The aim of the study was to evaluate the dietary intake of a Lithuanian rural population and to assess the relationship between diet and dyslipidemias.
Material and methods: A cross-sectional health survey was carried out in 5 municipalities of Lithuania in 2007. The random sample was obtained from lists of 25- to 64-year-old inhabitants registered at primary health care centers (n=1739). The food frequency questionnaire and 24-hour recall was used for the evaluation of nutrition habits. The levels of serum lipids were determined using enzymatic methods. Factor analysis was employed in order to reduce the number of food items. The scores of food factors were used in linear regression analysis of associations between nutrition and serum lipid levels.
Results: The diet of the study population was very high in fat, especially in saturated fatty acids. The content of cholesterol in the diet of men was higher than recommended. The main sources of fat and protein were meat, milk, and their products. Cereals were the main source of carbohydrates. The major proportion of monosaccharide and disaccharides was derived from confectionary and fruits. The mean serum total cholesterol level was 5.60 mmol/L in men and 5.51 mmol/L in women.
Conclusions: Healthier food patterns were associated with the lower levels of total, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride.