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Nutrition and Food Systems for Health in the Pacific: Towards Healthy Islands

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Dear Colleagues,

Healthy Islands is a vision encouraging health protection and health promotion activities across Pacific Island Countries and Territories. Nutrition, environmental factors, food and health systems are necessary pillars for securing a healthy future for individuals, communities and populations at large in the Pacific.

Through dedicated research initiatives and targeted programs, efforts are being directed towards tackling the escalating prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This Special Issue aims to assemble research and data from across the Pacific to understand how nutrition and food systems intersect with health and their subsequent impact on NCDs.

We welcome original research articles, systematic and scoping reviews and meta-analyses. Research in both healthy populations and various subgroups with disease states is of interest. We are excited to invite you to submit research manuscripts related to this vision of Healthy Islands.

Dr. Juliana Chen
Guest Editor

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Research

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14 pages, 243 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours toward Salt and Sugar Consumption in the Central Division of Fiji

by Gade Waqa, Colin Bell, Joseph Alvin Santos, Kris Rogers, Anasaini Moala Silatolu, Erica Reeve, Aliyah Palu, Alvina Deo, Jacqui Webster and Briar McKenzie

Nutrients 2024, 16(19), 3288; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16193288 - 28 Sep 2024

Viewed by 902

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to assess salt and sugar-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviours (KAB) of adults in the Central Division of Fiji. Methods: A randomised stratified sample of 700 adults were selected. Questions on salt and sugar-related KABs were developed. The survey took place from March to June 2022. For analyses, population and sample weights were applied, and differences between predefined subgroups (sex, age, ethnicity and area) were compared using weighted chi-square tests. Results: 534 adults participated (response rate 76%). Over 80% of participants (82% (95% CI 78.5 to 84.9%)) identified that consuming too much salt or salty sauce can lead to hypertension. More than 90% recognised that consuming too much sugar can lead to diabetes (92.3% (89.7 to 94.3%)). Approximately 80% of participants thought it was somewhat or very important to lower salt and sugar intake in their diet (79.8% (76.1 to 83.0) and 84.2% (80.8 to 87.1%), respectively). However, almost 40% reported adding salt or salty sauces when cooking (37.3% (32.7 to 42.2%)) and 65% (60.6 to 68.5%) adding sugar to drinks daily. Conclusions: Despite having positive knowledge and attitudes, many people reported behaviours likely to contribute to excess salt and sugar intake, highlighting the need for interventions that support behaviour change and the creation of healthier food environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Food Systems for Health in the Pacific: Towards Healthy Islands)

Review

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31 pages, 1007 KiB

Open AccessReview

What Do We Know about the Diets of Pacific Islander Adults in Papua New Guinea? A Scoping Review

by Alyse Davies, Juliana Chen, Hannah Peters, Alex Lamond, Anna Rangan, Margaret Allman-Farinelli, Shelina Porykali, Robin Oge, Hans Nogua and Bobby Porykali

Nutrients 2024, 16(10), 1472; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16101472 - 13 May 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1238

Abstract

While a large proportion of the population in Papua New Guinea (PNG) maintain a subsistence lifestyle, exposure to modernisation and industrialisation since European contact has influenced a transition towards Western diets. This review aimed to scope and summarise the published research on dietary intake among Pacific Islander adults in PNG. Four electronic databases and grey literature were searched. Two reviewers completed the screening and data extraction. Fourteen studies were included from the Highlands (n = 7), Southern (n = 5), Momase (n = 1) and both the Highlands/Southern region (n = 1). No studies were from the Islands region. The majority of the studies were published prior to the year 2000 (n = 9). Geographical region and degree of urbanisation had an impact on dietary intake. Urban areas reported higher intakes of energy, protein and fat compared to rural areas. In the Southern region, a variety of foods, including sago, taro, kaukau, cooked banana, coconut and cassava contributed to energy intake, while kaukau was the main energy and protein source in the Highlands. The main foods contributing to protein in the Southern region were fresh fish, land animals and purchased animals. This review highlights an evidence gap regarding dietary intake research. Within the context of international initiatives, there is an urgent call for research aimed at understanding the social and cultural contextualisation of dietary behaviours in PNG. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Food Systems for Health in the Pacific: Towards Healthy Islands)

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