Conceptualising the relationships between food sovereignty, food security and oral health among global Indigenous Communities: a scoping review

Abstract

Objective: Invasive colonial influences and continuing neoliberal policies have a detrimental impact on Land, health, food, and culture for Indigenous Communities. Food security and sovereignty have significant impacts on Indigenous wellbeing and specifically, oral health. Aspects relating to food security, such as availability of nutritious foods, are a common risk factor of oral diseases. This scoping review aimed to collate existing evidence regarding the relationship between food sovereignty and/or food security and oral health for Indigenous Communities, globally. Design: Four databases were searched using keywords related to ‘Food security’ or ‘Food sovereignty,’ ‘Indigenous Peoples,’ and ‘Oral health.’ Duplicates were removed and two independent reviewers screened the titles and abstracts to identify articles for full-text review. Extracted data was summarised narratively, presenting a conceptual model which illustrates the findings and relationships between food security and/or food sovereignty and oral health. Results: The search identified 369 articles, with 41 suitable for full text review and a final nine that met inclusion criteria. The impact of food security and food sovereignty on oral health was discussed across different populations and sample sizes, ranging from 18 Kichwa families in Brazil to 533 First Nations and Metis households in Canada. Pathways of influence between food sovereignty and/or food security is explored clinically, quantitatively, and qualitatively across oral health outcomes, including early childhood caries, dental caries, and oral health related quality of life for Indigenous Communities. Conclusions: Innovative strategies underpinned by concepts of Indigenous food sovereignty are needed to promote oral health equity for Indigenous Communities. The nexus between oral health and Indigenous food sovereignty remains largely unexplored, but has immense potential for empowering Indigenous rights to self-determination of health that honour Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing.