Nutritional Concerns in Aboriginal Children Are Similar to Those in Non-Aboriginal Children in Prince Edward Island, Canada

Poor food and nutrient intake among Indigenous and non-Indigenous rural Australian children

“…The high contribution of the latter two foods to energy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children is about twice that for national data, [41] and for hot chips this difference is similar to findings from a Canadian study [45]. The greater daily per capita intake and percent contribution to energy of soft/sports drinks/cordials by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children compared with national data (about 6.7% compared with 5.4%) [41] is probably an underestimate of difference as, unlike the national data, we were unable to include 'fruit drink' (as different from 'fruit juice') in our calculations of sugary drinks.…”

The diets of school‐aged Aboriginal youths in Canada: a systematic review of the literature

“…Overall, the research revealed diets that were nutrient‐poor and high in ‘other foods’ (e.g. sugar‐sweetened beverages, snack foods, fast foods); intakes of important micronutrients, most notably fibre, folate, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and vitamin D, were of concern, which is not unexpected given a general trend toward intakes of vegetables and fruit and milk and alternatives below the recommendations of CFG (Adams et al ., ; Nakano et al ., ,b; Paradis et al ., ; Saksvig et al ., ; Taylor et al ., ; Downs et al ., , ; Khalil et al ., ; Ng et al ., ; FNIGC, ; Gates et al ., ,b,c; Skinner et al ., ,b; Tomlin et al ., ; Gates et al ., ,b; Kakekagumick et al ., ; Ronsley et al ., ). Nutrient‐dense traditional foods, contributing significantly to intakes of iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin E, riboflavin and vitamin B 6 , did not tend to be consumed with great frequency (Nakano et al ., ; Kuhnlein & Receveur, ; Downs et al ., ; Khalil et al ., ).…”

“…It also cannot be overlooked that much of the research into the diets of Aboriginal youths has employed relatively small sample sizes; six studies had sample sizes of n ≤ 100 (Taylor et al ., ; Gates et al ., ,b; Skinner et al ., ,b; Gates et al ., ), whereas another six had samples sizes of n > 100 to n ≤ 150 (Adams et al ., ; Saksvig et al ., ; Khalil et al ., ; Tomlin et al ., ; Kakekagumick et al ., ; Ronsley et al ., ). This is a reality of research with Aboriginal communities and, although the validity and generalisability of the results are therefore compromised, it is possible that, even if a sample is small, it may represent almost all of the youths residing in a community (i.e.…”

Assessing the Impact of Pilot School Snack Programs on Milk and Alternatives Intake in 2 Remote First Nation Communities in Northern Ontario, Canada

“…Our data indicate a similar situation; at baseline 74.4% of youth in Kashechewan and 82.9% in Attawapiskat failed to reach minimum recommendations. These intakes seem poorer as compared to on‐reserve Mi'kmaq youth in Prince Edward Island, Canada, of whom 49% consumed adequate milk and alternatives daily . With milk and alternatives being the predominant source of calcium and vitamin D in the Canadian diet, this low intake is concerning because Aboriginal populations have demonstrated increased fracture risk, and adolescence is an important period for the attainment of peak bone mass .…”

“…Aboriginal populations in Canada also experience much poorer health than the general population, including a 5 times greater risk of diabetes . Current diets of Aboriginal children have been reported to be low in iron, folate, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, fiber, vegetables, and fruit, while containing excess added sugar and fat . In a recent study of the diets of Aboriginal children in northern Quebec, more than 80% consumed fewer than 2 servings from the milk and alternatives food group daily .…”