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 adoption of a new 'Food Law' in February 1995. The publication of dietary recommendations followed recently. Scientific activities in Estonia are promoted by the 1993 established 'Estonian Society of Nutrition Researchers' (ESNS). The 'Ministry of Social Affairs' is of great importance for coordination of research into nutrition and it is making a great effort to connect Estonian nutrition research activities to European and international programs. An important field of scientific interest is concentrated on the nutrition of children and elderly people. With support of the 'Ministry of Social Affairs' a national health program for children and teenagers was established in which a school lunch project is integrated. Such a project has the aim to improve the quality of school lunches and to enable school teachers to conduct nutritional education. Within this national health program 1,900 schoolchildren were interviewed. This examination will also help to detect inequalities of the nutritional situation between social groups and to identify specific aims for a nutritional program in the different counties of Estonia. Health promoting units at schools will play an important role in realizing these aims. The nutritional supply and status of older persons will become an increasing problem. A survey of food supply with 429 subjects in social care facilities for older people was used to develop a new menu-planning system which meets the nutritional recommendations. Nutritional epidemiology is concentrated at the 'Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics' of the 'Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine' in Tallinn. This department is also running the cancer registry of Estonia which has international reputation. Nutritional research of Estonia should aim to continue with the development of a new Food and Nutrition Policy. Important areas of activities will be concentrated 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 Nutrition Researchers' are directed to improve the scientific basis for research into nutrition and health.