nuvialuit in Canada's Western Arctic have been living by hunting and gathering for approximately 1,000 years. 1 Two activities define traditional Inuvialuit identity: harvesting of traditional foods (TF) and its redistribution or sharing. 2,3 Like most Indigenous peoples in North America, 4-6 Inuvialuit face extreme pressure to acculturate to Western values, including transitioning to a Western diet. 7,8 Traditional foods, defined as those harvested from the local environment, include animals obtained directly from the land or sea, which contributed largely to dietary intake and were vital to nutrition, health, and food security. However, drastic climate changes pose environmental stress on those animals (e.g., polar bear, seal and caribou) that are TF sources. 9,10 Foods that replace TF are mainly processed, high in sugar and fat, and much less nutrient-dense. This shift in diet has resulted in a decreased intake of many micronutrients 11-14 and is associated with increasing rates of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic disease in Indigenous peoples in the Arctic. 15,16 Prevalence of diabetes in Indigenous North Americans is 3-5 times that of the general population in Canada. 17 The prevalence of risk factors of diabetes, such as overweight and obesity, is higher among the Canadian Aboriginal population compared to the general population. 18,19 Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop a nutritional intervention program to improve dietary intake for chronic disease prevention. Despite the known effectiveness of risk reduction interventions for obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases, 20 few nutritional intervention programs for Inuvialuit have been successful. Furthermore, there is little up-to-date data on Inuvialuit diet, particularly the diet during transition to a Western diet. The aims of this study were to: 1) characterize diet in Inuvialuit; 2) highlight foods and nutrients for a community-based multiinstitutional nutritional and lifestyle intervention program; and 3) develop a Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (QFFQ) to evaluate the program and monitor nutrition transition in Inuvialuit.

Background:  Traditional foods are rich sources of essential nutrients, but Inuvialuit in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada, have been undergoing a nutrition transition, characterised by an increased consumption of non‐nutrient‐dense foods. The present study aimed to characterise energy, nutrient and food intakes amongst adult Inuvialuit. Methods:  The study collected up to three 24‐h dietary recalls on nonconsecutive days for each participant in spring/summer of 2008 in one remote community in the NWT. Recall data were analysed for energy and nutrient intake, dietary adequacy, most commonly reported foods, and food contributors to energy and nutrients. Results:  Participants included 14 men and 50 women (response rate 79%). Median daily energy intake was 9.4 (interquartile range = 5.7) MJ for men and 8.3 (3.6) MJ for women. The majority of adult Inuvialuit did not meet the recommendation for vitamins A [median intake = 344.7 (246.3) μg‐RAE in men, 248.9 (213.8) μg‐RAE  in women], B6 [0.9 (0.8) mg in men, 1.0 (0.5) mg in women] and E [2.4 (2.1) mg in men, 1.8 (1.0) mg in women], dietary fibre [7.7 (5.7) g in men, 8.7 (4.4) g in women], calcium [779.6 (842.0) mg in men, 610.4 (431.5) mg in women] and total folate [222.6 (57.7) μg in men, 264.6 (127.5) μg in women]. Vitamin D intake was below the recommendation for most women [median intake = 100.0 (119.2) IU]. Traditional foods contributed substantially to protein and iron intake. Juices were the main contributors to energy, carbohydrate and calcium. Conclusions:  The present study revealed an inadequate consumption of essential nutrients in an Inuvialuit population. If these nutrient deficiencies continue, this population will face an increased burden of chronic diseases and malnutrition.

Background:  Inuvialuit in the Canadian Arctic have been experiencing a nutrition transition resulting in a decrease in nutrient‐dense food consumption, which may, in part, explain this population’s increasing chronic disease rates. Because the available literature is limited, the present study aimed to document the extent of this transition by examining current dietary patterns and socioeconomic factors affecting food group consumption. Methods:  This cross‐sectional study was conducted in three Inuvialuit communities in the Northwest Territories between 2007 and 2008. A validated food frequency questionnaire determined intake frequency of fruit and vegetables (FV), traditional foods (TF) and non‐nutrient‐dense foods (NNDF). Socioeconomic status (SES) was assessed by questions on education, ownership of items in working condition used to create a Material Style of Life (MSL) scale and residents in household employed/on income support. Daily intake frequencies were compared by gender and age group using Wilcoxon rank sum test. SES association with food group intake was determined using logistic regression. Results:  The response rate was 65–85%. One hundred and seventy‐five participants were female and 55 were male, aged 19–84 years [mean (SD) 44 (14)]. Mean frequencies of FV and TF consumption were 1.6 (1.5) and 1.6 (1.7) times per day, respectively. NNDF were reported 9.2 (3.0) times per day. The highest MSL score (>12) was significantly associated with higher fruit (≥0.7 times per day) and higher TF intake (≥1.1 times per day) compared with the lowest score (≤7). An intermediate MSL score (8–12) was related to higher vegetable consumption (≥0.4 times per day). Conclusions:  NNDF were consumed approximately seven times more frequently than TF in the present study, indicating that the dietary transition is well underway amongst Inuvialuit. Participants with higher SES were more likely to consume nutrient‐dense foods, suggesting possible cost barriers.

Background:  With increasing chronic disease amongst Inuvialuit in the Canadian Arctic, research on dietary behaviours and their determinants in this population is needed to develop nutritional behaviour change intervention strategies. The present study aimed to assess the knowledge, self‐efficacy and intentions towards healthy eating and healthy eating behaviours of Inuvialuit adults in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. Methods:  The Adult Impact Questionnaire was developed from behavioural theories and workshops held in the communities. It was conducted with adult Inuvialuit (≥19 years) from randomly selected households in three NWT communities to collect data on the psychosocial constructs of healthy food knowledge, self‐efficacy and intentions, and the dietary behaviours of healthy and unhealthy food acquisition and preparation. Associations between demographic, socioeconomic, psychosocial constructs and behaviours were analysed using multivariate linear regression. Results:  The 228 participants [mean (SD) age 43.4 (13.6) years; response rates 65–85%] acquired non‐nutrient‐dense foods a mean (SD) of 2.7 (3.0) times more frequently than nutrient‐dense, low sugar and low fat foods. Increased intention was associated with a greater frequency of acquiring healthy foods (β = 0.17, P = 0.012) and a lower frequency of acquiring unhealthy foods (β = −0.18, P = 0.008). Overall, participants reported using food preparation methods that reduce fat content slightly more than methods that add fat [mean (SD) score 0.3 (1.9)]. Use of healthier food preparation methods was associated with higher levels of healthy food knowledge (β = 0.26, P < 0.001), self‐efficacy (β = 0.29, P < 0.001) and intentions (β = 0.22, P = 0.001). Conclusions:  Healthy food intention was the construct most significantly associated with all three healthier dietary behaviours. Interventions that target intentions to change food choice and preparation may be effective strategies to improve dietary intake in Inuvialuit populations.

Background:  Inuvialuit in Arctic Canada are undergoing nutrition and lifestyle transitions that encourage decreased physical activity (PA) and increased body mass index (BMI), although data specific to PA and BMI within this unique population are not currently available. The present study aimed to characterise current PA and BMI levels in a sample of Inuvialuit adults. Methods:  Inuvialuit adults randomly selected from a cross‐sectional survey of three communities in the Northwest Territories, Canada, completed an adapted International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and an anthropometric questionnaire to obtain height and weight. Data were analysed using the standardised IPAQ protocol, and the results are presented by gender and age group (≤50 and >50 years). Results:  One hundred and ninety‐six Inuvialuit adults [148 women, 48 men; mean (standard deviation (SD)) ages 45 (14) and 41 (14) years, respectively; age range 19–84 years] completed the IPAQ (response rates 65–85%). Seventy‐one percent of men and 74% of women allowed height measurements, whilst 81% and 84% allowed weight measurements, respectively; the remainder provided self‐reported anthropometrics. Mean (SD) BMIs were 28.6 (7.7) kg/m2 for males and 30.5 (8.8) kg/m2 for females. The greatest percentage of participants in both gender and age groups fell into the obese BMI category. Self‐reported PA was high, with means for men and participants ≤50 years in the high category of PA and means for women and participants >50 years in the medium category. Almost two‐thirds (65%) of participants were classified as being overweight or obese, although 89% reported medium or high levels of PA. Conclusions:  The results obtained in the present study indicate widespread overweight/obesity accompanying high levels of self‐reported PA.