Nutrient Intake Evidence in the Pacific: A Scoping Review of Research Coverage, Challenges, and Opportunities

Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) face a growing burden of malnutrition and diet-related noncommunicable diseases. Yet, nutrient intake among Pacific populations remains unclear. This scoping review explores the available literature of macro- and micronutrient intakes among PICTs. Scholarly database searches and targeted web searches were conducted to capture sources reporting nutrient intake from 16 PICTs. Screening and data extraction were conducted by two independent reviewers, with results analyzed descriptively. Fifty-one sources were included in the review. Papua New Guinea and Samoa were the most represented PICTs, while no relevant data from Nauru, Niue, and Tuvalu was identified. Dietary intake of infants and children was examined in 27% of sources, whereas women were the focus of investigation in only seven studies (13.7%). Common dietary assessment methods utilized were food frequency questionnaires, 24-h recall surveys, and food records. Micronutrient intake was disproportionately reported in the literature compared with macronutrients (captured in 30% and 90% of sources, respectively). Our review highlights the scarcity of research on nutrient intake among PICTs, especially within nutritionally vulnerable groups-women and children. While nutrition research in the Pacific is increasing, alongside greater use of the Pacific Nutrient Database (PNDB) supporting analysis of region-specific foods, the PNDB lacks nutrient composition data for key micronutrients (folate, iodine, and vitamin D), which were consequently the least-reported nutrients in the literature. Expanding dietary intake research in the Pacific, particularly among under-represented groups, women and children, is essential to identify nutritional gaps and inform evidence-based nutrition policies and interventions.