PUBLIC-HEALTH ASPECTS OF NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE IN ESTONIA - STATUS, RESEARCH ACTIVITIES, AND PERSPECTIVES

At the beginning of the 1990s Estonia was characterized by remarkable social and economic changes that also affected nutrition. An important step in the development of a Food and Nutrition policy was the adopti on of a new 'Food Law' in February 1995. The publication of dietary re commendations followed recently.Scientific activities in Estonia are p romoted by the 1993 established 'Estonian Society of Nutrition Researc hers' (ESNS). The 'Ministry of Social Affairs' is of great importance for coordination of research into nutrition and it is making a great e ffort to connect Estonian nutrition research activities to European an d international programs. An important field of scientific interest is concentrated on the nutrition of children and elderly people. With su pport of the 'Ministry of Social Affairs' a national health program fo r children and teenagers was established in which a school lunch proje ct is integrated. Such a project has the aim to improve the quality of school lunches and to enable school teachers to conduct nutritional e ducation. Within this national health program 1 900 schoolchildren wer e interviewed. This examination will also help to detect inequalities of the nutritional situation between social groups and to identify spe cific aims for a nutritional program in the different counties of Esto nia. Health promoting units at schools will play an important role in realizing these aims. The nutritional supply and status of older perso ns will become an increasing problem. A survey of food supply with 429 subjects in social care facilities for older people was used to devel op a new menu-planning system which meets the nutritional recommendati ons. Nutritional epidemiology is concentrated at the 'Department of Ep idemiology and Biostatistics' of the 'Institute of Experimental and Cl inical Medicine' in Tallinn. This department is also running the cance r registry of Estonia which has international reputation. Nutritional research of Estonia should aim to continue with the development of a n ew Food and Nutrition Policy. Important areas of activities will be co ncentrated on the training of young scientists, development of a food and nutrient data base, regular national nutrition and health surveys, and etiological-epidemiological studies on the basis of the Estonian Cancer Registry. The main targets of the 'Estonian Society of Nutritio n Researchers' are directed to improve the scientific basis for resear ch into nutrition and health.