title: Traditional food consumption behaviour and concern with environmental contaminants among Cree schoolchildren of the Mushkegowuk territory.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate factors influencing consumption of traditional foods (e.g. wild game, fish) and concerns about environmental contaminants among schoolchildren of the Mushkegowuk Territory First Nations (Moose Factory, Fort Albany, Kashechewan, Attawapiskat, and Peawanuck).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional data collection from a Web-based Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (WEB-Q).
  
  
  METHODS
  Schoolchildren in grades 6-12 (n = 262) responded to 4 of the WEB-Q questions: (a) Do you eat game? (b) How often do you eat game? (c) How concerned are you about the environmental contaminants in the wild game and fish that you eat? (d) I would eat more game if… [6 response options]. Data were collected in 2004 (Fort Albany), 2005 (Peawanuck), 2006 (Attawapiskat), 2007 (Moose Factory) and 2009 (Kashechewan). Hierarchical log-linear modelling (LLM) was used for analyses of multi-way frequency data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the schoolchildren answering the specific questions: 174 consumed game; 95 reported concerns about contaminants in game; and 84 would increase their game consumption if it were more available in their homes. LLM revealed significant differences between communities; schoolchildren in Moose Factory consumed game "rarely or never" at greater than expected frequency, and fewer than expected consumed game "at least once a day". Schoolchildren in Kashechewan had greater frequency of daily game consumption and few were concerned about contaminants in game. Using LLM, we found that sex was an insignificant variable and did not affect game consumption frequency or environmental contaminant concern.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The consumption of traditional foods differed between communities and appears to be related to contamination concerns. In addition, latitudinal variation appears to influence the frequency of traditional food consumption in children; children in the most southerly location consumed traditional food less frequently.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment and Resource Studies, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada. thlimi@uwaterloo.ca
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hlimi
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.forename: Rhona M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hanning
authors.forename: Ian D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Leonard J S
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Tsuji
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004435:Eating; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D009864:Ontario; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants