Dietary habits, metabolic health and vitamin D status in Greenlandic children.
Public Health Nutr. 2019 Oct 1:1-10. doi: 10.1017/S1368980019002799
Courraud J1,2,3, Quist JS1,4, Kontopodi E1,2, Blomberg Jensen M5, Bjerrum PJ6, Helge JW1,2, Sørensen K5,7.
- 1 Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- 2 Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- 3 Danish Center for Newborn Screening, Department of Congenital Disorders, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- 4 Pathophysiology & Prevention, Clinical Epidemiology, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, Gentofte, Denmark.
- 5 Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- 6 Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Holbæk Hospital, Holbæk, Denmark.
- 7 The Peadiatric Clinic, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
OBJECTIVE:
To compare the dietary habits of children living in northern villages and in the capital of Greenland, given the reported transition from traditional to westernised diet in adults over recent decades, and to explore the association between consumption of marine mammals and fish (MMF) and the children's metabolic profile and vitamin D status.
DESIGN:
Children answered an FFQ encompassing sixty-four individual food types pooled into six food categories. Their pubertal stage, body fat, fitness level, metabolic profile (non-HDL-cholesterol, glycated Hb, insulin, glucose, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) as well as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration were evaluated.
SETTING: Siorapaluk and Qaanaaq (north of Greenland) and Nuuk (west).
PARTICIPANTS: Children aged 6-18 years (n 177).
RESULTS:
MMF were most frequently eaten by children from Siorapaluk (mean (sd): 73·4 (14·1) times/month), followed by children from Qaanaaq (37·0 (25·0) times/month), and least often eaten by children from Nuuk (23·7 (24·6) times/month; P < 0·001). Children from Qaanaaq consumed 'junk food' more frequently (P < 0·001) and fruits and vegetables less frequently (P < 0·01) than children from Nuuk. MMF consumption was positively associated with serum 25(OH)D concentration (P < 0·05), but the overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was high (18 %). No association was found between MMF consumption and metabolic parameters.
CONCLUSIONS:
The dietary transition and influence of western diets have spread to the north of Greenland and only the most remote place consumed a traditional diet highly based on MMF. We found no strong associations of MMF consumption with metabolic health, but a positive association with vitamin D status.