Recruiting
Early Phase 1

Country Foods

Sponsor:

University of Alberta

Code:

NCT07014852

Conditions

Depression, Anxiety

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 65

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Traditional Country Foods

Cultural Workshops

Study Details

Brief summary:

This study is looking at how eating more country foods affects mental health among Inuit men and women in Arviat, NU. The goal is to evaluate if eating more of these foods helps people feel less depressed or anxious, and whether being part of food-gathering and cultural activities also makes a difference.

Whether the positive effects last over time, and if getting access to these foods later (instead of right away) still helps people feel better, will also be assessed.

Conditions

Depression, Anxiety

Study ID

NCT07014852

Start date

Oct 15, 2025

Status verified date

Nov, 2025

Completion date

Sep 20, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Sep 13, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 65

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Inuit
  • Able to consent to study participation
  • Participating in community wellness programs facilitated by the Aqqiumavvik Wellness Centre within 6 months prior to screening
  • Willing to consume country foods provided as part of the intervention
  • Willing to engage in individual and group activities, including guided conversations and cultural workshops
  • 18-65 years of age

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Less than 18 years of age
  • Greater than 65 years of age
  • Unable to consent to study participation
  • Mental health conditions requiring immediate clinical intervention
  • Known allergies or medical conditions that prevent the consumption of traditional country foods
  • Physical or logistical barriers that prevent participation in weekly activities

Study Design

Enrollment

40 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Prevention

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

other: Immediate Intervention

Weekly distributions of traditional country foods (caribou, seal, Arctic char), Elder-led workshops on food preparation and cultural practices, and mental health supports through unnikkaaratiginniq and sharing circles for the first 30 days of the trial.

other: Delayed Intervention

Participating in baseline assessments only (no guided conversations or workshops from Days 1-30). From Days 30-60, the delayed intervention group will receive the same intervention as the immediate intervention group

Interventions

Traditional Country Foods

Participants will receive weekly distributions of traditional foods, including caribou and fish. Guided conversations will explore changes in dietary habits, emotional well-being, and cultural connections

Cultural Workshops

Weekly workshops led by Elders will focus on traditional country food, food preparation, and sharing practices, enhancing cultural identity and community bonds. Participants will also engage in cultural camps where they will be led by Elders in land based teachings on country food.

Primary outcome measure

  • Cultural Acceptability of the Intervention- Qualitative Interviews [ Time Frame: From enrolment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks ]
  • Cultural Acceptability of the Intervention- Participant Diaries [ Time Frame: From enrolment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks ]
  • Participant satisfaction and perceived impact on mental health [ Time Frame: From enrolment to the end of treatment at weeks 4, 8, and 12. ]
  • Mental Health Impacts [ Time Frame: Baseline (enrolment) ]
  • Mental Health Impacts - 4 weeks [ Time Frame: 4 weeks after enrolment ]
  • Mental Health Impacts [ Time Frame: 8 weeks after enrolment ]
  • Mental Health Impacts [ Time Frame: 12 weeks after enrolment ]
  • Participant Satisfaction- Participant Diaries [ Time Frame: Baseline (at enrolment) ]
  • Participant Satisfaction- Participant Diaries [ Time Frame: 4 weeks after enrolment ]
  • Participant Satisfaction- Participant Diaries [ Time Frame: 8 weeks after enrolment ]
  • Participant Satisfaction- Participant Diaries [ Time Frame: 12 weeks after enrolment ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Wayne Clark, Ed.D

7804928482wclark1@ualberta.ca

Tibetha Kemble, PhD

5875902693kemble@ualberta.ca

Locations

Aqqiumavvik Society

Recruiting

Arviat, Nunavut, Canada, X0C 0E0

Contacts

Shirley Tagalik, MEd

2042180866inukpaujaq@gmail.com

Tibetha Kemble, PhD

5875902693kemble@ualberta.ca

Principal Investigator:

Wayne Clark, Ed.D

More Information

Sponsor

University of Alberta

Last update posted

Nov 18, 2025

Last verified

Nov, 2025

Keywords

  • Inuit
  • Country Foods
  • mental health
  • depression
  • anxiety
  • food sovereignty
  • cultural identity
  • community wellness
  • Indigenous health
  • Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ)
  • social cohesion

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Alberta on 2025-11-18.