Type A behaviour, eating pattern and nutrient intake: the Caerphilly Study.

Relationships between type A behaviour and eating pattern and nutrient intake were investigated in a representative sample of 532 employed men aged 45-59 years drawn from the Caerphilly study. Eating pattern and nutrient intake were assessed by 7-day weighed dietary records. A change in Framingham type A scores from the lower third to the upper third was associated with a 9% reduction in meal size and a 6% increase in meal frequency. No trends with type A were found for nutrient intake in absolute terms. For means of nutrient intake as a percentage of energy, however, higher values for sugar and lower values for starch and polyunsaturated fat were observed with higher type A scores. In multiple regression analysis, after control for the effects of age, height, social class and smoking, significant associations with type A were found only for meal size, dietary fibre per MJ and sugar as a percentage of energy. It is concluded that diet is unlikely to be an explanation of the relationship between type A and ischaemic heart disease.