Nutrition of the Arctic Rural Population of the Arkhangelsk Region (Based on Sociological Survey Results)

Introduction: Availability of food products for every citizen is the main indicator of food security of the country as a whole.

Objective: To characterize actual nutrition of the rural population of the Russian Arctic.

Materials and methods: The research was based on data of a sociological survey conducted in the summer of 2024 by estimating the frequency of food consumption in the Leshukonsky, Mezensky, Pinezhsky, and Primorsky municipal districts of the Arkhangelsk Region located in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation. The sample was probabilistic and stratified by municipal districts; the respondents were selected by sex and age to match the structure of the local population in each district. The final sample size was 404 respondents with the total population of 58,841 people as of January 1, 2024.

Results: We established that the population over 50 years of age prevailed in the surveyed settlements. Their daily diet primarily included bakery and dairy products, fresh vegetables and fruits, and, less often, animal meat and fish. Comparison of the diets between age groups showed that young people contributed the most to the consumption rates of meat, poultry, and dairy products, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. Bakery products and confectionery were the main sources of carbohydrates (86.6 % and 44.8 %, respectively), while fresh fruits and vegetables were those of dietary fiber (62.6 %). The daily diet of the rural population contained almost no canned or junk foods.

Conclusions: The results show that actual nutrition of the population of rural Arctic areas of the Arkhangelsk Region does not comply with the standards for a healthy diet. At the same time, the study lacks food consumption details, which does not allow us to judge about protein, fat and carbohydrate intake of rural residents. This necessitates further studies of the actual diet of the rural population of the Russian Arctic, which is important for developing measures promoting healthy eating in the local population, ensuring food security and strategic development of the region, especially in its remote and hard-to-reach areas.

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