Twenty-Five Years Of Dietary Change In Simbu Province, Papua New Guinea

This study was carried out to assess the changes in food and nutrient intake which had taken place over a 25-year period in which there had been rapid economic change from a solely subsistence economy to one in which there is now substantial cash income. The results indicate that protein intake has increased in all age groups and that energy intake has increased in younger age groups but not in adults. The contribution of the traditional staple, sweet potato, to the intake of energy and protein has decreased, whilst that of store bought foods, particularly cereals and fish, has increased markedly. It is concluded that economic development and involvement in the cash economy have resulted in an improvement in protein and energy intakes but that these same changes are leading to dependency on imported foods.