1 Data Description

This dataset contains data on perceived compliance to the UK Eatwell guide (15 items) and food consumption (11 items) from a survey in 2019 of UK consumers (n=301). Demographic data (Type of Diet, Ethnicity, Gender and Age) and exercise duration were also collected.

2 List of Questions

Data has been stored in the data tab of the file chew2019.xlsx. A full description of each column is provided here.

2.1 Participants

The column Participants assigns a numeric code to each of the survey participants, starting with 1001 and ending with 1301.There were a total of 301 participants.

2.2 Eatwell guide questionnaire

Table 1. is a list of the 15 questions that was developed from the UK Eatwell guide (Public Health England 2018).

Table 1. Question items from the Eatwell guide questionnaire
Item1 Description2
Q1 In a typical week I tend to consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.
Q2 In a typical week I limit my consumption of red meats.
Q3 In a typical week I try to include low fat dairy products/alternatives.
Q4 In a typical week I tend to limit my consumption of foods high in salt.
Q5 In a typical week I tend to limit my consumptions of food/drinks high in sugar.
Q6 In a typical week I tend to use low fat cooking methods such as steaming, grilling, baking etc.
Q7 When preparing a meal, typically I consider first starchy carbohydrates, e.g. bread, rice, potatoes & pasta.
Q8 In a typical week I tend to choose unsaturated oils and spreads (e.g. vegtable based fats such as olive oil as opposed to butter and lard).
Q9 In a typical week I tend to choose wholegrain options when available to me.
Q10 In a typical week I choose to include fish as a part of my diet.
Q11 In a typical week I tend to drink water over other beverages.
Q12 In a typical week I tend to limit my consumption of alcohol.
Q13 In a typical week I tend to limit my consumption of processed meats (e.g. bacon, ham, salami).
Q14 In a typical week I try to include beans, pulses and other protein sources.
Q15 In a typical week I try to include low sugar dairy products/alternatives.
1 Items are column headers in the data tab.
2 All item responses were rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly disagree;2 = Disagree;3 = Neither agree nor disagree; 4 = Agree; 5 = Strongly agree).

2.3 Food Consumption

Table 2. is a list of the 11 questions examining the consumption amount of various foods.

Table 2. Food Consumption
Description1
Q402 Approximately how many portions of fruit/vegetables would you consume on an average day in a typical week? The following all count as one portion of fruit/vegetables: 80g, or 1 whole apple, orange banana or similar sized fruit , 3 heaped tablespoons of vegetables, 1 dessert bowl of salad, 30g (approximately 2 tablespoons) of dried fruit with a meal, 150ml of fruit juice or smoothie (to be counted as no more than 1 portion daily.
Q412 Approximately how many portions of red/processed meat would you consume on a typical day in an avaerage week? 1 portion is approximately 70g, which is equivalent to the following: 2/3 rashers of bacon, 1/2 British pork sausage, 3 slices ham, 1 small/1/2 a large beef burger, 5 tablespoons cooked mince, 1/3 of an 8oz sirloin steak.
Q422 Approximately how many portions of fish would you consume in a typical week? 1 portion is approximately 140g, equivalent to 1 large boneless fillet of cod/haddock/salmon etc.
Q432 Approximately how many portions of oily fish would you consume in a typical week? 1 portion is approximately 140g, which is equivalent to 1 large boneless fillet of salmon (or other fish). ‘Oily fish’ includes salmon, mackeral, tuna, sardines etc.
Q443 Approximately how many units of alcohol would you consume in a typical week? Single shot of spirits (25ml, 40% alcohol) = 1 unit, Alcopop (275ml, 5.5% alcohol) = 1.5 units, Can of lager/beer/cider (440ml, 5.5% alcohol) = 2 units, Pint of lower-strength lager/beer/cider (3.6% alcohol) = 2 units, Standard glass of wine (175ml, 12% alcohol) = 2.1 units.
Q454 Approximately how many glasses of fluid would you consume on an average day in a typical week? Fluids includes: water, low fat milk and sugar-free drinks including tea and coffee.
Q464 Approximately how many cans of fizzy drinks would you consume in a typical week? E.g. coca cola, sprite, fanta, lilt, 7up etc.
Q474 Approximately how many energy drinks would you consume in a typical week? E.g. redbull, monster etc.
Q484 Approximately how many cups of tea or coffee would you consume, on an average day in a typical week?
Q494 How many sugars would you add to a tea or coffee, on an average day in typical week?
Q505 Approximately how much salt, would you add to food on an average day in a typical week? (1 teaspoon = approximately 6g)
1 Description of each question item. Items are column headers in the data tab.
2 4-point category scale (1 = None; 2 = 1-2 portions; 3 = 3-5 portions; 4 = Greater than 5 portions).
3 6-point category scale (1 = None; 2 = 1-4 units of alcohol; 3 = 4-7 units of alcohol; 4 = 6-10 units of alcohol; 5= 10-13 units of alcohol; 6 = Greater than or equal to 14 units of alcohol).
4 4-point category scale (1 = None; 2 = 1-2; 3 = 2-5; 4 = Greater than 5).
5 3-point category scale (1 = None; 2 = 1 teaspoon or less; 3 = Greater than 1 teaspoon)

2.4 Other variables

Table 3. lists the question used to examine exercise duration.

Table 3. Exercise duration
Item1 Description2
Q51 How many minutes of exercise do you do in a typical week? This includes many different forms of exercise, e.g. a brisk walk, jogging, running, swimming, cycling etc.
1 Items are column headers in the data tab.
2 6-point category scale (1 = less than 30 minutes; 2 = 30-60 minutes; 3 = 60-90 minutes; 4 = 90-120 minutes; 5 = 120-150 minutes; 6 = Greater than 150 minutes).

2.5 Demographic variables

Table 4. is a list of the 4 demographic question items used in this survey.

Table 4. Demographics
Description1
Diet2 Do you have any dietary restrictions?
Ethnicity3 What is your ethnic group?
Gender4 What is your gender?
Age5 What is your age group?
1 Description of each question item. Items are column headers in the data tab.
2 6-point category scale (No = Omnivore; Pescatarian; Vegetarian; Vegan; Other = Other dietary restrictions; PNTS = Prefer Not to Say).
3 6-point category scale (White; Asian = Asian/Asian British (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese or any other Asian background); Black = Black/African/Caribbean/Black British; Mixed = Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups (White and Black Caribbean, White and Asian or any other mixed/multiple ethnic background); Other = Other ethnic group; PNTS = Prefer Not to Say).
4 3-point category scale (Female; Male; PNTS = Prefer Not to Say).
5 8-point category scale (18-24; 25-34;35-44;45-54; 55-64; 65-74; 75+ = Greater or equal to 75 years old; PNTS = Prefer Not to Say).

References

Public Health England. 2018. “The Eatwell Guide: Helping You Eat a Healthy, Balanced Diet.” https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/742750/Eatwell_Guide_booklet_2018v4.pdf.