Wild fish consumption and latitude as drivers of vitamin D status among Inuit living in Nunavik, northern Québec.

OBJECTIVE: To measure vitamin D status and estimate factors associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in Nunavimmiut (Inuit living in Nunavik) adults in 2017. DESIGN: Data were from Qanuilirpitaa? 2017 Nunavik Inuit Health Survey, a cross-sectional study conducted in August-October 2017. Participants underwent a questionnaire, including an FFQ, and blood samples were analysed for total serum 25(OH)D. SETTING: Nunavik, northern Québec, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: A stratified proportional model was used to select respondents, including 1,155 who identified as Inuit and had complete data. RESULTS: Geometric mean serum vitamin D levels were 65·2 nmol/l (95 % CI 62·9-67·6 nmol/l) among women and 65·4 nmol/l (95 % CI 62·3-68·7 nmol/l) among men. The weighted prevalence of serum 25(OH)D < 75 nmol/l, <50 nmol/l <30 nmol/l was 61·2 %, 30·3 % and 7·0 %, respectively. Individuals who were older, female, lived in smaller and/or more southerly communities and/or consumed more country (traditional) foods were at a reduced risk of low vitamin D status. Higher consumption of wild fish was specifically associated with increased serum 25(OH)D concentration. CONCLUSION: It is important that national, regional and local policies and programs are in place to secure harvest, sharing and consumption of nutritious and culturally important country foods like Arctic char and other wild fish species, particularly considering ongoing climate change in the Arctic which impacts the availability, access and quality of fish as food.

Identifying Barriers and Pathways Linking Fish and Seafood to Food Security in Inuit Nunangat: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Fish and seafood play an important role in improving food security in Inuit Nunangat. Therefore, this scoping review aims to explore (1) what topics and/or themes have been widely explored in the literature related to barriers and pathways linking fish and seafood to food security; (2) where research, policy, and action gaps exist; and (3) how fisheries currently contribute to food security. METHODS: A systematic search of peer-reviewed articles was conducted using six databases. Articles were screened by two independent reviewers. Eligible studies included primary research conducted in Inuit Nunangat that explored the roles of fish and seafood in food security. RESULTS: Thirty-one articles were included for review. Overall, we found that fisheries can influence food security through direct pathways (e.g., consuming fish for nutrition), and through indirect pathways such as increasing household purchasing power (e.g., through employment). Research indicated that policies relating to wildlife and fisheries management need to be integrated with food and health policies to better address food insecurity in Inuit Nunangat. CONCLUSION: Future research is needed to establish a more robust understanding of the explicit mechanisms that fish and seafood harvest and/or the participation in commercial fisheries alleviates household food insecurity.

Experiences of wellbeing and resilience among refugee mothers and families in Calgary during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the role of participation in HIPPY, a home visiting program.

In order to provide meaningful and effective support to refugees in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as during post-pandemic recovery efforts, it is critical to explore the experiences of refugee mothers and families during the pandemic, and to identify sources of resilience that can be leveraged to promote individual and household wellbeing. From November 2020 to June 2021, we conducted in-depth interviews with mothers from refugee backgrounds (n = 28) who resettled in Calgary, Alberta and are currently participating in the Multicultural Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program. Interviews were conducted virtually using Microsoft Teams; we sought to better understand the pathways and barriers to wellbeing experienced by refugee mothers during the pandemic. The results indicate that the refugee mothers and families in our study experienced widespread disruptions to education and employment and increased motherhood burden, contributing to diminished wellbeing. Mental health was further impacted by heightened levels of worry, stress and social isolation, as well as intense fear pertaining to the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Some mothers reported experiencing barriers to accessing healthcare services and reliable health information during the pandemic. In the face of these challenges, the mothers demonstrated great resilience and identified tangible individual, household and extra-household factors and resources that supported them in coping with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, our findings suggest that participation in HIPPY played a significant role in fostering the resilience of the participating mothers and families during the pandemic, speaking to the potential of home visiting intervention models in mitigating household hardship during current and future public health crises.