Dietary adequacy and dietary quality of inuit in the canadian arctic who smoke and the potential implications for chronic disease

OBJECTIVE: To compare dietary intake and quality among adult Inuit by smoking status.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional study using data from a validated quantitative FFQ.

SETTING: Three isolated communities in Nunavut, Canada.

SUBJECTS: Adult Inuit (n 208), aged between 19 and 79 years, from randomly selected households.

RESULTS: Average energy intake did not differ between male smokers (n 22) and non-smokers (n 14; 16 235 kJ and 13 503 kJ; P = 0·18), but was higher among female smokers (n 126) compared with non-smokers (n 46; 12 704 kJ and 8552 kJ; P < 0·0001). Average daily nutrient intakes were similar among men and higher among female smokers compared with non-smokers for all nutrients (P ≤ 0·05) except n-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin D and Se. Female smokers had lower intake densities of thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, Mg, Na (P ≤ 0·05), protein, n-3 fatty acids, cholesterol, Fe (P ≤ 0·01), vitamin B12 and Se (P ≤ 0·001). Between 20 % and 50 % of male and female smokers were below the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for Ca, folate, Mg and vitamins A and K, and more than 50 % were below the DRI for fibre and vitamin E. The proportion of smokers below the DRI was lower for all nutrients, except fibre and folate among men. Among smokers, non-nutrient-dense foods and traditional foods contributed less to energy (-2·1 % and -2·0 %, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: Adult smokers consumed fewer nutrient-dense, traditional foods, but had increased energy intake, which likely contributed to fewer dietary inadequacies compared with non-smokers. Promoting traditional food consumption supplemented with market-bought fruits and vegetables is important to improve dietary quality, especially among smokers.