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Guell C, Saint Ville A, Anderson SG, Murphy MM, Iese V, Kiran S, Hickey GM, Unwin N. Small Island Developing States: addressing the intersecting challenges of non-communicable diseases, food insecurity, and climate change. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2024; 12:422-432. [PMID: 38782517 DOI: 10.1016/s2213-8587(24)00100-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) include 37 UN member countries sharing economic, environmental, and social vulnerabilities and intractable health challenges. In over 80% of SIDS, more than one in six adults die prematurely from a non-communicable disease (NCD), with poor diet being a major factor. Complex upstream food system determinants include marginalised local food production and reliance on low nutritional quality food imports. These drivers need to be seen against colonial and post-colonial political-economic legacies as well as the environmental and climate crises that challenge local production systems. A range of policy commitments (eg, the 2023 Bridgetown Declaration on NCDs and Mental Health) highlight these complex interdependencies and call for cross-sectoral food system policies to improve food security, food sovereignty, and nutrition, including integrating measures for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Although addressing these intersecting challenges will also depend on global efforts, the unique approach of SIDS can inform other settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Guell
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK
| | - Arlette Saint Ville
- Faculty of Food and Agriculture, University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Simon G Anderson
- George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, University of the West Indies, Bridgetown, Barbados
| | - Madhuvanti M Murphy
- George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, University of the West Indies, Bridgetown, Barbados
| | - Viliamu Iese
- Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development, The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji; School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Dookie, VIC, Australia
| | - Sashi Kiran
- Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises and Development, Tuvu, Lautoka, Fiji; Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Suva, Fiji
| | - Gordon M Hickey
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Nigel Unwin
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK; MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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Barnett-Naghshineh O, Warmington S, Altink H, Govia I, Morrissey K, Smith MJ, Thurstan RH, Unwin N, Guell C. Situating commercial determinants of health in their historical context: a qualitative study of sugar-sweetened beverages in Jamaica. Global Health 2023; 19:69. [PMID: 37700357 PMCID: PMC10498565 DOI: 10.1186/s12992-023-00962-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of mortality across the Caribbean and similar regions. Structural determinants include a marked increase in the dependency on food imports, and the proliferation of processed foods, including sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). We focused on Jamaica as a case study and the health challenge of SSBs, and situated contemporary actions, experiences and policies within their historical context to investigate underlying drivers of commercial determinants of health and attempts to counter them. We asked: how can a historical perspective of the drivers of high level SSB consumption in Jamaica contribute to an enhanced understanding of the context of public health policies aimed at reducing their intake? METHODS An ethnographic approach with remote data collection included online semi-structured interviews and workshops with 22 local experts and practitioners of health, agriculture and nutrition in Jamaica and attending relevant regional public webinars on SSBs and NCD action in the Caribbean. Our analysis was situated within a review of historical studies of Caribbean food economies with focus on the twentieth century. Jamaican and UK-based researchers collected and ethnographically analysed the data, and discussed findings with the wider transdisciplinary team. RESULTS We emphasise three key areas in which historical events have shaped contextual factors of SSB consumption. Trade privileged sugar as a cash crop over food production during Jamaica's long colonial history, and trade deregulation since the 1980s through structural adjustment opened markets to transnational companies. These changes increased Jamaican receptiveness to the mass advertisement and marketing of these companies, whilst long-standing power imbalances hampered taxation and regulation in contemporary public health actions. Civil society efforts were important for promoting structural changes to curb overconsumption of SSBs and decentring such entrenched power relations. CONCLUSION The contemporary challenge of SSBs in Jamaica is a poignant case study of commercial determinants of health and the important context of global market-driven economies and the involvement of private sector interests in public health policies and governance. Historically contextualising these determinants is paramount to making sense of the sugar ecology in Jamaica today and can help elucidate entrenched power dynamics and their key actors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sheray Warmington
- Epidemiology Research Unit, Caribbean Institute for Health Research (CAIHR), The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston, 7, Jamaica
| | - Henrice Altink
- Department of History and Interdisciplinary Global Development Centre, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Ishtar Govia
- Epidemiology Research Unit, Caribbean Institute for Health Research (CAIHR), The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston, 7, Jamaica
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Karyn Morrissey
- Climate and Energy Policy, Department of Technology, Management and Economics, Technical University Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Matthew J Smith
- Department of History, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Ruth H Thurstan
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Nigel Unwin
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
- Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SL, UK
| | - Cornelia Guell
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK.
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Lin PJ, Lee TLI, Hershey MS, Shih CW, Tausi S, Sosene V, Maani PP, Tupulaga M, Wu SM, López-Gil JF, Lo YH, Shiau SC, Hsu YT, Chang CR, Wei CF. Exploring the link between home garden use and severe obesity: Insights from a nationwide survey in Tuvalu. J Glob Health 2023; 13:04097. [PMID: 37655368 PMCID: PMC10472202 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.13.04097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Obesity is prevalent and increasing but understudied across Pacific Islanders. Tuvalu is a South Pacific country with a high obesity rate and faces multiple threats of food insecurity. Home garden serves as a sustainable food source and can be a possible intervention for the obesity pandemic in Tuvalu. This study investigated Tuvaluans' home garden use and obesity, and explored factors associated with increased use of home gardens. Methods We conducted a nationwide, cross-sectional study in Tuvalu during 2022. Structured questionnaires were administered during the in-person interviews, and trained interviewers measured the height and weight of each participant. The association between home garden use, obesity and severe obesity were tested with univariate and multivariable logistic regression. We also applied overlapping weights to balance the distribution of baseline demographic factors. Results The average body mass index was 34.87 kilogrammes (kg) / square metre (m2) among the study population of 1024 adults (630 from Funafuti and 394 from other islands in Tuvalu). Overall, people having home gardens was associated lower odds for severe obesity compared to those without a home garden in overlap weighting models (odds ratio (OR) = 0.946, 95% CI = 0.897-0.997, P = 0.039) and the association was stronger in Funafuti (OR = 0.927, 95% CI = 0.866-0.991, P = 0.027) than in the outlying islands (OR = 0.967, 95% CI = 0.889-1.052, P = 0.435). Furthermore, increased age was positively associated with having a home garden in Funafuti, and smoking showed an inverse association. Conclusions Having a home garden is associated with lower odds of severe obesity in Tuvalu, and the association is stronger in Funafuti. Smokers are less likely to have home gardens, and increased age is positively associated with having home gardens. These findings promote more home garden utilisation and provide evidence for targeted interventions in Tuvalu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po-Jen Lin
- Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF), Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, Nuvance Health Danbury Hospital, Danbury, Connecticut, USA
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tai-Lin I Lee
- Division of Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei city, Taiwan
| | - Maria Soledad Hershey
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chih-Wei Shih
- Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF), Taipei, Taiwan
- Taiwan Technical Mission to Tuvalu, Funafuti, Tuvalu
| | - Selotia Tausi
- Department of Agriculture, Tuvalu Ministry of Local Government and Agriculture, Funafuti, Tuvalu
| | - Vine Sosene
- Department of Public Health, Tuvalu Ministry of Health, Funafuti, Tuvalu
| | - Pauke P Maani
- Department of Public Health, Tuvalu Ministry of Health, Funafuti, Tuvalu
| | - Malo Tupulaga
- Department of Public Health, Tuvalu Ministry of Health, Funafuti, Tuvalu
| | - Stephanie M Wu
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - José Francisco López-Gil
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Universidad Pública de Navarra, IdiSNA, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
- One Health Research Group, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Yuan-Hung Lo
- Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF), Taipei, Taiwan
- Taiwan Technical Mission to Tuvalu, Funafuti, Tuvalu
| | - Shi-Chian Shiau
- Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF), Taipei, Taiwan
- Taiwan Technical Mission to Tuvalu, Funafuti, Tuvalu
| | - Yu-Tien Hsu
- Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chia-Rui Chang
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chih-Fu Wei
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Taiwan Technical Mission to Tuvalu, Funafuti, Tuvalu
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Boxer B, Trübswasser U, Lesi V, Naika A, Dahal P, Sagan S, Joshi K, Irache A, Singh P, Nand D, Kama A, Deo A, Goudet S. Rapid review of factors influencing dietary behaviors in Fiji. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1164855. [PMID: 37621737 PMCID: PMC10445140 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1164855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction In Fiji, multiple burdens of malnutrition including undernutrition, overweight/obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies coexist at the individual, household, and population levels. The diets of children, adolescents, and adults are generally unhealthy. The objective of this review was to understand how the dietary behaviors of children, adolescents, and women in Fiji are influenced by individual, social, and food environment factors. Methods This rapid review was conducted to synthesize existing evidence, identify research gaps in the evidence base, and make recommendations for future research. The Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods and the updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews were used. The search strategy for this rapid review was based on the Population Context Outcome [P(E)CO] framework, including search terms for population (children, adolescents, and adults), context (Fiji), and outcome (dietary behaviors). Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. Results The 22 studies included in this review identified different factors influencing dietary behaviors in Fiji. Individual preferences for processed and imported foods, especially of younger generations, and social dynamics, especially gender norms and social pressure, to serve meat and overeat appeared to be prominent in driving dietary habits. The ongoing nutrition transition has led to increasing availability and affordability of ultra-processed and fast foods, especially in urban areas. Concerns about food safety and contamination and climate change and its effect on local food production also appear to influence dietary choices. Discussion This review identified different dynamics influencing dietary behaviors, but also research gaps especially with regard to the food environment, calling for an integrated approach to address these factors more systemically.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Viola Lesi
- Nutrition Research, Dikoda, London, United Kingdom
| | - Asaeli Naika
- Nutrition Research, Dikoda, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Ana Irache
- Nutrition Research, Dikoda, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pragya Singh
- School of Public Health and Primary Care, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Fiji National University, Suva, Fiji
| | - Devina Nand
- Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Suva, Fiji
| | - Ateca Kama
- Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Suva, Fiji
| | - Alvina Deo
- National Food and Nutrition Centre, Suva, Fiji
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5
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Lin PJ, Lee TLI, Wei CF, Shih CW, Hershey MS, Hsu YT, Tausi S, Sosene V, Maani PP, Tupulaga M, Lo YH. Does one size fit all? Differences between islands in Tuvalu and ecological perspectives. J Glob Health 2022; 12:03082. [PMID: 36472935 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.12.03082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Po-Jen Lin
- Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund, Taipei, Taiwan.,Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tai-Lin I Lee
- Division of Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Fu Wei
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chih-Wei Shih
- Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund, Taipei, Taiwan.,Taiwan Technical Mission to Tuvalu, Funafuti, Tuvalu
| | - Maria Soledad Hershey
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yu-Tien Hsu
- Department of Social & Behavioural Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Vine Sosene
- Department of Public Health, Tuvalu Ministry of Health, Funafuti, Tuvalu
| | - Pauke P Maani
- Department of Public Health, Tuvalu Ministry of Health, Funafuti, Tuvalu
| | - Malo Tupulaga
- Department of Public Health, Tuvalu Ministry of Health, Funafuti, Tuvalu
| | - Yuan-Hung Lo
- Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund, Taipei, Taiwan.,Taiwan Technical Mission to Tuvalu, Funafuti, Tuvalu
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6
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Haynes E, Augustus E, Brown CR, Guell C, Iese V, Jia L, Morrissey K, Unwin N. Interventions in Small Island Developing States to improve diet, with a focus on the consumption of local, nutritious foods: a systematic review. BMJ Nutr Prev Health 2022; 5:243-253. [PMID: 36619322 PMCID: PMC9813623 DOI: 10.1136/bmjnph-2021-000410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Food security in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) is an international policy priority. SIDS have high rates of nutrition-related non-communicable diseases, including obesity and type 2 diabetes, micronutrient deficiencies and, in many, persistent childhood stunting. This is associated with an increasing reliance on imported processed food of poor nutritional quality. Calls have been made for strengthening local food systems, resilient to climate change, to increase the consumption of nutritious locally produced food. We aimed to systematically review interventions intended to improve diet in SIDS, and specifically explore whether these interventions applied a local food approach. Methods The search strategy was applied to 11 databases, including in health, social science and agriculture. Screening of titles, abstracts and data extraction was undertaken in duplicate. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane tools. Narrative synthesis of the results was undertaken. The study protocol was registered (PROSPERO registration number: 2020CRD42020201274). Results From 26 062 records, 154 full texts were reviewed and 24 were eligible. Included studies were from the Caribbean, Pacific, Mauritius and Singapore. Five were a randomised study design, one an interrupted time series analysis, eight controlled and ten uncontrolled pre-test and post-test. Nine studies included some aspect of a local food approach. Most interventions (n=15) included nutrition education, with evidence of effectiveness largely limited to those that also included practical skills training, such as vegetable gardening or food preparation. Three studies were considered low risk of bias, with the majority (n=13) of moderate risk. Conclusion There is a lack of robust evidence on interventions to improve diet in SIDS. The evidence suggests that multifaceted approaches are likely to be the most effective, and local food approaches may promote effectiveness, through mechanisms of cultural and contextual relevance. Further development and evaluation of interventions is urgently required to increase the comparability of these studies, to help guide policy on improving nutrition in SIDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Haynes
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Eden Augustus
- George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, University of the West Indies, Bridgetown, Barbados
| | - Catherine R Brown
- George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, University of the West Indies, Bridgetown, Barbados
| | - Cornelia Guell
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Viliamu Iese
- Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
| | - Lili Jia
- Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karyn Morrissey
- Department of Technology, Management and Economics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Nigel Unwin
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK,MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Galy O, Frayon S, Goldin M, Zongo P, Wattelez G, Lameta S, Quartermain A, Fotsing JM, Bouard S. Generational issues in linking family farming production, traditional food in diet, physical activity and obesity in Pacific Islands countries and territories: the case of the Melanesian population on Lifou Island. OPEN RESEARCH EUROPE 2022; 1:135. [PMID: 37645099 PMCID: PMC10446099 DOI: 10.12688/openreseurope.13705.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
In the Melanesian culture, traditional activities are organized around family farming, although the lifestyle transition taking place over the last several decades has led to imbalances in diet and physical activity, with both leading to obesity. The aim of this interdisciplinary study was to understand the links between family farming (produced, exchanged, sold, and consumed food), diet (focused on produced, hunted, and caught food), physical activity (sedentary, light, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) and obesity in Melanesian Lifou Island families (parents and children). Forty families, including 142 adults and children, completed individual food frequency questionnaires, wore tri-axial accelerometers for seven continuous days, and had weight and height measured with a bio-impedance device. A family farming questionnaire was conducted at the household level concerning family farming practices and sociodemographic variables. Multinomial regression analyses and logistic regression models were used to analyze the data. Results showed that family farming production brings a modest contribution to diet and active lifestyles for the family farmers of Lifou Island. The drivers for obesity in these tribal communities were linked to diet in the adults, whereas parental socioeconomic status and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were the main factors associated to being overweight and obesity in children. These differences in lifestyle behaviors within families suggest a transition in cultural practices at the intergenerational level. Future directions should consider seasonality and a more in-depth analysis of diet including macro- and micro- nutrients to acquire more accurate information on the intergenerational transition in cultural practices and its consequences on health outcomes in the Pacific region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Galy
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Research in Education, EA 7483, University of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia
| | - Stéphane Frayon
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Research in Education, EA 7483, University of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia
| | - Marco Goldin
- TERAU: Territoires, acteurs et usages, Institut Agronomique néo-Calédonien (IAC), Pouembout, New Caledonia
| | - Paul Zongo
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Research in Education, EA 7483, University of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia
| | - Guillaume Wattelez
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Research in Education, EA 7483, University of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia
| | - Sonny Lameta
- School of Agriculture and Food Technology, The University South Pacific, Samoa Campus, Fiji
| | - Alan Quartermain
- School of Science & Technology, The University of Goroka, Goroka, 1078, Papua New Guinea
| | - Jean Marie Fotsing
- ISEA, University of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia, 98800, New Caledonia
| | - Séverine Bouard
- TERAU: Territoires, acteurs et usages, Institut Agronomique néo-Calédonien (IAC), Pouembout, New Caledonia
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Sociocultural Influences Contribute to Overeating and Unhealthy Eating: Creating and Maintaining an Obesogenic Social Environment in Indigenous Communities in Urban Fiji. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14142803. [PMID: 35889760 PMCID: PMC9318117 DOI: 10.3390/nu14142803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pacific Island countries (PICs), such as Fiji, lead the world statistics in obesity and deaths caused by non-communicable diseases. The impacts of obesity overburden the healthcare system and social services and have major impacts on the Fijian economy. This study is the first of its kind to undertake an in-depth exploration of the determinants of the obesity epidemic in PICs by exploring the sociocultural influences and situations that impact nutrient transitions, overconsumption, and unhealthy eating in an urban indigenous community. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 indigenous Fijian women from the largest urban center in Fiji who self-identified as gatekeepers of family meal planning, preparing, and shopping for groceries, fruits, and vegetables. The women identified several cultural norms and expectations of both the individuals providing the food and the individuals consuming the food that create and maintain an obesogenic social environment. Moreover, participants also shared a misplaced value on meat, energy-dense foods, junk food, and fast foods that further contribute to unhealthy eating and overeating within this urban indigenous community. These novel findings highlight the importance of considering sociocultural influences on unhealthy eating and overeating and may be used to assist decision-makers in developing contextualized obesity prevention strategies and health messaging to target obesity in this community.
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9
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Guell C, Brown CR, Navunicagi OW, Iese V, Badrie N, Wairiu M, Saint Ville A, Unwin N. Perspectives on strengthening local food systems in Small Island Developing States. Food Secur 2022; 14:1227-1240. [PMID: 35528949 PMCID: PMC9067893 DOI: 10.1007/s12571-022-01281-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) share high burdens of nutrition-related conditions, including non-communicable diseases, associated with an increasing reliance on imported, processed foods. Improving health through increasing the production and consumption of local, nutritious foods is a policy objective of many SIDS governments. This study aimed to understand contemporary challenges and opportunities to strengthening local food systems in two case study settings, Fiji and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Fifty-two in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders involved in local food production. Interviews were analysed by both country teams using thematic analysis. Local food production networks in both settings included formal governance bodies as well as more informal connections through civil society and communities. Their main function was the sharing of resources and knowledge, but levels of trust and cooperation between the stakeholders varied in a market open to intense competition from imports. Local food production was hindered by few and slow investments by local governments, dated technology, and lack of knowledge. Stakeholders believed this marginalisation was occurring against a background of rising preferences for imported foods in the population, and increasing disinterest in employment in the sector. Despite the challenges, strong narratives of resilience and opportunity were highlighted such as national pride in local produce for commercialisation and local diets. Efforts to support local food production in SIDS should focus on strengthening governance structures to prioritise local produce over corporate and import markets, assist collaboration and co-learning, and support alternative agro-food practices. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12571-022-01281-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Guell
- University of Exeter, European Centre for Environment & Human Health, Truro, UK
| | - Catherine R. Brown
- The University of the West Indies, George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, Bridgetown, Barbados
| | - Otto W. Navunicagi
- Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development, The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
| | - Viliamu Iese
- Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development, The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
| | - Neela Badrie
- Department of Food Production, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Morgan Wairiu
- Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development, The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
| | - Arlette Saint Ville
- Department of Geography, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Nigel Unwin
- University of Exeter, European Centre for Environment & Human Health, Truro, UK
- Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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10
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Oladele CR, Colón-Ramos U, Galusha D, Tran E, Adams OP, Maharaj RG, Nazario CM, Nunez M, Pérez-Escamilla R, Nunez-Smith M. Perceptions of the local food environment and fruit and vegetable intake in the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes research Network (ECHORN) Cohort study. Prev Med Rep 2022; 26:101694. [PMID: 35242499 PMCID: PMC8861285 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Studies conducted in the US and other high-income countries show that the local food environment influences dietary intakes that are protective for cardiovascular health.However, few studies have examined this relationship in the Caribbean. This study aimed to determine whether perceptions of the local food environment were associated with fruit and vegetable (FV) intake in the Eastern Caribbean, where daily FV intake remains below recommended levels. METHODS Cross-sectional analysis of Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network Cohort Study (ECS) baseline data (2013-2016) from Barbados, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and US Virgin Islands was conducted in 2020. The National Cancer Institute Dietary Screener Questionnaire was adapted to measure daily servings of FV. Existing scales were used to assess participant perceptions of the food environment (availability, affordability, and quality). Chi-square tests and Poisson regression were used for analyses. RESULTS Participants reported eating one mean daily serving of FV. Mean daily intake was higher among those who perceived FV as usually/always affordable, available, and high quality. Multivariate results showed statistically significant associations between FV and affordability. Persons who perceived FV as affordable had 0.10 more daily servings of FV compared to those who reported FV as not always affordable (p = 0.02). Food insecurity modified the association between affordability and FV intake. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the importance of affordability in consumption of FV in the Eastern Caribbean, and how this relationship may be modified by food insecurity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol R Oladele
- Equity Research and Innovation Center, Yale School of Medicine, 100 Church Street South, Suite A200, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Uriyoán Colón-Ramos
- Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW #2, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Deron Galusha
- Equity Research and Innovation Center, Yale School of Medicine, 100 Church Street South, Suite A200, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Emma Tran
- Equity Research and Innovation Center, Yale School of Medicine, 100 Church Street South, Suite A200, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Oswald P Adams
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Bridgetown, Barbados
| | - Rohan G Maharaj
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Cruz M Nazario
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Maxine Nunez
- University of the Virgin Islands, School of Nursing, St. Thomas, US VI, USA
| | - Rafael Pérez-Escamilla
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, 135 College Street, Suite 216, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Marcella Nunez-Smith
- Equity Research and Innovation Center, Yale School of Medicine, 100 Church Street South, Suite A200, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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