Objectives
To describe traditional food (TF) consumption and to evaluate its impact on nutrient intakes of preschool Inuit children from Nunavik.
Design
A cross-sectional study.
Methods
Dietary intakes of children were assessed with a single 24-hour recall (n=217). TF consumption at home and at the childcare centres was compared. Differences in children's nutrient intakes when consuming or not consuming at least 1 TF item were examined using ANCOVA.
Results
A total of 245 children attending childcare centres in 10 communities of Nunavik were recruited between 2006 and 2010. The children's mean age was 25.0±9.6 months (11–54 months). Thirty-six percent of children had consumed at least 1 TF item on the day of the recall. TF contributed to 2.6% of total energy intake. Caribou and Arctic char were the most reported TF species. Land animals and fish/shellfish were the main contributors to energy intake from TF (38 and 33%, respectively). In spite of a low TF intake, children who consumed TF had significantly (p<0.05) higher intakes of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, phosphorus, zinc, copper, selenium, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, and vitamin B
12
, and lower intakes of energy and carbohydrate compared with non-consumers. There was no significant difference in any of the socio-economic variables between children who consumed TF and those who did not.
Conclusion
Although TF was not eaten much, it contributed significantly to the nutrient intakes of children. Consumption of TF should be encouraged as it provides many nutritional, economic, and sociocultural benefits.
Arctic populations are exposed to substantial levels
of environmental
contaminants that can negatively affect children’s health and
development. Moreover, emerging contaminants have never been assessed
in Inuit children. In this study, we document the biological exposure
to toxic metals and legacy and emerging persistent organic pollutants
(POPs) of 155 Inuit children (mean age 25.2 months) attending childcare
centers in Nunavik. Blood samples were analyzed to determine concentrations
of mercury, lead, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, brominated
flame retardants [e.g., polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)] and
perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances [PFASs; e.g. perfluorooctanesulfonate
(PFOS) and perfluorooctane (PFOA)]. Lead [geometric mean (GM) 0.08
μmol/L], PCB-153 (GM 22.2 ng/g of lipid), BDE-47 (GM 184 ng/g
of lipid), PFOS (GM 3369 ng/L), and PFOA (GM 1617 ng/L) were detected
in all samples. Mercury (GM 9.8 nmol/L) was detected in nearly all
blood samples (97%). Levels of metals and legacy POPs are consistent
with the decreasing trend observed in Nunavik and in the Arctic. PBDE
levels were higher than those observed in many children and adolescents
around the world but lower than those reported in some U.S. cities.
PFOS were present in lower concentrations than in Nunavimmiut adults.
There is a clear need for continued biomonitoring of blood contaminant
levels in this population, particularly for PBDEs and PFASs.
Objectives: To assess dietary fatty acid intakes and to examine the relationship between dietary sources of n-3 and n-6 PUFA and red-blood-cell (RBC) n-3 and n-6 PUFA composition. Design: A cross-sectional study. Dietary intakes were assessed with a 24 h dietary recall. A second recall was performed for 44 % of the children. Usual dietary intakes were estimated with the Software for Intake Distribution Estimation (SIDE). The fatty acid composition was measured in RBC membranes. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to explain RBC n-3 and n-6 PUFA concentrations. Setting: Child-care centres in Nunavik, northern Québec, Canada. Subjects: One hundred and sixty-seven Inuit children aged 11-53 months. Results: A high proportion of the participants had inadequate n-3 and n-6 PUFA intakes (47?9 % and 93?5 %, respectively). Breast-feeding status and consumption of traditional food during the first 24 h dietary recall were significantly associated with RBC n-3 PUFA levels. Older children also tended to have higher RBC n-3 PUFA levels (P 5 0?0528), whereas sex, infant formula status and n-3 PUFA dietary intakes were not associated with RBC n-3 PUFA concentrations. RBC n-6 PUFA concentrations were positively associated with breast-feeding status and n-6 PUFA dietary intakes, whereas age, sex and infant formula status were not. Conclusions: The present findings highlight the fact that Inuit pre-school children are not consuming enough n-3 and n-6 PUFA for optimum health. These observations call for actions to increase traditional food intake among Inuit children and to help them and their parents make healthier store-bought food choices.
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