Long Oral Presentation Nutrition Society of Australia 50th Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

Have dietary omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid intakes in Australia changed between 2011-12 and 2023? Results from the National Nutrition and Physical Activity Surveys (147145)

Welma Stonehouse 1 , Barbara J Meyer 2 , Rebecca M Leech 3
  1. Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
  2. School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
  3. Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia

Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are important for human health across the lifespan (1). While not essential nutrients, consumption of pre-formed EPA and DHA is recommended as conversion from their essential precursor, alpha-linolenic acid, is limited. In Australia, the suggested dietary target (SDT) for n-3 LCPUFA is 610 mg/day for males and 430 mg/day for females (2). This study estimated dietary n-3 LCPUFA intakes among Australian adults aged ≥18 years, excluding pregnant and breastfeeding women, using two 24-h dietary recalls from the 2023 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS; n = 4,101 males and n = 4,522 females) and compared intakes with those from the 2011-12 NNPAS (n = 4,328 males and n = 4,994 females). Usual n-3 LCPUFA intakes were estimated from both recall days using the multiple source method. Analyses were stratified by sex and age (18-44, 45-64, ≥ 65 years). Differences in median and mean intakes between survey years were assessed using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test and survey-adjusted F-tests with Bonferroni correction, respectively. Differences in the proportion achieving the SDT were assessed using survey-adjusted Pearson chi-square tests. Median (25th, 75th percentile) n-3 LCPUFA intakes were significantly lower in 2023 than in 2011-12 for both males (183 [135, 264] mg/day vs 197 [145, 281] mg/day, p < 0.001) and females (154 [118, 238] mg/day vs 170 [125, 255] mg/day, p < 0.001). Age-stratified analyses showed differences between survey years were significant in males 18-44 years (p < 0.001) and females 45-64 years (p < 0.01). The proportion achieving the SDT from food sources was low and, among males, significantly lower in 2023 than in 2011-12 (weighted % males: 3% vs 5%, p < 0.01; females: 7% vs 8%, p = 0.13). As in 2011-12, fish and seafood provided the largest amount of n-3 LCPUFA per gram of food in 2023 (8 mg/g), followed by eggs (1.5 mg/g), red meat and poultry (0.5 mg/g), cereals and grains (0.3 mg/g), and dairy (0.1 mg/g). N-3 LCPUFA supplement use, estimated from the first recall only, was lower in 2023 than in 2011-12 among males (9% vs 13%) and females (10% vs 17%; all p<0.001). Supplement users were more likely than non-users to meet the SDT in both survey years (males: 68% vs 9% in 2011-12; 56% vs 7% in 2023; females: 74% vs 11% in 2011-12; 63% vs 11% in 2023; all p<0.001). Dietary n-3 LCPUFA intakes among Australian adults have declined since 2011-12, despite already being low. Males aged 18-44 years and females aged 45-64 years appear particularly vulnerable to low intake. Given the very low proportion of adults meeting the SDT, strategies to improve n-3 LCPUFA intake are warranted.

  1. Lewis E, Steenson S, Haslam RP et al. (2025) Nutr Res Rev, 38, 843-858.
  2. National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, New Zealand Ministry of Health. Canberra: National Health and Medical Research Council; 2006