Frequency of consumption of foods and beverages by Inuvialuit adults in Northwest Territories, Arctic Canada

Abstract

Limited data exist regarding nutrient intakes and overall dietary quality in Canadian Arctic populations. This cross-sectional study determined the frequency of consumption of traditional meats (e.g. caribou, polar bear, seal, char and whale) and non-traditional store-bought foods including non-traditional meats (e.g. beef, pork and chicken), grains, dairy, fruits, vegetables and non-nutrient dense foods (NNDFs) (e.g. butter, chocolate, chips, candy and pop) by Inuvialuit adults (175 women, mean age 44 ± 14 years; 55 men, mean age 41 ± 13 years) in three remote communities in the Northwest Territories. Using a validated quantitative food frequency questionnaire, frequency of consumption over a 30-day period was determined for 141 commonly reported foods. Mean consumption of traditional meats (1.6 times/day), fruits (1 time/day) and vegetables (0.6 times/day) was less frequent than that of NNDFs (5.0 times/day). Nutritional intervention strategies are needed to promote more frequent consumption of nutrient-rich foods and less frequent consumption of NNDFs in these Arctic communities.

Keywords::

• Arctic Canada
• food consumption
• quantitative food frequency questionnaire
• Inuvialuit

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank the Aurora Research Institute in Inuvik for the tremendous help and support of our work. We thank the many staff involved in this work as well as all the community organization and residents for their incredible assistance, support and participation.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper. The study was funded by the American Diabetes Association Clinical Research award (1-08-CR-57), Department of Health and Social Services (HSS) of the Government of NWT, and Health Canada. SS developed the conception and design of the study. FZ analysed the data and drafted the manuscript with inputs from TS, ML, FK and AC. SS had primary responsibility for final content. All authors have critically reviewed and approved the final manuscript.