Sociodemographic patterning of dietary profiles among Inuit youth and adults in Nunavik, Canada: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives Country (traditional) foods are integral to Inuit culture, but market food consumption is increasing. The Qanuilirpitaa? 2017 Nunavik Health Survey (Q2017) reported similar country food consumption frequency compared to that in 2004; however, examining food items individually does not account for diet patterns, food accessibility, and correlations between food items. Our objective was to identify underlying dietary profiles and compare them across sex, age, ecological region, and food insecurity markers, given the links among diet, health, and sociocultural determinants. Methods Food frequency and sociodemographic data were derived from the Q2017 survey (N = 1176). Latent profile analysis identified dietary profiles using variables for the relative frequencies of country and market food consumption first, followed by an analysis with those for country food variables only. Multinomial logistic regression examined the associations among dietary profiles, sociodemographic factors, and food insecurity markers (to disassociate between food preferences and food access). Results Four overall dietary profiles and four country food dietary profiles were identified characterized by the relative frequency of country and market food in the diet. The patterns were stable across several sensitivity analyses and in line with our Inuit partners’ local knowledge. For the overall profiles, women and adults aged 30–49 years were more likely to have a market food–dominant profile, whereas men and individuals aged 16–29 and 50+ years more often consumed a country food–dominant profile. In the country food profiles, Inuit aged 16–29 years were more likely to have a moderate country food profile whereas Inuit aged 50+ were more likely to have a high country food–consumption profile. A low country and market food–consumption profile was linked to higher prevalence of food insecurity markers. Conclusion We were able to identify distinct dietary profiles with strong social patterning. The profiles elucidated in this study are aligned with the impact of colonial influence on diet and subsequent country food promotion programs for Inuit youth. These profiles will be used for further study of nutritional status, contaminant exposure, and health to provide context for future public health programs.

Characterizing Important Dietary Exposure Sources of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in Inuit Youth and Adults in Nunavik Using a Feature Selection Tool

“… 55 It was one of the most frequently consumed country foods among Inuit with a dietary profile associated with food insecurity. 11 Ptarmigan consume largely vegetation, including twigs, willow, berries, and insects (depending on the season), and are less migratory than other Arctic birds. 56 PFOA and PFNA, as shorter chain PFAAs, have greater atmospheric deposition in comparison with PFDA and PFUnDA, 57 and PFOA is less likely to bioaccumulate in higher-trophic animals than PFOS.…”

“…These were described previously. 11 In brief, consumption frequency of each food item was rated on a scale of 1 (consumed never or less than once a month), 2 (1–3 times a month), 3 (Once a week), 4 (2–6 times a week), 5 (once a day), 6 (2–3 times a day), and 7 (4 times or more a day). Few food items were rated 6 or 7, so we collapsed the last three ratings (5, 6, and 7) into one category (5).…”

“…10 Approximately 13% of Inuit in Nunavik consume predominantly country foods, and an additional half consume some country foods regularly. 11 The most commonly consumed country foods include caribou meat, wild berries, Arctic char, and beluga mattaaq (beluga skin and fat). 11 In a prior study, Inuit with dietary profiles defined by frequent country food consumption also had higher concentrations of plasma PFAAs.…”

“… 11 The most commonly consumed country foods include caribou meat, wild berries, Arctic char, and beluga mattaaq (beluga skin and fat). 11 In a prior study, Inuit with dietary profiles defined by frequent country food consumption also had higher concentrations of plasma PFAAs. 12 …”

Wild fish consumption and latitude as drivers of vitamin D status among Inuit living in Nunavik, northern Québec

“…The FFQ measured consumption frequency of each item over the previous 3 months but did not collect information on serving size. Due to the high collinearity between food intake variables, we used dietary profiles (based on market and country foods) and country food consumption profiles (using only country food variables) derived using latent profile analysis by Aker and colleagues ( 24 ) . Briefly, the intention of this process was to identify the types of food consumption profiles in the population.…”