Health & Disability Intelligence

New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey

Information for survey participants

Additional information about the blood and urine sample collection

Download this information in PDF format - NZ Adult Nutrition Survey 2008/09 (PDF, 470 KB)

What is the NZ Adult Nutrition Survey?

The 2008/09 NZ Adult Nutrition Survey will collect information about the eating habits and health characteristics of adult New Zealanders. The last National Nutrition Survey of adults was conducted in 1997, and a Children’s Nutrition Survey was conducted in 2002.

Knowledge about the food and nutrient intake and nutritional status of New Zealanders is critical to the work of the Ministry of Health and to New Zealand health professionals. Information is needed from a wide range of New Zealand adults, each with unique eating patterns.

Who is carrying out the NZ Adult Nutrition Survey?

The Ministry of Health has contracted two groups to conduct the NZ Adult Nutrition Survey; a company called CBG Health Research will recruit people to participate in the NZ Adult Nutrition Survey and the University of Otago will train field staff to interview people, and work with the Ministry of Health on data analysis and interpretation.

Why was I asked to participate?

About 5700 households from selected areas of New Zealand have been chosen, by chance, to participate. One adult (15 years and over) from your household will be chosen by chance and asked to take part.

What information will be collected?

The NZ Adult Nutrition Survey will ask questions about:

all foods and beverages consumed
use of dietary supplements
usual dietary habits
general health

Some examples of questions in the NZ Adult Nutrition Survey will be:

On average, how many servings of fruit do you eat per day?
What type of milk do you drink most of?
Did you take any supplements at any time during the last 12 months?
Have you ever been told by a doctor that you have high cholesterol levels?

As part of the interview, the interviewer will measure your blood pressure, height, weight and around your waist. You may stop at any time and tell the interviewer if you don’t want to answer a particular question or have your measurements taken.

After the interview, you will also be asked if you are willing to give a blood and urine sample. This information will be used to measure important nutrition-related factors such as iron and cholesterol levels. If you agree to take part, the collection of these samples will be done at a clinic close to your home.

Some people will be asked to repeat one section of the interview within one month after the first interview.

How long will it take?

The main interview will take about 1 ½ hours to complete. This can be done at a date and time that suits you and your family.

If you take part in the second interview, this will take about ¾ of an hour.

What will the information be used for?

The Ministry of Health uses the information from the NZ Adult Nutrition Survey to:

monitor the food and nutrient intake, and nutritional status of New Zealanders
develop food and nutrition guidelines
develop health services
influence how government and other organisations promote good nutrition and healthy lifestyles in New Zealand

Health researchers outside of the Ministry of Health can apply to use NZ Adult Nutrition Survey data. These data will not contain any information that could identify you (in accordance with the Health Act 1956, clause 22H).

How is my privacy protected?

The information you provide to the interviewer is confidential and protected by the Privacy Act 1993. That means that the interviewer will not discuss your information with anyone else outside of the research team, and no-one will be able to know that you have taken part in this survey. The answers you give are added to other people’s answers to create group statistics. Any personal information will not be given to other government departments or researchers.

Where can I find the survey results?

The Ministry of Health will publish the NZ Adult Nutrition Survey results on its website by early 2011. You will be able to get a free copy from the website: www.moh.govt.nz/ publications or by phoning (04) 496 2277.

Further enquiries

For more information on the NZ Adult Nutrition Survey please visit: www.moh.govt.nz/phi/surveys or phone the NZ Adult Nutrition Survey project team on 0800 78 75 74 if you have any questions.

The 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey has been approved by the Multi-region Ethics Committee and is managed by the Ministry of Health.

Why are blood and urine samples collected?

Measuring levels of nutrients in blood and urine will provide vital information about the nutritionrelated health of New Zealanders. In the past this information has been extremely important for identifying areas of concern, such as low iodine and vitamin D levels in New Zealanders.

What is involved?

You will need to travel to your nearest clinic to give the samples. You will be given a contribution (a koha) towards your travel costs. At the clinic a person highly trained and experienced at taking blood (a phlebotomist) will take the blood sample. Three small tubes of blood will be taken; this is a total of 4 teaspoons (20ml).

At the same visit you will be asked to provide the urine sample (less than 50ml), yourself in privacy. Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you do not have to give all the samples, although we would like you to do so, as this will provide valuable information.

What will my samples be used for?

Your blood and urine samples will be tested for a range of nutritional measures.

The blood samples will be used to measure your levels of iron, cholesterol, folate, and a marker of your average blood glucose level.
The urine sample will be used to measure your levels of iodine and sodium.

None of the tests for the NZ Adult Nutrition Survey will use DNA from your samples.

What happens to any left over sample?

You may choose whether you will allow any left-over sample to be used for other nutrition-related research of importance to the Ministry of Health.

Blood samples will be stored in a safe, clean, secure place that is specifically allocated for this purpose. A blessing/karakia will be performed at the place of storage to ensure spiritual safety. Your samples will not be sent overseas.

Once all the testing is finished you may choose whether you wish to have an appropriate karakia/ blessing to be performed before your stored samples are disposed of safely in the laboratory.

Are there any risks?

Some people feel anxious about giving a blood sample. The phlebotomist is highly experienced and has been fully trained to collect blood with minimal side effects. Very occasionally some participants may experience slight discomfort and some bruising around the area from which the blood is taken, but this usually disappears within 24 hours.

Will I get my test results back?

You will be sent a letter with some of your results along with the contribution (a koha) for travelling to the clinic. The measurements are taken as part of the survey to provide group statistics and are not a medical diagnosis, but you will be advised if the results are outside normal levels. You may wish to discuss your results with your doctor or primary health care provider.

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Page last updated: 31 October 2008