium (dependent on funding).
