Factors associated with the intake of traditional foods in the Eeyou Istchee (Cree) of northern Quebec include age, speaking the Cree language and food sovereignty indicators

ABSTRACT

The Eeyouch are a First Nations (Cree) population that live above 49.6°N latitude in Eeyou Istchee in northern Quebec. Eeyouch rely on traditional foods (TF) hunted, fished or gathered from the land. The overarching aim of this study was to achieve an understanding of the factors associated with TF intake among Eeyouch. Data were from 465 women and 330 men who participated in the Nituuchischaayihtitaau Aschii Multi-Community Environment-and-Health (E&H) study. The relationship between TF consumption and dietary, health, sociodemographic and food sovereignty (i.e. being a hunter or receiving Income Security to hunt, trap or fish) variables was examined using linear and logistic regression. Analyses were stratified by sex because of the male/female discrepancy in being a hunter. Among respondents, almost all (99.7%) consumed TF, 51% were hunters and 10% received Income Security. Higher intake of TF was associated with lower consumption of less nutritious ultra-processed products (UPP). In women, TF intake increased with age, hunting and receiving Income Security, but decreased with high school education. In men, TF intake increased with age and speaking only Cree at home. The findings suggest that increased food sovereignty would result in improved diet quality among Eeyouch through increased TF intake and decreased UPP intake.

KEYWORDS:

• Cree
• First Nations
• diet
• NOVA
• ultra-processed product
• ultra-processed food
• health
• lifestyle

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the participants who made this study possible. This scientific communication is a report from the Nituuchischyihtitaau Aschii: Multi-Community Environment and Health Longitudinal Study in Iiyiyiu Aschii supported by the Cree people of northern Quebec, the Cree First Nations and the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay through financial contribution from Niskamoon Corporation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this analysis was provided by an operating grant from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) for the research project “Pulling Together for Health Research: Food Security in First Nations Communities”, grant numbers [348833] and [334049]. The data used in this article originate from the Nituuchischyihtitaau Aschii: Multi-Community Environment and Health Longitudinal Study in Iiyiyiu Aschii with financial contribution from Niskamoon Corporation. At the time of this research, Noreen Willows was the recipient of a Health Scholar award from Alberta Innovates Health Solutions.