Socioeconomic and Cultural Correlates of Diet Quality in the Canadian Arctic: Results from the 2007–2008 Inuit Health Survey
Publication: Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
21 May 2015
Abstract
Purpose: We examined the impact of socioeconomic and cultural factors on dietary quality in adult Inuit living in the Canadian Arctic.
Methods: Interviews and a 24-h dietary recall were administered to 805 men and 1292 women from Inuit regions in the Canadian Arctic. We examined the effect of age, sex, education, income, employment, and cultural variables on respondents' energy, macronutrient intake, sodium/potassium ratio, and healthy eating index. Logistic regression was used to assess the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on diet quality indicators.
Results: Age was positively associated with traditional food (TF) consumption and greater energy from protein but negatively associated with total energy and fibre intake. Associations between SES and diet quality differed considerably between men and women and there was considerable regional variability in diet quality measures. Age and cultural variables were significant predictors of diet quality in logistic regression. Increased age and use of the Inuit language in the home were the most significant predictors of TF consumption.
Conclusions: Our findings are consistent with studies reporting a nutrition transition in circumpolar Inuit. We found considerable variability in diet quality and complex interaction between SES and cultural variables producing mixed effects that differ by age and gender.
Résumé
Objectif. Nous avons examiné l'impact de facteurs socioéconomiques et culturels sur la qualité du régime alimentaire d'adultes inuits vivant dans l'Arctique canadien.
Méthodes. Des entrevues et un rappel diététique de 24 heures ont été effectués auprès de 805 hommes et 1292 femmes vivant dans les régions inuites de l'Arctique canadien. Nous avons examiné l'effet de l'âge, du sexe, de l'éducation, du revenu, de l'emploi et des variables culturelles sur l'énergie, l'apport en macronutriments, le rapport sodium/potassium et l'indice de saine alimentation des répondants. Une régression logistique a été utilisée pour évaluer l'impact du statut socioéconomique (SSÉ) sur les indicateurs de qualité du régime alimentaire.
Résultats. L'âge a été positivement associé à la consommation d'aliments traditionnels (AT) et à une plus grande énergie tirée des protéines, mais négativement associé à l'énergie totale et à l'apport en fibres. Les liens entre le SSÉ et la qualité du régime alimentaire différaient considérablement entre les hommes et les femmes, et il existait une importante variabilité régionale dans les mesures de qualité du régime alimentaire. L'âge et les variables culturelles constituaient des prédicteurs significatifs de la qualité du régime alimentaire dans la régression logistique. Un âge avancé et l'utilisation de la langue inuite à la maison étaient les prédicteurs les plus significatifs de la consommation d'AT.
Conclusions. Nos conclusions concordent avec celles des études rapportant une transition nutritionnelle chez les Inuits de la région circumpolaire. Nous avons constaté une grande variabilité dans la qualité du régime alimentaire et des interactions complexes entre le SSÉ et les variables culturelles, produisant des effets mixtes qui varient en fonction de l'âge et du sexe.
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Published In
Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
Volume 76 • Number 3 • September 2015
Pages: 117 - 125
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Version of record online: 21 May 2015
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Tracey Galloway PhD, Johnson-Down Louise MSc, RD, and Egeland Grace M. PhD. 2015. Socioeconomic and Cultural Correlates of Diet Quality in the Canadian Arctic: Results from the 2007–2008 Inuit Health Survey. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research.
76(3): 117-125. https://doi.org/10.3148/cjdpr-2015-006
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