Potential impact of restricted caribou (Rangifer tarandus) consumption on anemia prevalence among Inuit adults in northern Canada

• Published in: BMC Nutrition
• Main Authors: Kenny, Tiff-Annie, Hu, Xue Feng, Jamieson, Jennifer A., Kuhnlein, Harriet V., Wesche, Sonia D., Chan, Hing Man
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: BioMed Central 2019
• Subjects: Research Article; Canada; inuit; Rangifer tarandus
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7050786/; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32153943; https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-019-0292-9

BACKGROUND: Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) is the top dietary source of iron and several micronutrients necessary for red blood cell production (erythropoiesis) in the contemporary diet of Inuit adults across Canada. Many caribou populations across the circumpolar north, however, have experienced dramatic declines in recent decades. Restricted access to caribou may negatively impact the nutrition and health of Inuit communities. METHODS: We used data from the Inuit Health Survey, a cross-sectional survey of 2550 Inuit adults in thirty-six communities across northern Canada (conducted in 2007–2008) to examine the relationship between caribou consumption, hemoglobin (Hb), and blood biomarkers of nutrient intake and contaminant exposure. Multivariable linear regression was used to investigate the potential public health impact of a theoretical restriction in caribou consumption, by estimating the response of Hb concentrations (and the attendant change in anemia prevalence), to theoretical changes in caribou consumption (with and without substitution of caribou with other country food meat). RESULTS: Mean (95% CI) daily caribou meat consumption differed by an order of magnitude 4.3 (3.9–4.7), 51.1 (48.5-53.8), and 236.7 (224.7–248.7) grams/day between tertiles of caribou consumption. Mean (95% CI) hemoglobin levels increased from 129.1 (128.1–130.2) g/L to 132.5 (131.3–133.7) g/L between the highest and lowest tertiles of caribou consumption. In multivariable regression analyses, average daily caribou meat consumption was positively associated (P< 0.001) with hemoglobin levels. This relationship translated into approximately 4 g/L hemoglobin increase in participants in the third tertile of caribou consumption. The overall prevalence of anemia observed in the study population was 26.5% (24.5 – 28.3%) and a modelled restriction in caribou consumption (i.e. caribou = 0) increased the overall prevalence of anemia by approximately 6%. The maximum negative effect of caribou restrictions was related to a complete ...