Hunger among Inuit children in Canada

Figures & data

Fig. 1 Map of Inuit Nunangat, 2006.

Source: Peters PA. 2012. Shifting transitions: health inequalities in Inuit Nunangat in perspective. J Rural Community Dev. 7:36–58. With permission.

Table I Descriptive characteristics of Inuit children aged 2–5 by hunger status (never- versus ever-hungry), 2006

	Never-hungry (n=855)				Ever-hungry (n=310)
Characteristics	%	95% CI	Mean	SE	%	95% CI	Mean	SE	χ^2/t	p
Sex
Female	48.3	(44.7–51.9)			50.6	(45.5–55.6)			0.52	>0.05
Male	51.7	(48.1–55.3)			49.4	(44.4–54.5)
Age (years)			3.6	0.0			3.8	0.1	−4.59	<0.001
Parent education
No parent with at least a high school education	41.4	(38.0–44.9)			75.1	(70.3–79.3)			55.62	<0.001
One parent with at least a high school education	34.0	(30.8–37.5)			19.0	(15.3–23.4)
Two parents with at least a high school education	24.6	(21.2–28.3)			5.9E	(4.0–8.7)
Number of people raising the child
One	7.5	(5.8–9.6)			10.3	(7.7–13.7)			1.44	>0.05
Two	26.8	(23.4–30.5)			24.1	(19.8–29.0)
Three or more	65.7	(61.9–69.3)			65.5	(60.4–70.3)
Number of moves (per year of age)			1.7	0.0			2.2	0.1	−5.16	<0.001
Parent/guardian currently looking for work
No	96.4	(94.8–97.5)			93.9	(91.1–95.8)			3.36	>0.05
Yes	3.6E	(2.5–5.2)			6.1E	(4.2–8.9)
Household size			4.3	0.0			5.1	0.1	−8.34	<0.001
Household income (divided by $10,000)			5.5	0.1			4.0	0.1	10.44	<0.001
Home ownership
No	69.9	(66.1–73.4)			89.9	(85.2–93.2)			51.53	<0.001
Yes	30.1	(26.6–33.9)			10.1E	(6.8–14.8)
Smoker in the household
No	83.4	(80.7–85.8)			70.7	(65.5–75.4)			19.55	<0.001
Yes	16.6	(14.2–19.3)			29.3	(24.6–34.5)
Support network, support from family, friends, others
Dissatisfied/very dissatisfied	7.1	(5.2–9.5)			12.5	(9.1–16.8)			5.52	<0.05
Very satisfied/satisfied	92.9	(90.5–94.8)			87.5	(83.2–90.9)
Actively involved members of the community
Fair/poor	25.0	(21.9–28.4)			28.6	(24.1–33.6)			1.52	>0.05
Excellent/very good/good	75.0	(71.6–78.1)			71.4	(66.4–75.9)
Community as a place with First Nations, Métis and Inuit cultural activities
Fair/poor	38.9	(35.2–42.7)			36.6	(31.3–42.2)			0.48	>0.05
Excellent/very good/good	61.1	(57.3–64.8)			63.4	(57.8–68.7)

Source: Aboriginal Children's Survey 2006, Statistics Canada.

E Use with caution (co-efficient of variation 16.6% to 33.3%).

Table II Dietary habits of Inuit children aged 2–5 by hunger status, 2006

		Never-hungry (n=855)		Ever-hungry (n=310)
Dietary product	Frequency	%	95% CI	%	95% CI	χ^2	p
Milk and milk products	Less than once per day	11.4	(9.5–13.6)	20.7	(16.8–25.2)	7.58	<0.001
	Once per day	16.3	(13.9–19.0)	16.2	(12.5–20.7)
	Twice or more per day	72.3	(69.2–75.2)	63.1	(57.7–68.2)
Fish, eggs and meat	Less than once per day	31.8	(28.6–35.2)	38.9	(33.9–44.1)	5.25	<0.05
	Once per day or more	68.2	(64.8–71.4)	61.1	(55.9–66.1)
Fruit (excluding juice)	Less than once per day	27.6	(24.6–30.8)	43.5	(38.3–48.9)	12.91	<0.001
	Once per day	50.3	(46.5–54.2)	41.8	(36.5–47.3)
	Twice or more per day	22.1	(18.7–25.8)	14.7	(11.5–18.6)
Vegetables	Less than once per day	43.0	(39.4–46.6)	61.5	(56.1–66.7)	15.63	<0.001
	Once per day	47.5	(43.9–51.1)	32.6	(27.6–38.1)
	Twice or more per day	9.5	(7.4–12.2)	5.9	(3.8–8.9)
Fast food and processed food	Less than once per week	30.8	(27.4–34.4)	27.3	(22.9–32.2)	1.32	>0.05
	At least once per week	69.2	(65.6–72.6)	72.6	(67.8–77.1)
Bread and pasta	Less than once per day	23.6	(20.9–26.5)	33.2	(28.6–38.2)	6.16	<0.01
	Once per day	36.1	(32.7–39.7)	28.5	(23.8–33.8)
	Twice or more per day	40.3	(36.6–44.2)	38.2	(33.3–43.4)
Soft drinks and juice	Less than once per day	21.4	(18.3–24.8)	21.0	(16.9–25.8)	1.15	>0.05
	Once per day	20.3	(17.5–23.5)	16.5	(12.7–21.3)
	Twice or more per day	58.3	(54.5–62.0)	62.4	(56.9–67.6)
Salty snacks, sweets and desserts	Less than once per week	9.1	(7.1–11.6)	8.8E	(6.3–12.4)	0.01	>0.05
	Once or more per week	35.6	(31.9–39.4)	35.5	(30.8–40.7)
	Once per day or more	55.3	(51.4–59.2)	55.5	(50.3–60.7)

Source: Aboriginal Children's Survey 2006, Statistics Canada.

E Use with caution (co-efficient of variation 16.6% to 33.3%).

Table III Traditional foods consumed by Inuit children aged 2–5, by hunger status, 2006

		Never-hungry (n=855)		Ever-hungry (n=310)
Dietary product	Frequency	%	95% CI	%	95% CI	χ^2	p
Traditional foods	No	12.5	(9.5–16.2)	F	F	24.55	<0.001
	Yes	87.5	(83.8–90.5)	97.5	(94.5–98.9)
Bannock or fry bread	Does not eat bannock	23.2	(19.5–27.4)	7.8E	(5.2–11.4)	25.00	<0.001
	Less than once per week	23.9	(20.8–27.3)	14.3	(10.8–18.7)
	At least once per week	33.7	(30.4–37.1)	37.2	(32.2–42.4)
	At least once per day	19.2	(16.9–21.8)	40.7	(35.5–46.1)
Large game animals such as deer, moose or caribou	Never or less than once per month	27.9	(24.2–32.0)	11.1	(8.0–15.2)	36.37	<0.001
	Once per month or more	72.1	(68.0–75.8)	88.9	(84.8–92.0)
Small game animals such as rabbit or muskrat	Never or less than once per month	94.0	(92.3–95.3)	94.2	(90.6–96.4)	0.01	>0.05
	Once per month or more	6.0	(4.7–7.7)	5.8^E	(3.6–9.4)
Game birds such as goose, duck, partridge or ptarmigan	Never or less than once per month	68.1	(64.9–71.1)	64.8	(59.7–69.6)	1.11	>0.05
	Once per month or more	31.9	(28.9–35.1)	35.2	(30.4–40.3)
Sea-based mammals such as whale, seal or walrus	Does not eat	51.9	(48.2–55.6)	29.1	(24.6–34.0)	45.32	<0.001
	Less than once per month or more	48.1	(44.4–51.8)	70.9	(66.0–75.4)
Salt and fresh water fish	Never or less than once per month	34.3	(30.5–38.3)	27.1	(22.4–32.2)	5.16	<0.05
	Once per month or more	65.7	(61.7–69.5)	72.9	(67.8–77.6)

Source: Aboriginal Children's Survey 2006, Statistics Canada.

E Use with caution (co-efficient of variation 16.6% to 33.3%).

F Estimate not provided because of extreme sampling variability or small sample size.

Table IV Factors predicting parent-reported ever being hungry, Inuit children aged 2–5

Predictor variable	OR	95% CI
Sex
Male	0.84	0.61–1.14
Female	1.00
Child age	0.96	0.84–1.10
Parent education
No parent with high school education	0.99	0.54–1.83
One parent with high school education	1.96*	1.09–3.53
Two parents with high school education	1.00
Number of people raising the child
Raised by 1 person	0.96	0.53–1.75
Raised by 2 people	1.00
Raised by 3+ people	0.84	0.57–1.25
Household size	1.22*	1.12–1.33
Household income	0.84*	0.80–0.89
Number of moves	1.05	0.94–1.17
Home ownership
Yes	0.53*	0.33–0.86
No	1.00
Smoker in the household
Yes	1.19	0.80–1.78
No	1.00
Support network
Very satisfied or satisfied	0.68	0.39–1.21
Dissatisfied or very dissatisfied	1.00
Community with actively involved members
Excellent/very good/good	0.93	0.63–1.38
Fair/poor	1.00
Community with cultural activities
Excellent/very good/good	0.69*	0.49–0.99
Fair/poor	1.00
Eats traditional foods
Child eats traditional foods	0.44	0.16–1.25
Does not eat traditional foods	1.00
Parent/guardian looking for work
Yes	1.41	0.68–2.92
No	1.00
Inuit region
Nunatsiavut	18.48*	7.81–43.72
Nunavik	29.80*	13.11–67.74
Nunavut	23.14*	10.37–51.68
Inuvialuit	4.61*	1.66–12.80
Outside Inuit Nunangat	1.00

Source: Aboriginal Children's Survey 2006, Statistics Canada.

* Significant at p≤0.05.