Determinants of diet for urban aboriginal youth: implications for health promotion.
Overweight and obesity are associated with several life-threating comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Obesity is a growing health concern in North America, with some groups experiencing higher levels of obesity than others. One group of particular interest is urban Aboriginal youth because they are a quickly growing population who experience high rates of obesity. Obesity is a complex condition with many contributing factors, diet being one of the primary contributors. In this article, we discuss the findings from an ethnographic study that examined determinants of diet for urban Aboriginal youth. Results revealed two themes: (a) Traditions and Sharing, and (b) The Struggle. The findings with Traditions and Sharing showed that food-sharing networks are often used to acquire traditional food. Traditional foods were believed to be healthy and desired by the participants. The theme The Struggle provides insight into the daily challenges the participants faced with food insecurity. Health promotion professionals need to consider the multiplicity of determinants of diet for urban Aboriginal youth in order to plan and implement culturally appropriate health promotion programs.
College of Kinesiology University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada serene.smyth@usask.ca.
Serene T
ST
Kerpan
College of Kinesiology University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
M Louise
ML
Humbert
College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Carol J
CJ
Henry
D000293:Adolescent; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D003469:Culture; D004032:Diet / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
Native American/American Indian; child/adolescent health; chronic disease; community-based participatory research; health promotion; health research; minority health; obesity; qualitative research