Showing papers by "Katherine Gray-Donald published in 2001"

Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Is Lower and Saturated Fat Intake Is Higher among Canadians Reporting Smoking

Abstract: Understanding differences in dietary patterns by smoking status is important for nutritionists and health educators involved in helping individuals to make healthy dietary and lifestyle choices. Although smokers have a poor quality diet compared with nonsmokers, no study has examined nutritional adequacy and variability in the nutrient intake of smokers. The aim of this study was to compare dietary habits of smokers with nonsmokers in terms of nutrient intake, food groups contributing to nutrient intake, nutritional adequacy and day-to-day variation in nutrient intake. Noninstitutionalized adults aged 18--65 y (n = 1543) who participated in the Food Habits of Canadians Survey (1997--1998) were studied. Subjects, selected from across Canada using a multistage, random-sampling strategy, completed an in-home 24-h dietary recall. Repeat interviews were conducted in a subsample to estimate variability in nutrient intake. Smokers had higher intakes of total and saturated fat, and lower intakes of folate, vitamin C and fiber than nonsmokers. There were no significant differences in calcium, zinc and vitamin A intakes or day-to-day variation in nutrient intake by smoking status. Smokers consumed significantly fewer fruits and vegetables than nonsmokers, leading to lower intakes of folate and vitamin C. In conclusion, smokers have a less healthy diet than nonsmokers, placing them at higher risk for chronic disease as a result of both dietary and smoking habits. Diet may act as a confounder in smoking-disease relationships.

Food habits of Canadians: comparison of intakes in adults and adolescents to Canada's food guide to healthy eating.

Abstract: Over 25 years have elapsed since national food and nutrient intake data became available in Canada. Our goal was to describe present dietary intakes based on sociodemographic and 24-hour recall dietary interviews with adults and adolescents from households across the country. Within a multistage, stratified random sample of 80 enumeration areas, 1,543 randomly selected adults (aged 18-65) were enrolled in the study; 178 adolescents within the sampled households also participated. A comparison of food intake with Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating indicated that only males aged 13-34 met the minimum recommended intake levels for all four food groups. Mean milk products intake was below the minimum recommended level for all age groups of females and for men aged 35-65 years. Adolescent girls had low intakes of meat and alternatives. Daily grain product intakes were below five servings for women aged 50-65, as were vegetable and fruit intakes for women aged 18-40. Food choices from the "other foods" group contributed over 25% of energy and fat intake for all age and gender groups. These up-to-date data will be useful to dietitians, nutrition researchers, industry, and government in their efforts to promote Canadians' continued progress toward meeting food intake recommendations.

Sociocultural determinants of traditional food intake across indigenous communities in the Yukon and Denendeh

Abstract: Chronic non-communicable diseases related to excessive or unbalanced dietary intakes are on the rise among some Indigenous populations in Canada. Nutritional problems of Indigenous peoples arise in the transition from a traditional diet to a market diet characterised by highly processed foods with reduced nutrient density. This study used food frequency and 24-hour recall questionnaires to quantify traditional food intake in 18 communities in Denendeh (Western Northwest Territories) and the Yukon. These data allowed comparisons between the two regions (Yukon and Denendeh) and the two seasons of data collection (summer and winter, perceived to be the seasons of highest and lowest traditional food intake, respectively). Food choice in general is affected by a multitude of factors determined by individual, societal and environmental influences. In this study, individual, household, and community correlates of traditional food intake were assessed in order to construct a multivariate statistical model to describe the correlates of the quantity and diversity of traditional food intake in the Western Canadian Arctic. The variables used in this study reflected household demography, market food affordability, access to traditional food, individual characteristics such as age and gender, and perceptions about traditional food. The analysis of the associations between the traditional food correlates and traditional food intake in terms of quantity and diversity allowed for the description of the profile of men and women who are high consumers of traditional food in both regions. This study described and used a tool to measure traditional food diversity, which may be an appropriate indicator of the process of dietary change experienced by Indigenous Peoples in Denendeh and the Yukon.