Dietary intake in a population undergoing a rapid transition in diet and lifestyle: The inuvialuit in the northwest territories of Arctic Canada

Objectives: To: 1) characterize diet in Inuvialuit; 2) determine the foods and nutrients to be targeted for a nutritional intervention program; and 3) develop a Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (QFFQ) to evaluate the program and monitor nutrition transition for Inuvialuit in the Northwest Territories (NWT) Canada. Methods: Twenty-four-hour dietary recalls were collected among 101 Inuvialuit aged 19 years and over in two communities in the NWT. All foods reported in the recall were tabulated for inclusion in the QFFQ. Results: Forty-eight men and 53 women (mean age 49 and 45 yrs, respectively) completed the recalls. Mean energy intake was 2,352 kcal and 1,739 kcal for men and women, respectively. Mean daily intakes of many nutrients including dietary fibre, calcium, and vitamins A, C and E, and total folate were much lower than recommended. The most frequently reported foods were non-nutrient-dense store-bought foods. Most traditional foods (TF) were reported one time by one person. The top two contributors to energy intake, 'sugar added to tea and coffee' and 'sweetened juices and drinks', were targeted by the intervention program. A 145-item QFFQ was developed including 41 TF and 8 categories of consumption frequency. Conclusions: This study has provided dietary intake data previously unavailable for Inuvialuit and highlighted nutrients and foods to be targeted for the intervention program. The QFFQ is up-to-date, culturally appropriate, and currently being used to evaluate the intervention program, Healthy Foods North, which aims to reduce dietary- and lifestyle-related risk factors for chronic disease in Inuvialuit.