Balancing on the redline: a qualitative study of the experiences purchasing sugar-sweetened beverages among Indigenous adults in a Canadian urban neighbourhood.

OBJECTIVE: Growing evidence suggests that inner-city residents actively navigate their food landscape to meet a wide range of socio-economic needs. Given the increasing focus of health policies on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) through price-based strategies, it is critical to understand purchasing habits of populations with higher SSB intake. This study examined urban Indigenous adults' SSB shopping behaviour and experiences. METHODS: We conducted a community-based participatory research study using semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of Indigenous adults (≥ 18 years old) from the North End neighbourhood of Winnipeg. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed. RESULTS: All 20 participants (women = 10; men = 8; two-spirit = 2) consumed SSB on a regular, daily basis either at the time of the interview or at a prior period in their lives. Themes defining residents' SSB shopping behaviour and experiences of shopping for SSB included balancing on the redline, specifically (1) balancing SSB purchasing constraints and facilitators with savvy shopping approaches and (2) balancing (stereo)typical reactions with resilient coping approaches. Residents procured SSB in various stores within and beyond the boundaries of the North End neighbourhood. SSB is a considerable, reoccurring expense, requiring savvy price-shopping strategies in order to access. Indigenous adults experience judgement and stereotyping when purchasing SSB, including intersecting racial, class, and weight stigma. CONCLUSION: Purchasing SSB is perceived as a source of judgement when outside of inner-city neighbourhoods. Policymakers should consider how policies directed at SSB, which are consumed by Indigenous and food-insecure populations in greater quantities, may magnify existing racial, class, and weight-based discrimination.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: De l'évidence grandissante suggère que les résidents urbains naviguent activement leur environnement alimentaire pour rejoindre multiples niveaux socio-économiques. Étant donné l'intérêt grandissant envers nos principes de santé pour boissons sucrées (BS) en travers des stratégies à base de prix, il est critique de comprendre les habitudes d'achat des populations qui consomment le plus de BS. Cette étude a examiné les habitudes et expériences d'achats de BS d'adultes urbains Indigènes. MéTHODE: Nous avons fait une recherche participative dans une communauté utilisant des interviews semi-structurés utilisant un échantillon d'adultes Indigènes (≥ 18 ans) de la communauté « North End ¼ à Winnipeg. Les interviews ont été enregistrés, transcrits verbatim et analysés thématiquement. RéSULTATS: Tous les 20 participants (femmes = 10; hommes = 8, bispirituel = 2) ont consommé des BS régulièrement, à tous les jours, soit au temps de l'interview ou à un temps passé dans leur vie. Les thèmes qui définissent les habitudes d'achat de BS des résidents et leurs expériences d'achat de BS incluent : balancer sur la ligne rouge, en particulier (1) balancer les contraintes et facilitateurs d'achat de BS avec des approches d'achats astucieux et (2) balancer les réactions (stéréo)typiques aves des approches d'adaptation résilientes. Les résidents se procurent des BS dans multiples magasins à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur des limites de la communauté « North End ¼. Les BS sont une dépense considérable et récurrentes qui requiert des stratégies de prix d'achats astucieux. Les adultes indigènes expérience du jugement et des stéréotypes lors d'achats de BS, qui incluent des stigmatismes raciaux, classistes et à base de poids. CONCLUSION: L'achat de BS est perçu comme une source de jugement lorsqu'on sort des communautés du centre-ville. Les décideurs politiques devraient considérer que leur politique envers les BS, qui sont disproportionnellement consommés par les populations radicalisées et alimentairement insécures, peuvent aggraver les discriminations raciaux, classistes ou basées sur le poids.

Examining attitudes toward a proposed sugar-sweetened beverage tax among urban Indigenous adults: a qualitative study using a decolonizing lens.

BACKGROUND: Sugar-sweetened beverage taxation has been proposed as a public health policy to reduce consumption, and compared with other ethnic or racialized groups in Canada, off-reserve Indigenous populations consume sugar-sweetened beverages at higher frequencies and quantities. We sought to explore the acceptability and anticipated outcomes of a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages among Indigenous adults residing in an inner-city Canadian neighbourhood. METHODS: Using a community-based participatory research approach, we conducted semistructured interviews (November 2019-August 2020) with urban Indigenous adults using purposive sampling. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using theoretical thematic analysis. RESULTS: All 20 participants (10 female, 8 male and 2 two-spirit) consumed sugar-sweetened beverages on a regular, daily basis at the time of the interview or at some point in their lives. Most participants were opposed to and concerned about the prospect of sugar-sweetened beverage taxation owing to 3 interconnected themes: government is not trustworthy, taxes are ineffective and lead to inequitable outcomes, and Indigenous self-determination is critical. Participants discussed government's mismanagement of previous taxes and lack of prioritization of their community's specific needs. Most participants anticipated that Indigenous people in their community would continue to consume sugar-sweetened beverages, but that a tax would result in fewer resources for other necessities, including foods deemed healthy. INTERPRETATION: Low support for the tax among urban Indigenous people is characterized by distrust regarding the tax, policy-makers and its perceived effectiveness. Findings underscore the importance of self-determination in informing health policies that are equitable and nonstigmatizing.

Examining differences in diet quality between Canadian Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults: results from the 2004 and 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey Nutrition Surveys.

OBJECTIVES: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission includes a call to action to close gaps in health outcomes, including type 2 diabetes, of which diet quality must be considered an important mediator. The objectives of this study were to compare diet quality between off-reserve Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults in 2004 and 2015, and examine food security as a predictor of diet quality. METHODS: We employed a repeated cross-sectional design using the 2004 and 2015 Canadian Community Health Surveys-Nutrition. Both surveys include a representative sample of the Canadian population in the 10 provinces, excluding the northern territories and people living on-reserve. Healthy Eating Index (HEI) values were estimated, using 24-hour dietary recalls, for the Indigenous and non-Indigenous population in each time period. After matching, a generalized linear model was applied to test for differences in HEI between groups across time period, adjusting for household food security. RESULTS: Overall, HEI scores were not significantly different for Indigenous men and women in 2015 as compared with 2004, but continued to be lower compared with those of the non-Indigenous population. Indigenous adults reported significantly lower diet quality independent of food security status and other factors. Scores pertaining to percent energy from 'other' foods improved in 2015 compared with 2004. CONCLUSION: Dietary disparities persist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. While addressing household food insecurity among Indigenous populations is necessary to improve diet quality, it is not sufficient. Results suggest that factors other than food insecurity and socio-economic status are impacting disparities in diet quality among Indigenous adults.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIFS: L'un des appels à l'action lancé par la Commission de vérité et réconciliation vise à combler les écarts dans les résultats cliniques, notamment pour le diabète de type 2, dont la qualité du régime doit être considérée comme un médiateur important. Nous avons cherché à comparer la qualité du régime des adultes autochtones vivant hors réserve et des adultes non autochtones en 2004 et en 2015 et à examiner la sécurité alimentaire comme variable prédictive de la qualité du régime. MéTHODE: Nous avons employé un plan transversal répété en utilisant les Enquêtes sur la santé dans les collectivités canadiennes ­ Nutrition de 2004 et de 2015. Les deux enquêtes incluent un échantillon représentatif de la population canadienne dans les 10 provinces, sans les territoires nordiques ni les populations vivant dans les réserves. Les valeurs de l'Indice d'alimentation saine (IAS) ont été estimées, à l'aide de rappels alimentaires de 24 heures, pour la population autochtone et non autochtone durant chaque intervalle. Après appariement des données, nous avons appliqué un modèle linéaire généralisé pour découvrir les différentes valeurs de l'IAS entre les groupes au fil du temps, en apportant des ajustements pour tenir compte de la sécurité alimentaire des ménages. RéSULTATS: Dans l'ensemble, les valeurs de l'IAS n'étaient pas significativement différentes chez les hommes et les femmes autochtones en 2015 comparativement à 2004, mais elles restaient inférieures aux valeurs de l'IAS pour la population non autochtone. Les adultes autochtones ont déclaré une qualité du régime significativement inférieure, indépendamment de leur statut de sécurité alimentaire et d'autres facteurs. Les valeurs afférentes au pourcentage d'énergie provenant d' « autres ¼ aliments s'étaient améliorées en 2015 par rapport à 2004. CONCLUSION: Les disparités du régime alimentaire persistent entre les populations autochtones et non autochtones. Bien qu'il soit nécessaire d'aborder l'insécurité alimentaire des ménages dans les populations autochtones pour améliorer la qualité du régime, ce n'est pas suffisant. Nos résultats indiquent que d'autres facteurs que l'insécurité alimentaire et le statut socioéconomique accentuent les disparités dans la qualité du régime chez les adultes autochtones.

Diet quality among Indigenous and non-Indigenous children and youth in Canada in 2004 and 2015: a repeated cross-sectional design.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives were to describe changes in diet quality between off-reserve Indigenous and non-Indigenous children and youth from 2004 to 2015 and examine the association between food security and diet quality. DESIGN: We utilised a repeated cross-sectional design using both the 2004 and 2015 nutrition-focused Canadian Community Health Surveys, including 24-h dietary recall. Diet quality was estimated according to the Healthy Eating Index (HEI). SETTING: The surveys were conducted off-reserve in Canada's ten provinces. PARTICIPANTS: Our analysis included children and youth 2-17 years old (n 18 189). Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants were matched, and using a general linear model, we tested time period and (non-)Indigenous identifiers, including their interaction effect, as predictors of HEI. RESULTS: Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous children and youth had significantly higher HEI scores in 2015 as compared to 2004. There was not a significant (non-)Indigenous and time period interaction effect, indicating the improvements in diet quality in 2015 were similar between both Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. Improvements in diet quality are largely attributed to reductions in percentage energy from 'other' foods, though a disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children and youth persisted in 2015. Overall, food security was lower among the Indigenous population and positively, and independently, associated with diet quality overall, though this relationship differed between boys and girls. CONCLUSIONS: School policies may have contributed to similar improvements in diet quality among Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. However, an in-depth sex and gender-based analysis of the relationship between food security and diet quality is required.