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. 2015 Jun;54 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):35-43.
doi: 10.1007/s00394-015-0943-9. Epub 2015 Jun 12.

Total fluid intake and its determinants: cross-sectional surveys among adults in 13 countries worldwide

C Ferreira-Pêgo  1 , I Guelinckx, L A Moreno, S A Kavouras, J Gandy, H Martinez, S Bardosono, M Abdollahi, E Nasseri, A Jarosz, N Babio, J Salas-Salvadó
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Total fluid intake and its determinants: cross-sectional surveys among adults in 13 countries worldwide

C Ferreira-Pêgo et al. Eur J Nutr. 2015 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the total fluid intake from drinking water and beverages in adult populations from different countries and assess the percentage of individuals complying with the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) adequate intake (AI) of water from fluids.

Methods: A total of 16,276 adults (7580 men and 8696 women) aged between 18 and 70 years (mean age 39.8 years) were randomly recruited from 13 different countries from three continents. Information about the total daily fluid intake (sum of drinking water and beverages) was collected using a 24-h fluid-specific record over seven consecutive days.

Results: Important differences in total fluid intake between countries were found; however, few differences between men and women were reported in most of the countries. Less than 50 % of the women and approximately 60 % of the men do not comply with the EFSA AI of water from fluids. Women were more than twice as likely as men to meet these AI (OR 2.15; 95 % CI 2.02-2.29). The odds of meeting the AI of water from fluids were lower in individuals over 50 years (OR 0.88; 95 % CI 0.80-0.96). Nine percent of the total population consumed less than half of the AI, 40.5 % between 50 and 100 %, and 50.5 % more than the AI.

Conclusions: There were considerable differences in total fluid intake between countries but not between genders. Only 40 % of men and 60 % of women comply with the EFSA AI of water from fluids. Men and elderly individuals had an increased risk of not complying with this reference value.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Percentage of participants complying with EFSA adequate intake of water from fluids, by country and gender. a p value <0.001
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Association between compliance with EFSA adequate intake of water from fluids (outcome) and gender (exposure) according to countries. Men were considered as reference. Logistic regression model adjusted for age, body mass index and socioeconomic level. 95 % CI 95 % confidence interval
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Association between compliance with EFSA adequate intake of water from fluids (outcome) and age categories (exposure), according to countries. The 18–29 age range was considered as reference. Logistic regression model adjusted for gender, body mass index and socioeconomic level. 95 % CI 95 % confidence interval, yo years old
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