Vitamin D status and intake of lactating Inuit women living in the Canadian Arctic

Objective To determine the prevalence and correlates of healthy vitamin D status in lactating Inuit women living in remote regions of the Arctic. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Households were selected randomly in thirty-six communities of Nunavut, Nunatsiavut and Inuvialuit Settlement Region. Dietary intake was assessed using a 24 h recall and an FFQ. Anthropometric measurements, household living conditions, supplement use and health status were assessed. In fasting samples, serum 25-hydroxyvitaimn D (25(OH)D) was measured using a chemiluminescent assay (LIAISON; Diasorin Inc.). Subjects Lactating Inuit women participating in the 2007–2008 International Polar Year Inuit Health Survey conducted in the months of August to October. Results Among participants ( n 34), 8·8, 26·5 and 50·0 % had 25(OH)D concentrations at or above 75, 50 and 40 nmol/l, respectively. More than one-third of participants did not consume traditional foods during the previous day and only 11·3 % of total energy intake was derived from traditional foods. Only 14·7 % of the sample consumed the daily number of milk servings recommended by Canada’s Food Guide (two servings) for First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Using multivariable logistic regression to examine 25(OH)D≥40 nmol/l, only higher body fat was inversely correlated with 25(OH)D concentration. Conclusions The present study is the first to assess simultaneously vitamin D status and other known factors that affect it among lactating Inuit women living in remote communities in the Arctic. Healthy maternal vitamin D status was observed in 25 % of participants during the late summer and early autumn. This requires further assessment in a larger sample spanning more seasons

Anthropometry · Arctic · Biology · Environmental health · Food frequency questionnaire · Food guide · Logistic regression · Vitamin D and neurology · Breastfeeding Practices and Influences · Demography · Indigenous Studies and Ecology · Medicine · Vitamin D Research Studies · Endocrinology

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