Papua New Guinea agri-food trade and household consumption trends point towards dietary change and increased overweight and obesity prevalence

What Do We Know about the Diets of Pacific Islander Adults in Papua New Guinea? A Scoping Review

While a large proportion of the population in Papua New Guinea (PNG) maintain a subsistence lifestyle, exposure to modernisation and industrialisation since European contact has influenced a transition towards Western diets. This review aimed to scope and summarise the published research on dietary intake among Pacific Islander adults in PNG. Four electronic databases and grey literature were searched. Two reviewers completed the screening and data extraction. Fourteen studies were included from the Highlands (n = 7), Southern (n = 5), Momase (n = 1) and both the Highlands/Southern region (n = 1). No studies were from the Islands region. The majority of the studies were published prior to the year 2000 (n = 9). Geographical region and degree of urbanisation had an impact on dietary intake. Urban areas reported higher intakes of energy, protein and fat compared to rural areas. In the Southern region, a variety of foods, including sago, taro, kaukau, cooked banana, coconut and cassava contributed to energy intake, while kaukau was the main energy and protein source in the Highlands. The main foods contributing to protein in the Southern region were fresh fish, land animals and purchased animals. This review highlights an evidence gap regarding dietary intake research. Within the context of international initiatives, there is an urgent call for research aimed at understanding the social and cultural contextualisation of dietary behaviours in PNG.

International food trade contributes to dietary risks and mortality at global, regional and national levels

Food trade is generally perceived to increase the availability and diversity of foods available to consumers, but there is little empirical evidence on its implications for human health. Here we show that a substantial proportion of dietary risks and diet-related mortality worldwide is attributable to international food trade and that whether the contributions of food trade are positive or negative depends on the types of food traded. Using bilateral trade data for 2019 and food-specific risk-disease relationships, we estimate that imports of fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts improved dietary risks in the importing countries and were associated with a reduction in mortality from non-communicable diseases of ~1.4 million deaths globally. By contrast, imports of red meat aggravated dietary risks in the importing countries and were associated with an increase of ~150,000 deaths. The magnitude of our findings suggests that considering impacts on dietary risks will become an important aspect of health-sensitive trade and agriculture policies, and of policy responses to disruptions in food chains.

Sociocultural Influences Contribute to Overeating and Unhealthy Eating: Creating and Maintaining an Obesogenic Social Environment in Indigenous Communities in Urban Fiji

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.