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Vaillancourt C, Ahmed M, Kirk S, Labonté MÈ, Laar A, Mah CL, Minaker L, Olstad DL, Potvin Kent M, Provencher V, Prowse R, Raine KD, Schram A, Zavala-Mora D, Rancourt-Bouchard M, Vanderlee L. Food environment research in Canada: a rapid review of methodologies and measures deployed between 2010 and 2021. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2024; 21:18. [PMID: 38373957 PMCID: PMC10875887 DOI: 10.1186/s12966-024-01558-x] [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: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Numerous research methodologies have been used to examine food environments. Existing reviews synthesizing food environment measures have examined a limited number of domains or settings and none have specifically targeted Canada. This rapid review aimed to 1) map research methodologies and measures that have been used to assess food environments; 2) examine what food environment dimensions and equity related-factors have been assessed; and 3) identify research gaps and priorities to guide future research. A systematic search of primary articles evaluating the Canadian food environment in a real-world setting was conducted. Publications in English or French published in peer-reviewed journals between January 1 2010 and June 17 2021 and indexed in Web of Science, CAB Abstracts and Ovid MEDLINE were considered. The search strategy adapted an internationally-adopted food environment monitoring framework covering 7 domains (Food Marketing; Labelling; Prices; Provision; Composition; Retail; and Trade and Investment). The final sample included 220 articles. Overall, Trade and Investment (1%, n = 2), Labelling (7%, n = 15) and, to a lesser extent, Prices (14%, n = 30) were the least studied domains in Canada. Among Provision articles, healthcare (2%, n = 1) settings were underrepresented compared to school (67%, n = 28) and recreation and sport (24%, n = 10) settings, as was the food service industry (14%, n = 6) compared to grocery stores (86%, n = 36) in the Composition domain. The study identified a vast selection of measures employed in Canada overall and within single domains. Equity-related factors were only examined in half of articles (n = 108), mostly related to Retail (n = 81). A number of gaps remain that prevent a holistic and systems-level analysis of food environments in Canada. As Canada continues to implement policies to improve the quality of food environments in order to improve dietary patterns, targeted research to address identified gaps and harmonize methods across studies will help evaluate policy impact over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Vaillancourt
- École de Nutrition, Centre de Nutrition, Santé et Société (NUTRISS), Université Laval, 2425 Rue de L'Agriculture, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Mavra Ahmed
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Sara Kirk
- School of Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie University, 6230 South Street, Kjipuktuk (Halifax), NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Marie-Ève Labonté
- École de Nutrition, Centre de Nutrition, Santé et Société (NUTRISS), Université Laval, 2425 Rue de L'Agriculture, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Amos Laar
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 13, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Catherine L Mah
- School of Health Administration, Dalhousie University, 5850 College Street, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Leia Minaker
- School of Planning, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3T1, Canada
| | - Dana Lee Olstad
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Monique Potvin Kent
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, ON, K1G 5Z3, Canada
| | - Véronique Provencher
- École de Nutrition, Centre de Nutrition, Santé et Société (NUTRISS), Université Laval, 2425 Rue de L'Agriculture, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Rachel Prowse
- Division of Community Health and Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Kim D Raine
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, 11405 87 Ave Northwest, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1C9, Canada
| | - Ashley Schram
- School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet), ANU College of Asia & the Pacific, The Australian National University, 8 Fellows Road, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2600, Australia
| | - Daniela Zavala-Mora
- Science Library, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de La Médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Maryka Rancourt-Bouchard
- École de Nutrition, Centre de Nutrition, Santé et Société (NUTRISS), Université Laval, 2425 Rue de L'Agriculture, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Lana Vanderlee
- École de Nutrition, Centre de Nutrition, Santé et Société (NUTRISS), Université Laval, 2425 Rue de L'Agriculture, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.
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Dietary Intakes of Traditional Foods for Dene/Métis in the Dehcho and Sahtú Regions of the Northwest Territories. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14020378. [PMID: 35057559 PMCID: PMC8778830 DOI: 10.3390/nu14020378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A dietary transition away from traditional foods and toward a diet of the predominantly unhealthy market is a public health and sociocultural concern throughout Indigenous communities in Canada, including those in the sub-Arctic and remote regions of Dehcho and Sahtú of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The main aim of the present study is to describe dietary intakes for macronutrients and micronutrients in traditional and market food from the Mackenzie Valley study. We also show the trends of contributions and differences of dietary intakes over time from 1994 data collected and reported by the Centre for Indigenous People’s Nutrition and Environment (CINE) in 1996. Based on 24-h dietary recall data, the study uses descriptive statistics to describe the observed dietary intake of the Dene First Nations communities in the Dehcho and Sahtú regions of the NWT. Indigenous people in Canada, like the sub-Arctic regions of Dehcho and Sahtú of the NWT, continue to consume traditional foods, although as a small percentage of their total dietary intake. The observed dietary intake calls for action to ensure that traditional food remains a staple as it is critical for the wellbeing of Dene in the Dehcho and Sahtú regions and across the territory.
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Brammer JR, Menzies AK, Carter LS, Giroux-Bougard X, Landry-Cuerrier M, Leblanc ML, Neelin MN, Studd EK, Humphries MM. Weighing the importance of animal body size in traditional food systems. Facets (Ott) 2022. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2020-0023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditional food systems based on harvest from the local environment are fundamental to the well-being of many communities, but their security is challenged by rapid socio-ecological change. We synthesized literature and data describing how a fundamental form of biodiversity, animal body size, contributes to the security of traditional food systems through relationships with species availability, accessibility, adequacy, and use. We found larger vertebrate species were more available, accessible, and used on a per kilogram basis, particularly for mammals. Conversely, larger species were no more or less adequate from a combined nutritional, health, and cultural perspective. Larger species represented more biomass, and this biomass required less time to harvest, with greater but more variable mean caloric returns over time. Smaller species provided more consistent caloric returns and were harvested during documented shortages of prey. This reliance on species with a range of body sizes is consistent with optimal foraging theory and the evolutionary value of flexibility, and highlights the importance of a biodiverse pool of species for traditional food security in times of change. Our synthesis of published literature and data highlights the many socio-ecological correlates of species size and how these relate to the security of traditional food systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy R. Brammer
- Natural Resources Department, Vuntut Gwitchin Government, P.O. Box 94, Old Crow, Yukon, Y0B 1N0, Canada
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Raven Road, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Allyson K. Menzies
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Laurence S. Carter
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Xavier Giroux-Bougard
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Manuelle Landry-Cuerrier
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Melanie-Louise Leblanc
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Mikhaela N. Neelin
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Emily K. Studd
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Murray M. Humphries
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
- Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition and Environment, McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec H9X 3V9, Canada
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Batal M, Chan HM, Fediuk K, Ing A, Berti P, Sadik T, Johnson-Down L. Importance of the traditional food systems for First Nations adults living on reserves in Canada. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH = REVUE CANADIENNE DE SANTE PUBLIQUE 2021; 112:20-28. [PMID: 34181221 PMCID: PMC8239073 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-020-00353-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe the traditional food (TF) systems of First Nations in Canada, including intake, barriers and promoters. METHODS The First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study is a cross-Canada participatory study of First Nations adults below the 60th parallel that obtained data for communities excluded from other national studies. A food frequency questionnaire was used to establish frequency of TF intake (number of days in a year) to allow comparisons across ecozones/regions in Canada. Grams of TF intake were also calculated using frequency multiplied by average portions from 24-h recalls. Closed- and open-ended questions attempted to identify some of the key barriers and concerns regarding TF access and use. Multivariable analyses were run to determine what factors are associated with increased TF consumption. RESULTS Across communities, there is a strong preference by adults to have TF in the diet more often. Consumption of land animals was most frequently reported in most ecozones except for the Pacific Maritime and Mixedwood Plains, where fish and plants, respectively, were more frequently consumed. First Nations identified structural and environmental challenges such as development, government regulations and climate change, along with household barriers such as insufficient capital for equipment and transportation, lack of time and absence of a hunter in the household. Multivariable analyses revealed that the highest intake of TF occurred in the Taiga Plains ecozone, and for older individuals and men. CONCLUSION Identifying solutions that empower First Nations at all levels is required to overcome the multiple challenges to the inclusion of TF in the diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malek Batal
- Département de nutrition, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Pavillon Liliane de Stewart, CP 6128 succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3T 1A8, Canada.
- Centre de recherche en santé publique de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSS du Centre-sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (CReSP), 7101 Avenue du Parc, Montréal, QC, H3N 1X7, Canada.
| | - Hing Man Chan
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Karen Fediuk
- First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Amy Ing
- Département de nutrition, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Pavillon Liliane de Stewart, CP 6128 succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3T 1A8, Canada
| | - Peter Berti
- HealthBridge Foundation of Canada, 1 Nicholas Street, Suite 1004, Ottawa, ON, K1N 7B7, Canada
| | - Tonio Sadik
- Assembly of First Nations, 55 Metcalfe Street, Suite 1600, Ottawa, ON, K1P 6L5, Canada
| | - Louise Johnson-Down
- Département de nutrition, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Pavillon Liliane de Stewart, CP 6128 succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3T 1A8, Canada
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Batal M, Chan HM, Fediuk K, Ing A, Berti PR, Mercille G, Sadik T, Johnson-Down L. First Nations households living on-reserve experience food insecurity: prevalence and predictors among ninety-two First Nations communities across Canada. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH = REVUE CANADIENNE DE SANTE PUBLIQUE 2021; 112:52-63. [PMID: 34181224 PMCID: PMC8239078 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-021-00491-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe the prevalence of food insecurity in First Nations households across Canada while identifying barriers and enablers to traditional food (TF) consumption. METHODS 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. RESULTS 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 food insecurity than children. Most adults would like to have more TF in their diet but state that factors such as financial and household constraints, industrial activities, government regulations, climate change, and fear of contamination impede greater access. Food costs were substantially higher in remote First Nations communities, but remoteness was not associated with food security in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION Existing systems have been unsuccessful in curbing the food insecurity in First Nations households. Improving food security hinges on achieving Indigenous Food Sovereignty, the key to long-term conservation and stewardship of the land and the co-management of these by Indigenous Peoples. Studies investigating the feasibility of increasing TF from an Indigenous perspective are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malek Batal
- Département de nutrition, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Pavillon Liliane de Stewart, CP 6128 succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3T 1A8, Canada.
- Centre de recherche en santé publique de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSS du Centre-sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (CReSP), 7101 Avenue du Parc, Montréal, QC, H3N 1X7, Canada.
| | - Hing Man Chan
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
- First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Karen Fediuk
- First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Amy Ing
- Département de nutrition, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Pavillon Liliane de Stewart, CP 6128 succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3T 1A8, Canada
| | - Peter R Berti
- HealthBridge Foundation of Canada, 1 Nicholas Street, Suite 1004, Ottawa, ON, K1N 7B7, Canada
| | - Genevieve Mercille
- Département de nutrition, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Pavillon Liliane de Stewart, CP 6128 succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3T 1A8, Canada
- Centre de recherche en santé publique de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSS du Centre-sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (CReSP), 7101 Avenue du Parc, Montréal, QC, H3N 1X7, Canada
| | - Tonio Sadik
- Assembly of First Nations, 55 Metcalfe Street, Suite 1600, Ottawa, ON, K1P 6L5, Canada
| | - Louise Johnson-Down
- Département de nutrition, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Pavillon Liliane de Stewart, CP 6128 succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3T 1A8, Canada
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Loukes KA, Ferreira C, Gaudet JC, Robidoux MA. Can selling traditional food increase food sovereignty for First Nations in northwestern Ontario (Canada)? FOOD AND FOODWAYS 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/07409710.2021.1901385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Keira A. Loukes
- School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Indigenous Health Research Group, University of Ottawa, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Celeste Ferreira
- School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Indigenous Health Research Group, University of Ottawa, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Janice Cindy Gaudet
- Indigenous Health Research Group, Campus Saint-Jean, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Michael A. Robidoux
- School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Indigenous Health Research Group, University of Ottawa, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Stoll NL, Westbrook CJ. Beaver dam capacity of Canada's boreal plain in response to environmental change. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16800. [PMID: 33033269 PMCID: PMC7546727 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73095-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental changes are altering the water cycle of Canada's boreal plain. Beaver dams are well known for increasing water storage and slowing flow through stream networks. For these reasons beavers are increasingly being included in climate change adaptation strategies. But, little work focuses on how environmental changes will affect dam building capacity along stream networks. Here we estimate the capacity of the stream network in Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba, Canada to support beaver dams under changing environmental conditions using a modelling approach. We show that at capacity, the park's stream network can support 24,690 beaver dams and hold between 8.2 and 12.8 million m3 of water in beaver ponds. Between 1991 and 2016 the park's vegetation composition shifted to less preferred beaver forage, which led to a 13% decrease in maximum dam capacity. We also found that dam capacity is sensitive to the size of regularly-occurring floods-doubling the 2-year flood reduces the park's dam capacity by 21%. The results show that the potential for beaver to offset some expected climatic-induced changes to the boreal water cycle is more complex than previously thought, as there is a feedback wherein dam capacity can be reduced by changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nichole-Lynn Stoll
- Department of Geography and Planning, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5C8, Canada
| | - Cherie J Westbrook
- Department of Geography and Planning, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5C8, Canada.
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