Dietary Characteristics of Eastern James Bay Cree Women

Food use and nutrient intake were studies with Cree women of Wemindji and Eastmain, Quebec. During summer 1994 and winter 1995, 24-hour recalls and food frequency questionnaires were collected from 219 women of three age groups (20-40; 41-60; >60 years). While reported energy intakes were somewhat low, 94% of the women exceeded 2/3 of the recommended nutrient intake (RNI) for protein, and 80% exceeded 2/3 of the RNI for iron. However, 44% of the women reported calcium intakes of less than 1/2 the RNI. Mean total fat intake reported by young and middle adults was greater than 30% of total energy. Primary sources of fat were market food, indicating that education efforts targeting fat intake should emphasize market food choices. Species and amounts of traditional food consumed varied by season. The percentage of elders who consumed traditional food was significantly higher (p<0.001, Chi² = 29, Mantel-Haenzel) than those of traditional food users in the middle and young age groups. Dietary data for the James Bay Cree, which were lacking prior to this research, are important resources for those working in health and wellness with this population group and other aboriginal groups that use traditional food.On a étudié l'utilisation de la nourriture et l'apport nutritif chez des femmes cris de Wemindji et de Eastmain au Québec. Durant l'été de 1994 et l'hiver de 1995, on a recueilli des rappels de 24 heures sur les aliments et des questionnaires portant sur la fréquence de consommation de certains aliments auprès de 219 femmes appartenant à trois groupes d'âge (20 à 40, 41 à 60 et > 60 ans). Alors que les apports en énergie mentionnés étaient plutôt bas, 94 p. cent des femmes dépassaient les deux tiers de l'apport nutritionnel recommandé (ANR) en protéines, et 80 p. cent dépassaient les deux tiers de l'ANR en fer. Cependant, 44 p. cent des femmes ont déclaré des apports de calcium inférieurs à la moitié de l'ANR. La moyenne de l'apport total en gras rapporté par les jeunes adultes et les adultes d'âge moyen était supérieure à 30 p. cent de l'énergie totale. Les principales sources de gras étaient les aliments provenant du marché, ce qui révèle que les efforts en vue d'éduquer les consommateurs sur l'apport en gras devraient insister sur les choix qui s'offrent dans les aliments disponibles au marché. Les espèces et les quantités d'aliments traditionnels consommés variaient avec les saisons. Le pourcentage d'anciens qui consommaient la nourriture traditionnelle était sensiblement supérieur (p < 0,001, chi² = 29, Mantel-Haenszel) à celui des utilisateurs d'aliments traditionnels situés dans le groupe des jeunes adultes et celui des adultes d'âge moyen. Les données alimentaires pour les Cris de la Baie James, inexistantes avant ces recherches, constituent d'importantes ressources pour les personnes travaillant en santé et mieux-être avec ce groupe de population et d'autres groupes autochtones qui utilisent des aliments traditionnels

Tribal Water Rights: Exploring Dam Construction in Indian Country

Introduction – Tribal Environmental Public Health The environment, particularly, land and water, play a powerful role in sustaining and supporting American Indian and Alaska Native communities in the United States. Not only is water essential to life and considered — by some Tribes — a sacred food in and of itself, but environmental water resources are necessary to maintain habitat for hunting and fishing. Many American Indian and Alaska Native communities incorporate locally caught traditional subsistence foods into their diets, and the loss of access to subsistence foods represents a risk factor for food security and nutrition status in indigenous populations.1 Negative health outcomes, including obesity, diabetes and cancer, have accompanied declines in traditional food use in indigenous communities throughout the United States.2 This paper will outline the legal and policy framework related to Tribal water rights, with a particular focus on the environmental public health impacts of dam construction in Indian Country. The paper will spotlight three distinct projects — the Dalles Dam on the Columbia River, the Elwha River Dams on the Elwha River, and the Pick-Sloan Missouri River Basin Program — to highlight impacts related to health and well-being, water rights, and land use

Culture, environment, and food to prevent vitamin A deficiency

Published jointly by INFDC and IDRCCompanion volume to: Community assessment of natural food sources of vitamin A : guidelines for an ethnographic protoco

Diabetes is a Strong Predictor of Mortality During Tuberculosis Treatment: A Prospective Cohort Study Among Tuberculosis Patients from Mwanza, Tanzania.

Strong evidence suggests diabetes may be associated with tuberculosis (TB) and could influence TB treatment outcomes. We assessed the role of diabetes on sputum culture conversion and mortality among patients undergoing TB treatment. A total of 1250 Tanzanian TB patients were followed prospectively during TB treatment with sputum culture after 2 and 5 months. Survival status was assessed at least 1 year after initiation of treatment. At baseline, all participants underwent testing for diabetes and HIV, and the serum concentration of the acute phase reactant alpha-1 glycoprotein (AGP) was determined. There were no differences between participants with and without diabetes regarding the proportion of positive cultures at 2 (3.8% vs. 5.8%) and 5 (1.3% vs. 0.9%) months (P > 0.46). However, among patients with a positive TB culture, relatively more patients with diabetes died before the 5-month follow-up. Within the initial 100 days of TB treatment, diabetes was associated with a fivefold increased risk of mortality (RR 5.09, 95% CI 2.36; 11.02, P < 0.001) among HIV uninfected, and a twofold increase among HIV co-infected patient (RR 2.33 95% CI 1.20; 4.53, P = 0.012), while diabetes was not associated with long-term mortality. Further adjustment with AGP did not change the estimates. Diabetes considerably increases risk of early mortality during TB treatment. The effect may not be explained by increased severity of TB, but could be due to impaired TB treatment response. Research is needed to clarify the mechanism and to assess whether glycaemic control improves survival

Ineffectiveness of colchicine for the prevention of restenosis after coronary angioplasty

AbstractColchicine, an antimitogenic agent, has shown promise in preventing restenosis after coronary angioplasty in experimental animal models. A prospective trial was conducted involving 197 patients randomized in a 2:1 fashion to treatment with oral colchicine, 0.6 mg twice daily (130 patients), or placebo (67 patients) for 6 months after elective coronary angioplasty. Treatment in all patients began between 12 h before angioplasty and 24 h after angioplasty. Compliance monitoring revealed that 96% of all prescribed pills were ingested. Demographic characteristics were similar in colchicine- and placebo-treated groups. A mean of 2.7 lesions/patient were dilated. Side effects resulted in a 6.9% dropout rate in the colchicine-treated patients.Complete quantitative angiographic follow-up was obtained in 145 patients (74%) with 393 dilated lesions. Quantitative angiographic measurements were obtained in two orthogonal views at baseline before angioplasty and immediately and at 6 months after angioplasty. The quantitative mean lumen diameter stenosis before angioplasty was 67% both in the 152 lesions in the placebo-treated group and in the 241 lesions in the colchkine-treated group; this value was reduced to 24% immediately after angio-plasty in the lesions in both treatment groups.At the 6-month angiogram, lesions had restenosed to 47% lumen diameter narrowing in the placebo-treated group compared with 46% in the colchicine-treated group (p = NS). Forty-one percent of colchicine-treated patients developed restenosis in at least one lesion compared with 45% of the placebo-treated group (p = NS). In conclusion, colchicine was ineffective for preventing restenosis after coronary angioplasty

Impacts of traditional food consumption advisories: Compliance, changes in diet and loss of confidence in traditional foods

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Food consumption advisories are often posted when industrial activities are expected to affect the quality and availability of traditional foods used by First Nations. We were recently involved in a project and asked to summarize details regarding the impacts of traditional food consumption advisories with respect to compliance, broader changes in diet and loss of confidence in traditional foods by people.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Our review was not conducted as a formal systematic comprehensive review; rather, we focused on primary and grey literature presenting academic, health practitioner and First Nations viewpoints on the topic available from literature databases (i.e., PubMed, Web of Knowledge^SM) as well as the internet search engine Google. Some information came from personal communications.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our overview suggests that when communicated effectively and clearly, and when community members are involved in the process, consumption advisories can result in a decrease in contaminant load in people. On the other hand, consumption advisories can lead to cultural loss and have been linked to a certain amount of social, psychological, nutritional, economic and lifestyle disruption. In some cases, communities have decided to ignore consumption advisories opting to continue with traditional lifestyles believing that the benefits of doing so outweigh the risk of following advisories.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We identified that there are both positive and negative aspects to the issuance of traditional food consumption advisories. A number of variables need to be recognized during the development and implementation of advisories in order to ensure a balance between human health, maintenance of cultures and industrial activity.</p

A Case of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Presented as Oropharyngeal Dysphagia

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a rare disease. It is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive muscular paralysis reflecting degeneration of motor neurons which leads to muscle weakness and muscle wasting. Respiratory failure limits survival to 2-5 years after disease onset. Several clinical manifestations including dysphagia can result in reductions in both the quality of life and life expectancy. Dysphagia occurs at onset in about one third of case, although generally it occurs in later stage of the disease. Evaluation of dysphagia includes video-fluoroscopic swallow study, radiological esophagogram, flexible endoscopic examination, ultrasound examination, conventional manometry and electromyography. We report a case of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a 54-year-old man presenting oropharyngeal dysphagia which was diagnosed by high resolution esophageal manometry presenting abnormality of the upper esophageal sphincter

Ooligan Grease: A Nutritious Fat Used by Native People of Coastal British

ABSTRACT.-Marine fat, derived from several sources, was formerly used to great extent by Northwest Coast Indians as a flavor enhancer of many foods as well as for medicinal and ceremonial purposes. The most prominent source of food fat used by British Columbia native people has been from the ooligan (Thaleichthys pacificus Richardson, Osmeridae) a small fish which is harvested in bulk in early spring, allowed to ripen in large bins, and then rendered to give a pungent, golden, thick oil called &quot;ooUgan grease&quot;. Samples from five preparations of this fat were made in 1981 from the Nuxalk Community of Bella Coola, B.C. and several nutrient analyses were done. Fatty acids, expressed as mean and range of percent methyl esters were: saturated at 32.2 (30-33), monounsaturated at 64.5 (63-66), and polyunsaturated at 0.9 (0.8-