Abstract
Objective
To identify practices, attitudes, and beliefs associated with intake of traditional
foods among Alaska Native women.
Design
Cross-sectional study that measured traditional food intake; participation in food-sharing
networks; presence of a hunter or fisherman in the home; the preference, healthfulness,
and economic value of traditional foods; and financial barriers to obtaining these
foods.
Participants
Purposive sample of 71 low-income Alaska Native women receiving Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) assistance in Anchorage, AK.
Analysis
Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses.
Results
Traditional foods contributed 4% of total daily calories. Given a choice, 63% of participants
indicated that they would prefer half or more of the foods they ate to be traditional
(ie, not store-bought). The majority of participants (64%) believed that traditional
foods were healthier than store-bought foods. Of all participants, 72% relied on food-sharing
networks for traditional foods; only 21% acquired traditional foods themselves. Participants
who ate more traditional foods preferred traditional foods (B = .011 P = .02).
Implications for Research and Practice
Traditional food intake was low and findings suggested that Alaska Native women living
in an urban setting prefer to consume more but are unable to do so. Future research
might examine the effect of enhancing social networks and implementing policies that
support traditional food intake.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 05, 2018
Accepted:
September 9,
2018
Footnotes
Conflict of Interest Disclosure: The authors have not stated any conflicts of interest.
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
