DECREASING TRADITIONAL FOOD USE AFFECTS DIET QUALITY FOR ADULT DENE METIS IN 16 COMMUNITIES OF THE CANADIAN NORTHWEST-TERRITORIES/

We assessed diets in 16 Dene/Metis communities in the Canadian Arctic. We described nutrient intakes and identified nutrients at risk among adult Dene/Metis, evaluated the influence of traditional food on diet quality, and examined the direction of dietary change by comparing int ergenerational and between-community differences in dietary intake. Di et varied according to sex, age and community. Nutrients of possibly i nadequate intake (irrespective of subject sex, age or community) inclu ded calcium, vitamin A and folic acid. Dietary fiber intake was also o f concern. Traditional food (animals and plants harvested from the loc al environment) was consumed on 65.4% of interview days; on those days intakes of iron, zinc and potassium were higher (P < 0.05) and those of sodium, fat, saturated fat and sucrose were lower (P < 0.05) than o n days when market food only was consumed. In this population, the shi ft away from traditional food towards a diet composed exclusively of m arket food was characterized by an increase (P < 0.05) in absolute ene rgy intake and an increase (P < 0.01) in the relative contributions of carbohydrate (particularly sucrose), fat and saturated fat. This patt ern of change calls for initiatives to document the current health sta tus of this population and to prevent potential negative health conseq uences of dietary change.