Dietary agrobiodiversity for improved nutrition and health outcomes within a transitioning indigenous Solomon Island food system

Indigenous food systems of Pacific Small Island Developing Countries contain vast biological and cultural diversity. However, a nutrition transition is underway, characterized by shifts away from traditional diets in favour of imported and modern foods, contributing to some of the highest rates of obesity and Diabetes Type 2 Mellitus in the world. Using a mixed method approach, this study aimed to assess dietary agrobiodiversity’s relationship with nutrition indicators related to diet quality and anthropometrics within the context of the rural and Indigenous food system of Baniata village, located in the Western Province of Solomon Islands (Melanesia). A secondary aim was to evaluate the contribution of agrobiodiversity from the local food system to diet quality. A comprehensive nutrition survey was administered to the women primarily responsible for cooking of randomly selected households (n = 30). Additionally, 14 participatory focus group discussions captured the historical narrative of food system transitions, were hosted over a period of seven days, and included men, women and youth. Dietary intakes of the participants were reported below the estimated average requirement (EAR) for several essential nutrients, including protein (53%), calcium (96.6%), vitamin B1 (86.6%), vitamin B2 (80%), vitamin A (80%), zinc (40%) and fibre (77%). Focus group participants built a timeline of key historical and climatic transitions perceived to be drivers of dietary shifts away from traditional foods and towards imported and processed foods. Participants identified 221 species and varieties of agrobiodiverse foods available for cultivation or wild collection. Based on 24 h diet recalls, 87 were found to be utilised. Participants who consumed foods of a wider diversity of species richness had a higher probability of achieving recommended nutrition intakes and a lower body fat percentage (r2 = 0.205; p = 0.012). Our results suggest a nutrition transition is underway, and strategies harnessing traditional knowledge of nutrient-dense, agrobiodiverse foods can help improve food and nutrition security

Most Commonly-Consumed Food Items by Food Group, and by Province, in China: Implications for Diet Quality Monitoring

Dietary quality is of great significance to human health at all country income levels. However, low-cost and simple methods for population-level assessment and monitoring of diet quality are scarce. Within these contexts, our study aimed to identify the sentinel foods nationally and by province of 29 food groups to adapt the diet quality questionnaire (DQQ) for China, and validate the effectiveness of the DQQ using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). The DQQ is a rapid dietary assessment tool with qualitative and quantitative analysis to determine appropriate sentinel foods to represent each of 29 food groups. Dietary data of 13,076 participants aged 15 years or older were obtained from wave 2011 of CHNS, and each food and non-alcoholic beverage was grouped into 29 food groups of the DQQ. The data were analyzed to determine the most commonly consumed food items in each food group, nationally and in each province. Key informant interviews of 25 individuals familiar with diets in diverse provinces were also conducted to identify food items that may be more common in specific provinces. China’s DQQ was finalized based on identification of sentinel foods from the key informant interviews, and initial national results of the quantitative data. Consumption of sentinel foods accounted for over 95% of people who consumed any food item in each food group, at national levels and in all provinces for almost all food groups, indicating the reliability of the sentinel food approach. Food-group consumption data can be obtained through DQQ to analyze dietary diversity as well as compliance with WHO global dietary guidance on healthy diets, providing a low-burden, food-group-based and simple method for China to evaluate diet quality at the whole population level

Assessing Diet Quality of Indigenous Food Systems in Three Geographically Distinct Solomon Islands Sites (Melanesia, Pacific Islands)

Indigenous Solomon Islanders, like many living in Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS), are currently experiencing the global syndemic—the combined threat of obesity, undernutrition, and climate change. This mixed-method study aimed to assess nutrition transitions and diet quality by comparing three geographically unique rural and urban indigenous Solomon Islands populations. Participants in rural areas sourced more energy from wild and cultivated foods; consumed a wider diversity of foods; were more likely to meet WHO recommendations of >400 g of non-starchy fruits and vegetables daily; were more physically active; and had significantly lower body fat, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI) when compared to urban populations. Urban populations were found to have a reduced ability to self-cultivate agri-food products or collect wild foods, and therefore consumed more ultra-processed foods (classified as NOVA 4) and takeout foods, and overall had less diverse diets compared to rural populations. Clear opportunities to leverage traditional knowledge and improve the cultivation and consumption of underutilized species can assist in building more sustainable and resilient food systems while ensuring that indigenous knowledge and cultural preferences are respected

Health and other impacts of community food production in Small Island Developing States: a systematic scoping review

Objective. To explore what is known on community-based food production initiatives (CFPIs) in Small Island Developing States, particularly the health, social, economic, and environmental impacts of and on CFPIs. Methods. This was a systematic scoping review using 14 electronic databases to identify articles published from 1997 to 2016 on the topic of CFPIs in Small Island Developing States. From 8 215 articles found, 153 were eligible and abstracted. Analysis focused on geographic location, typology, methodology, study design, theoretical frameworks, and impacts. Results. Most research was conducted in the Pacific or Caribbean (49% and 43% of studies, respectively) and primarily focused on fishing and crop farming (40%, 34%). Findings indicate a predominance of research focusing on the environmental impact of marine and coastal resources on CFPIs, and very limited evidence of CFPI impact on human health, particularly nutrition and diet-related outcomes. There was a lack of explicit theoretical frameworks to explain the impacts of CFPIs. Conclusions. Evidence of impacts of CPFIs in Small Island Developing States is limited and the approaches taken are inconsistent. This review demonstrates the need and provides a basis for developing a coherent body of methods to examine the impacts of CFPIs and provide evidence to guide policy, especially as it relates to health

Assessing the performance of national sentinel food lists at subnational levels in six countries

Abstract Objective: To assess how well national sentinel lists of the most frequently consumed foods in each food group capture data at subnational levels to measure minimum diet diversity (MDD). Design: We analysed data from seven surveys with 24-h open dietary recalls to evaluate: (1) the percentage of reported foods that were included in each sentinel food list; (2) whether these lists captured consumption of some food groups better than others and (3) differences between estimates of dietary diversity calculated from all food items mentioned in the open 24-h recall v. only food items included in the sentinel lists. Setting: Seven subnational areas: Bangladesh (2), Benin, Colombia, Kenya, Malawi and Nepal. Participants: 8094 women 15–49 years; 4588 children 6–23 months. Results: National sentinel food lists captured most foods reportedly consumed by women (84 %) and children (86 %). Food groups with the highest variability were ‘other fruits’ and ‘other vegetables.’ MDD calculated from the sentinel list was, on average, 6·5 (women) and 4·1 (children) percentage points lower than when calculated from open 24-h recalls, with a statistically significant difference in most subnational areas. Conclusion: National sentinel food lists can provide reliable data at subnational levels for most food groups, with some variability by country and sub-region. Assessing the accuracy of national sentinel food lists, especially for fruits and vegetables, before using them at the subnational level could avoid potentially underestimating dietary diversity and provide more accurate local information for programmes, policy and research

Healthy diet metrics: a suitability assessment of indicators for global and national monitoring purposes

Diets are changing everywhere, and the burden of disease associated with unhealthy diets is a worldwide concern. Measurement and monitoring of diets across countries and population groups is critical. However, there are no harmonized metrics for tracking how the healthfulness of diets around the world is evolving.This report assesses the validity, usefulness and fitness for purpose of existing healthy diet metrics as global and national monitoring indicators, presents a comparative assessment of selected healthy diet metrics and discusses priorities and opportunities to improve diet monitoring.This report is an important first step of the Healthy Diets Monitoring Initiative to respond to the need for developing healthy diets metrics for assessing and monitoring diets at national and global level