Food insecurity and its consequences in indigenous children and youth in Canada (original) (raw)
Related papers
Food insecurity among Inuit preschoolers: Nunavut Inuit Child Health Survey, 2007-2008
Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2010
A ccording to the 1996 World Food Summit, food security exists when "all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life." 1 Food security is essential for public health 2 and important for child development. Suboptimal food security, or food insecurity, has deleterious effects on children's academic performance and psychosocial development. 3,4 In Canada, food insecurity is higher in the three territories than in the provinces. 5 According to limited data, a high degree of food insecurity exists among Inuit in particular. 6,7 Further, in most remote communities, the cost of food is at least double that in southern Canadian cities. 8 We assessed the prevalence of food insecurity among Inuit preschool-aged children. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of the health of preschool-aged Inuit children in the late summer and fall of 2007 and 2008 in 16 of the 25 communities of Nunavut. The communities we included in the survey represented all three regions of the territory. These communities were Arviat,
Tackling food security issues in indigenous communities in Canada: The Manitoba experience
2012
Aims: The promotion of healthy living and chronic disease prevention are predicated on the ability of individuals and communities to make healthy choices. Having access to nutritious affordable food is one of the conditions required to make such choices possible but one that is too often not available, especially to families in remote regions of Canada. The present paper reviews food security issues as they pertain to indigenous communities, particularly in northern Manitoba, and describes community and government approaches to tackling food insecurity. Method: A narrative review was formed drawing on international literature and Canadian research and practice. Results: Strategies such as those described above have the potential to significantly enhance access to affordable, nutritious food in Northern Communities thereby improving food security, healthy living and preventing chronic disease. Conclusions: Community-based action combined with structural changes and a supportive policy environment hold out the prospect of changing the conditions of food access that underlie the ultimate success of healthy living and chronic disease prevention efforts. While there appears to be a growing interest in local food production and the reintroduction of traditional foods to the diet, an important key to successful change is the engagement of youth, whose food habits and preferences have been heavily influenced by mainstream commercial food culture.
The Prevalence of Food Insecurity Is High and the Diet Quality Poor in Inuit Communities
Journal of Nutrition, 2012
Indigenous peoples experience a disproportionate burden of food insecurity and the Arctic is no exception. We therefore evaluated the prevalence, socio-demographic, and dietary correlates of food insecurity in the most comprehensive assessment of food insecurity in Arctic Canada. A cross-sectional survey of 1901 Inuit households was conducted in 2007-2008. Measurements included food insecurity, 24-h dietary recalls, socio-demographics, and anthropometry. Food insecurity was identified in 62.6% of households (95% CI = 60.3-64.9%) with 27.2% (95% CI = 25.1-29.3%) of households severely food insecure. The percent with an elevated BMI, waist circumference, and percent body fat was lower among individuals from food insecure households compared to food secure households (P # 0.001). Adults from food insecure households had a significantly lower Healthy Eating Index score and consumed fewer vegetables and fruit, grains, and dairy products, and consumed a greater percent of energy from high-sugar foods than adults from food secure households (P # 0.05). Food insecurity was associated with household crowding, income support, public housing, single adult households, and having a home in need of major repairs (P # 0.05). The prevalence of having an active hunter in the home was lower in food insecure compared to food secure households (P # 0.05). Food insecurity prevalence is high in Inuit communities, with implications for diet quality that over the long-term would be anticipated to exacerbate the risk of diet-related chronic diseases. Actions are required to improve food security that incorporate the traditional food system and healthy market food choices.
Public Health Nutrition, 2014
ObjectiveTo measure and describe the prevalence and severity of household food insecurity in a remote on-reserve First Nations community using the Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) and to evaluate the perceived relevance of the HFSSM for this population.DesignHousehold food security status was determined from the eighteen-item HFSSM following the classifications developed by Health Canada for the Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 2·2 Nutrition. One adult from each household in the community was invited to complete the HFSSM and to comment on its relevance as a tool to measure food security for First Nations communities.SettingSub-Arctic Ontario, Canada.SubjectsHouseholds (n 64).ResultsSeventy per cent of households were food insecure, 17 % severely and 53 % moderately. The prevalence of food insecurity in households with children was 76 %. Among respondents from homes rated as having severe food insecurity, all (100 %) reported worrying that food would run out, tim...
Hunger among Inuit children in Canada
International journal of circumpolar health, 2013
Inuit populations may be at increased risk for experiencing poor nutrition or hunger due to limited access and availability to food. The prevalence and correlates of parental perceptions of hunger among a nationally representative sample of Inuit children in Canada have not yet been reported. Data are from the 2006 Aboriginal Children's Survey (ACS). Sociodemographic information, dietary behaviours and hunger status were parent-reported via a household interview for Inuit children aged 2-5 years (n=1,234). Prevalence of hunger was calculated among Inuit children by sociodemographic factors and by dietary behaviours. In addition, a multivariate logistic regression model was conducted to determine factors associated with parental perception of ever experiencing hunger. The prevalence of Inuit children in Canada aged 2-5 years ever experiencing hunger was 24.4%. Children who were reported to have experienced hunger consumed milk and milk products (p<0.001); fish, eggs and meat (...
BMC Public Health, 2013
Background: Food insecurity is a serious public health issue for Aboriginal people (First Nations [FN], Métis, and Inuit) living in Canada. Food security challenges faced by FN people are unique, especially for those living in remote and isolated communities. Conceptualizations of food insecurity by FN people are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of food insecurity by FN adults living in a remote, on-reserve community in northern Ontario known to have a high prevalence of moderate to severe food insecurity.
International journal for equity in health, 2015
Aboriginal children in Canada are at a higher risk for overweight and obesity than other Canadian children. In Northern and remote areas, this has been linked to a lack of affordable nutritious food. However, the majority of Aboriginal children live in urban areas where food choices are more plentiful. This study aimed to explore the experiences of food insecurity among Métis and First Nations parents living in urban areas, including the predictors and perceived connections between food insecurity and obesity among Aboriginal children. Factors influencing children's diets, families' experiences with food insecurity, and coping strategies were explored using focus group discussions with 32 parents and caregivers of Métis and off-reserve First Nations children from Midland-Penetanguishene and London, Ontario. Four focus groups were conducted and transcribed verbatim between July 2011 and March 2013. A thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo software, and second coders ensu...
Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique, 2021
To describe the prevalence of food insecurity in First Nations households across Canada while identifying barriers and enablers to traditional food (TF) consumption. The First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study is a cross-Canada participatory study of on-reserve First Nations from 2008 to 2018. The Household Food Security Survey Module was used to capture income-related challenges experienced by First Nations households. Households were classified as food secure, or marginally, moderately, or severely food insecure. Barriers and enablers to TF access and use were identified describing the Indigenous experience. Almost half of on-reserve First Nations households were food insecure and the prevalence was higher than that for non-Indigenous households in Canada. On-reserve food insecurity prevalence was higher in western regions of Canada. First Nations households with children experienced greater food insecurity than those without children. More adults experienced severe fo...
International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 2011
Objectives. To evaluate correlates of food insecurity among Inuit preschoolers. Study design. Cross-sectional health survey. Methods. 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. Results. 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 <12 µg/l; p≤0.10) regardless of food security status. A borderline significant interaction of TF by food security status (p≤0.10) was observed where the percent of anemia (hemoglobin <110 and <115 g/l for 3-4 and 5 yr. olds, respectively) was highest among children from child food insecure homes who consumed no TF. Conclusions. TF and market food contribute to food security and both need to be considered in food security assessments. Support systems and dietary interventions for families with young children are needed.