Dataset Information

Household Food Insecurity Is a Stronger Marker of Adequacy of Nutrient Intakes among Canadian Compared to American Youth and Adults.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The most recent statistics indicate that the prevalence of food insecurity in the United States is double that in Canada, but the extent to which the nutrition implications of this problem differ between the countries is not known.

Objective

This study was undertaken to compare adequacy of nutrient intakes in relation to household food insecurity among youth and adults in Canada and the United States.

Methods

Data from comparable nationally representative surveys, the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey and the 2003-2006 NHANES, were used to estimate prevalences of inadequate intakes of vitamins A and C, folate, calcium, magnesium, and zinc among youth and adults in food-secure and food-insecure households. Potential differences in the composition of the populations between the 2 countries were addressed by using standardization, and analyses also accounted for participation in food and nutrition assistance programs in the United States.

Results

Larger gaps in the prevalences of inadequate intakes between those in food-secure and food-insecure households were observed in Canada than in the United States for calcium and magnesium. For calcium, the prevalences of inadequate intakes among those in food-secure and food-insecure households in Canada were 50% and 66%, respectively, compared with 50% and 51%, respectively, in the United States. For magnesium, the prevalences of inadequate intakes in Canada were 39% and 60% among those in food-secure and food-insecure households, respectively, compared with 60% and 61%, respectively, in the United States. These findings were largely unchanged after we accounted for participation in food and nutrition assistance programs in the United States.

Conclusions

This study suggests that household food insecurity is a stronger marker of nutritional vulnerability in Canada than in the United States. The results highlight the need for research to elucidate the effects of domestic policies affecting factors such as food prices and fortification on the nutritional manifestations of food insecurity.

SUBMITTER: Kirkpatrick SI

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4478948 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundAccurate estimates of the usual intake of nutrients are important for monitoring nutritional adequacy and diet quality of populations. In Canada, comprehensive, nationally representative nutrient estimates have not been available since the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)-Nutrition 2004 survey.ObjectiveThe objective of this research was to assess nutrient intakes, distributions, and adequacy of the intakes of Canadian adults.MethodsParticipants' first 24-h dietary recall, and the second-day recall from a subset of participants from the recently released CCHS 2015 Public Use Microdata File (PUMF) were used to estimate usual intakes of macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals in adults [≥19 y, excluding lactating females and those with invalid energy intake (EI)]. Usual intakes by DRI age-sex groups were estimated using the National Cancer Institute method, adjusted for age, sex, misreporting status, weekend/weekday, and sequence of recall analyzed (first/second) with outliers removed (final sample, n = 11,992). Usual intakes from food were assessed for prevalence of inadequacy in relation to DRI recommendations.ResultsCanadian macronutrient intakes were within the recommended acceptable macronutrient distribution ranges. EI was 2154 kcal/d for males (19+) and 1626 kcal/d for females (19+). A high prevalence of inadequate intakes was seen for vitamin A (>47%), vitamin D (>94%), vitamin C (>29% for nonsmokers and >59% for smokers), magnesium (>45%), and calcium (>44%), whereas <25% and <40% of adults (19+) had intakes above the adequate intake for fiber and potassium, respectively. Canadians continue to consume sodium in excess of recommendations (74.8% of males and 47.6% of females).ConclusionsA significant number of Canadian adults may not be meeting recommendations for several essential nutrients, contributing to nutrient inadequacies. These results highlight the nutrients of concern by specific age-sex groups that may be important for public health interventions aimed at improving diet quality and nutrient adequacy for Canadian adults.

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