Centre for Indigenous Peoples' Nutrition and Environment and School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, Macdonald Campus, McGill University, Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada. grace.egeland@mcgill.ca
To evaluate correlates of food insecurity among Inuit preschoolers. Study design. Cross-sectional health survey.
Correlates of food insecurity were assessed in 3-5 year old children (n=388) residing in 16 Nunavut communities (2007-2008) in whom a high prevalence of child food insecurity (56%) has been documented. A bilingual team conducted interviews, including 24-hour dietary recalls and past-year food security assessment involving monetary access to market foods.
Children residing in child food insecure homes were more likely to have consumed traditional food (TF) (51.7% vs. 39.9%, p = 0.01), and less likely to have consumed any milk (52.2% vs. 73.2%, p = 0.001) compared to children in child food secure homes. Median healthy eating index scores were significantly lower (77.1 vs. 79.9, p = 0.01) and sugar drink intake higher (429 vs. 377 g/day, p = 0.05) in children from child food insecure than food secure households. Children that consumed TF had higher protein and lower carbohydrate intake (p = 0.05) and tendencies for a lower prevalence of iron deficiency (plasma ferritin