Role of Seaweed in Diets of Samoa and Kiribati: Exploring Key Motivators for Consumption

Ulusapeti Tiitii,Nicholas Paul,Libby Swanepoel,Hayley Butcher,Sarah Burkhart,Taati Eria,Karibanang Tamuera

doi:10.3390/su12187356

Abstract

Edible seaweeds have significant potential to contribute to sustainable diets that promote health of Pacific Islanders in ecologically, economically, and socially acceptable ways. No studies to date have investigated motivators for and the consumption of edible green seaweed from the genus Caulerpa (sea grapes) in Samoa and Kiribati. An observational, cross-sectional study utilized an interviewer-administered questionnaire to explore consumption behaviors and the role of sea grapes in the current diets of individuals in Samoa and Kiribati. Of the total 145 participants (n = 79, 54.5% Samoa; n = 66, 45.5% Kiribati), half (n = 76, 52%) reported consuming sea grapes. A significantly greater proportion of Samoans (n = 56, 70.9%) reported consumption than I-Kiribati participants (n = 20, 30.3%). A greater proportion of consumers were male (n = 47, 61.8%). Samoan consumers reported consumption of sea grapes with a higher diversity of foods and being related to traditional events or ceremonies. Motivators for consumption varied between countries, with Samoan consumers reporting strong agreement for taste and value for money, and identified sea grapes as nutritious food, as influences on consumption. Easy access was a motivator in Kiribati only. The findings of this study are underpinned by the degree of food security and differences in culture in Samoa and Kiribati. Future public health efforts to integrate traditional fresh food into local food systems will need to work within the existing social parameters in each respective country.

Highlights

The Pacific Islands are a collection of island nations located across the Pacific Ocean, which divide into the regions of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia [1]
These nutrition transitions have coincided with a rise in the incidence of diet-related non-communicable diseases (DR-NCDs), such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cancer [4], and these diseases are the leading cause of mortality in the Pacific region, accounting for 70–75 percent of deaths [5]
There was no significant difference in reported consumption across age categories (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

The Pacific Islands are a collection of island nations located across the Pacific Ocean, which divide into the regions of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia [1]. Many Pacific populations are in nutrition transition, manifesting as changes in dietary intake and a move away from local food supply chains [2,3]. These nutrition transitions have coincided with a rise in the incidence of diet-related non-communicable diseases (DR-NCDs), such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cancer [4], and these diseases are the leading cause of mortality in the Pacific region, accounting for 70–75 percent of deaths [5]. Hyperglycemia and hypertension are diet-related risk factors linked to the manifestation of NCDs in the Pacific Islands [8]

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Conclusion