WWEIA

WWEIA is What We Eat in America and it is the dietary interview part of the NHANES data.  NHANES
 is the national survey that takes place continuously over two year intervals.  It stands for National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and it provides us with a great deal of information about many subjects.  NHANES data is often used in reports on the changing rates of overweight and obesity and other disease conditions.  It includes a food recall component, a household survey and a medical exam (with laboratory analysis).  Not everyone participates in each component.  Information about health, medicines, supplements, foods and a number of other things, is collected and has been since the 1970s.

 I will be learning a lot about all of this for my dissertation, but I noticed something that I wanted to share.  Unfortunately, I haven't yet figured out exactly when the DHHS/CDC started collecting this additional information- but it was recently.  I do understand why they are collecting it and the fact that they are puts more support behind the associations.


The newer information regards Vitamin D use, breast feeding and FISH consumption (but I think the fish stuff may be older - maybe 1996).  That is the one that caught my attention.  The interviewers ask about certain fish - like salmon, pike, swordfish and shellfish, and so on... I can think of some neat research questions for that data.. 
I hope the lab work is collecting blood (well it is - I know) so we can probably look at mercury levels later.  We can also look at PUFA and Omega 3s and heart disease.... In fact, after writing this I found an article about mercury levels based on some of the NHANES data and data from another study - but did not have time to review it.


So much to do!  I love research :)
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