Dietary adequacy and alcohol consumption of Inuvialuit women of child-bearing age in the Northwest Territories, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies highlight a possible association between alcohol-drinking patterns and dietary inadequacies, which may have negative implications, particularly for women of child-bearing age. The present study aimed to compare dietary adequacy among alcohol drinkers versus nondrinkers in Inuvialuit women of child-bearing age. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 92 randomly selected women of childbearing age (19-44 years) was conducted in three communities in the Northwest Territories of Arctic Canada, using a validated quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Data were analysed to compare mean daily energy and nutrient intakes, dietary adequacy and nutrient densities (per 4184 kJ) between alcohol drinkers and nondrinkers, as well as heavy drinkers and nonheavy drinkers, using the nonparametric Wilcoxen rank sum test. RESULTS: The response rate was between 65% and 85% depending on the community sampled. Of the study participants, 54% (n = 49) were drinkers and 46% (n = 42) were nondrinkers. Of the drinkers, 45% (n = 22) were heavy drinkers. Mean energy intakes were high among all women, although they were significantly higher among drinkers [17,179 kJ (4106 kcal)] compared to nondrinkers [13,317 kJ (3183 kcal)]. There were no significant differences in nutrient intake between the two groups; however, drinkers had a lower nutrient density for most nutrients. Heavy drinkers had a significantly lower nutrient density for all nutrients, except protein, iron, and vitamins B6 , C and D, compared to nonheavy drinkers. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study provide evidence of inadequate dietary intake among Inuvialuit of child-bearing age, regardless of alcohol-drinking behaviour.

Nutritional composition of commonly consumed composite dishes from rural villages in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Accurate nutrient composition data for composite dishes unique to a population is essential for the development of a nutrient database and the calculation of dietary intake. The present study aimed to provide the nutritional composition of composite dishes frequently consumed in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. METHODS: Commonly consumed composite dishes were identified using 24-h recalls collected from 79 randomly selected community members. Multiple recipes were collected for each reported dish. The mean nutritional composition of each dish was calculated per 100 g using the nutribase clinical nutrition manager (Cybersoft Inc., Phoenix, AZ, USA). RESULTS: A total of 79 recipes were collected for 16 commonly consumed dishes (seven meat-based, five starch-based and four legume/vegetable-based). 'Fried chicken' contained the most energy [1469 kJ (351 kcal)], protein (29.7 g), fat (23.7 g), cholesterol (123 mg) and niacin (8.4 mg). 'Fried beef' contained the most potassium (495 mg) and zinc (6.4 mg), whereas 'fish stew' had the most vitamin D (4.2 µg) and calcium (215 mg). 'Fried cabbage' and 'fried spinach' contained the largest percent energies from fat, at 79% and 76%, respectively. A traditional sweet bread, 'jeqe', made with fortified flour contributed significantly to iron (4.6 mg), niacin (4.5 µg) and folate (129 µg). The sodium content of dishes ranged from 88 to 679 mg per 100 g. CONCLUSIONS: The nutritional composition data for commonly consumed dishes in rural KwaZulu-Natal is presented. Although the dishes are good sources of protein, vitamins and minerals, they also contain substantial amounts of fat. This culturally appropriate information will enable the calculation of dietary intake and can be used to encourage the consumption of recipes rich in key nutrients.