News

The Ministry of Health & Wellness (MHW) is asking for the public’s support in an academic research project focusing on nutrition in a selection of British Overseas Territories (BOTs). Registered Dietitian (RD) and Doctoral candidate at the Department of Population Health Sciences at Newcastle University (UK) Hannah Jones is conducting research on the dietary habits of residents in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and Turks and Caicos in order to better understand the unique and diverse dietary practices and needs of the selected BOTs.

“Many diet and lifestyle related health issues such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity and other cardiovascular disease risk factors, which were previously seen developing in middle-aged people, are now being seen in young people with increasing frequency,” Mrs. Jones explains. “It is essential that local health and nutrition policies are based upon relevant data, that reflects the needs of their individual population. There is a lack of information across the British Overseas Territories (BOTs) about dietary habits, dietary/nutrient intake data and how this might be affecting the health of their populations. Without local data, it is difficult for policymakers to ensure that policies and strategies have the intended impacts and outcomes for their unique communities. Understanding what, and how the population eats and drinks is important to help inform the development of localised policies and public health strategies, and to ensure the cost-effective use of public health resources”, she adds.

Mrs. Jones will be undertaking pilot population-based online nutrition surveys in individual BOTs and provide country-specific reports on dietary intakes, typical meal patterns, and the general health of their communities. The surveys are conducted via the use of online self-administered 24-hour dietary recall tools to collect detailed, quantitative, dietary intake data, and in a manner which is minimally intrusive for participants. Participants are asked to recall what they ate on three (3) different days.

“The main aim is really to try to understand how people in the Cayman Islands eat, which foods and drinks they choose, the typical meals they eat, and their general health. This anonymised information will be used to create a report, which we hope can be used to inform your own national health and nutrition policies, and health promotion activities, so that they reflect the needs and habits of your own population. Of course, as a pilot survey, we're also trying to see if this strategy and method actually works for your population, and produces relevant, useful dietary information” Mrs. Jones elaborates.

“While the Ministry of Health & Wellness is not conducting this survey, and we will not have access to any personal information submitted, we are supportive of academic endeavours that aim to help us better understand the health and wellness of our population,” explains National Epidemiologist, Rachel Corbett. “We know that while this will not be a comprehensive study for the whole population in the Cayman Islands, the findings will help to guide us and perhaps even determine if this is an area where more work needs to be done, so we encourage interested residents to sign up and take part” she adds.

The survey is aimed at participants ages 14-49 and gathers information on what people have eaten over the course of two weekdays and one weekend day. Upon signing up, participants will be asked some demographic (background) information, and will then be provided with a specific link that they will use to enter their dietary data on the three days. The dietary recalls typically take about 15-20 minutes each.

“If participants complete all three days of entries, the system will then generate a nutrition report based on their own input”, Mrs. Jones explains. “This nutrition reports offers great visual information on number of calories consumed, types and quantities of foods eaten from different food groups, and how their consumption compares to USDA guidelines for a variety of nutrients. The information may lead participants to seek more comprehensive advice from a local Dietitian or nutritionist on how to improve their eating habits and diet to help maximise their health,” she adds.

All Cayman residents ages 14-49 are invited to participate. The survey is now live and will run until Monday 26 February, 2024. To register, participants must log on to https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/newcastle/cayman-islands-nutrition-survey where additional information can also be found. Questions about the surveys should be directed to Hannah Jones on h.jones19@newcastle.ac.uk.