Indices to evaluate the quality of nutrition - a current overview.

A variety of procedures can be used to evaluate the quality of the nutrition of individuals or of population groups. These are used to summarise the - often highly complex - nutritional information from consumption records and to condense them to a single parameter or index. Many indices have been developed in recent times, based on more details and extensive information. There are essentially three different categories of index: 1.) Nutrient based indices, in which the supply of nutrients is evaluated in comparison with the corresponding recommendations, 2.) food- or food group-based indices, for which food portions and frequency of consumption are considered and 3.) combined indices, for which both the food consumption and nutrient supply are evaluated on the basis of recommendations. Each type of index has specific advantages and disadvantages and the selection of a suitable index primarily depends on the consumption data recorded and the objective of the study.