Nordic Monitoring of Diet, Physical Activity, Physique and Alcohol and Tobacco Use

-Automatic translation

The Directorate of Health has conducted Nordic monitoring of diet, physical activity, and physique in Iceland, as well as alcohol and tobacco use, in collaboration with researchers from Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden. The results make it possible to compare the aforementioned health determinants across the five countries over time.

The first round of the survey took place in 2011, the second round in 2014 and the third round in 2024.
Participants were children aged 7–12 and adults aged 18–65. Parents answered the survey for their children.
The Nordic Council of Ministers financed the surveys.

Nordic Monitoring 2014-2024. Status and development of diet, physical activity, use of nicotine products and overweight

The Nordic Monitoring System 2011-2014. Status and development of diet, physical activity, smoking alcohol, and overweight

Nordic monitoring of diet, physical activity, and overweight 2011

-Automatic translation

Following the "Nordic Plan of Action on Better Health and Quality of Life through Diet and Physical Activity 2006", the Nordic Council of Ministers decided to conduct a pan-Nordic survey on diet and physical activity to improve health. A working group of scientists from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden were appointed for the project. DTU, Denmark, manages the project. The first round of the survey took place in 2011, the second round in 2014 and the third in 2024.

-Automatic translation

Participants in the survey are asked how often they eat certain types of food. The foods are chosen to reflect, among other things, the quality of the diet. It has been shown that there is a correlation between the frequency of consumption of selected food types and how healthy the diet is overall.

Many of the foods in the questionnaire are included in official dietary recommendations. For example, the results can be used to estimate how many participants eat fish twice a week, how many eat fruit and vegetables five times a day, whether they primarily choose hard or soft fats in cooking, and how often they consume sweets and sweet drinks. In addition, the 2024 survey asks how often participants eat meat, dairy products and legumes, but those questions can be linked to the diet's sustainability.

Based on the information in the questionnaire, the results can be analysed by gender, age and education.

-Automatic translation

The questionnaire provides information on whether the participants meet official recommendations for physical activity. The questions are different for children and adults, as the physical activity recommendations differ for those groups. Participants are asked about their physical activity during the past week and how much time they spent doing moderate and vigorous physical activity. Participants are also asked about their time on active commuting (walking or cycling) and how much time they spend in front of a TV, computer or mobile phone.

Service provider

Directorate of Health