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Food Science Nutrition - 2026 - Kitchener - Nutrient Intake Evidence in the Pacific A Scoping Review of Research603.23 kB
Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Nutrient Intake Evidence in the Pacific: A Scoping Review of Research Coverage, Challenges, and Opportunities
Food Science & Nutrition, Vol.14(1), pp.1-23
2026
PMID: 41473398
Abstract
Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) face a growing burden of malnutrition and diet-related noncommunicable diseases. Yet, nutrient intake among Pacific populations remains unclear. This scoping review explores the available literature of macro- and micronutrient intakes among PICTs. Scholarly database searches and targeted web searches were conducted to capture sources reporting nutrient intake from 16 PICTs. Screening and data extraction were conducted by two independent reviewers, with results analyzed descriptively. Fifty-one sources were included in the review. Papua New Guinea and Samoa were the most represented PICTs, while no relevant data from Nauru, Niue, and Tuvalu was identified. Dietary intake of infants and children was examined in 27% of sources, whereas women were the focus of investigation in only seven studies (13.7%). Common dietary assessment methods utilized were food frequency questionnaires, 24-h recall surveys, and food records. Micronutrient intake was disproportionately reported in the literature compared with macronutrients (captured in 30% and 90% of sources, respectively). Our review highlights the scarcity of research on nutrient intake among PICTs, especially within nutritionally vulnerable groups—women and children. While nutrition research in the Pacific is increasing, alongside greater use of the Pacific Nutrient Database (PNDB) supporting analysis of region-specific foods, the PNDB lacks nutrient composition data for key micronutrients (folate, iodine, and vitamin D), which were consequently the least-reported nutrients in the literature. Expanding dietary intake research in the Pacific, particularly among under-represented groups, women and children, is essential to identify nutritional gaps and inform evidence-based nutrition policies and interventions.
Details
- Title
- Nutrient Intake Evidence in the Pacific: A Scoping Review of Research Coverage, Challenges, and Opportunities
- Authors
- Eliza Kitchener - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of HealthRachael Thurecht - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Nutrition & DieteticsAlannah Connors - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of HealthBarnaby Dixson - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - PsychologyGeorgia Kafer (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Biomedicine
- Publication details
- Food Science & Nutrition, Vol.14(1), pp.1-23
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- Date published
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.1002/fsn3.71360
- ISSN
- 2048-7177
- PMID
- 41473398
- Copyright note
- © 2025 The Author(s). Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
- Data Availability
- The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Health - Biomedicine; Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; School of Health; School of Health - Nutrition & Dietetics; School of Health - Psychology
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991193945902621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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