Dietary sources of energy and nutrients in the contemporary diet of Inuit adults: results from the 2007–08 Inuit Health Survey

• Published in: Public health nutrition Vol. 21; no. 7; pp. 1319 - 1331
• Main Authors: Kenny, Tiff-Annie, Hu, Xue Feng, Kuhnlein, Harriet V, Wesche, Sonia D, Chan, Hing Man
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.05.2018
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Beverages; Bread; Chronic illnesses; Community Nutrition; Consumption; Diabetes; Diet; Diet - ethnology; Diet - statistics & numerical data; Energy Intake; Essential nutrients; Female; Food; Food composition; Food groups; Food security; Health Surveys; Households; Humans; Inuit; Inuit - statistics & numerical data; Male; Micronutrients; Middle Aged; Native peoples; Northern communities; Nunavut - epidemiology; Nutrients; Nutrition research; Nutritive Value - physiology; Protein sources; Random sampling; Research Papers; Statistical sampling; Sugar; Supermarkets; Vegetables; Vitamin B12; Vitamin B6; Vitamin D; Vitamins; Nunavut; Nunavik Quebec Canada; Canada; Montreal Quebec Canada; Nunavut Territory Canada; United States > US; Arctic region; Mixed diet; Indigenous People; Inuit; Arctic; Country foods
• ISSN: 1368-9800; 1475-2727
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980017003810

To characterize the major components of the contemporary Inuit diet and identify the primary sources of energy and essential nutrients. Dietary data were derived from the 24 h recall collected by the Inuit Health Survey (IHS) from 2007 to 2008. The population proportion method was used to determine the percentage contribution of each group. Unique food items/preparations (ninety-three country foods and 1591 market foods) were classified into eight country food groups and forty-one market food groups. Nutrient composition of each food item was obtained from the Canadian Nutrient File. Thirty-six communities across three Inuit regions of northern Canada. A representative sample (n 2095) of non-pregnant Inuit adults (≥18 years), selected through stratified random sampling. Despite their modest contribution to total energy intake (6·4-19·6 %, by region) country foods represented a major source of protein (23-52 %), Fe (28-54 %), niacin (24-52 %) and vitamins D (up to 73 %), B6 (18-55 %) and B12 (50-82 %). By contrast, the three most popular energy-yielding market foods (i.e. sweetened beverages, added sugar and bread) collectively contributed approximately 20 % of total energy, while contributing minimally to most micronutrients. A notable exception was the contribution of these foods to Ca (13-21 %) and vitamins E (17-35 %) and C (as much as 50 %). Solid fruits were consumed by less than 25 % of participants while vegetables were reported by 38-59 % of respondents. Country foods remain a critical dimension of the contemporary Inuit diet.