Does sitting height ratio affect estimates of obesity prevalence among Canadian Inuit? Results from the 2007-2008 Inuit Health Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Galloway, Tracey; Chateau-Degat, Marie-Ludivine; Egeland, Grace M; Young, T Kue

2011-01-01

High sitting height ratio (SHR) is a characteristic commonly associated with Inuit morphology. Inuit are described as having short leg lengths and high trunk-to-stature proportions such that cutoffs for obesity derived from European populations may not adequately describe thresholds of disease risk. Further, high SHR may help explain the reduced impact of BMI on metabolic risk factors among Inuit relative to comparison populations. This study investigates the relationship between SHR and body mass index (BMI) in Inuit. Subjects are 2,168 individuals (837 males and 1,331 females) from 36 Inuit communities in the Canadian Arctic. Mean age is 42.63 ± 14.86 years in males and 41.71 ± 14.83 years in females. We use linear regression to examine the association between age, sex, height, sitting height, SHR, waist circumference (WC), and BMI. We then evaluate the efficacy of the relative sitting height adjustment as a method of correcting observed BMI to a population-standardized SHR. Mean BMI is significantly higher than among non-Inuit Canadians. Obesity prevalence is high, particularly among Inuit women. In the regression, only age and WC are significant predictors of BMI. While SHR is significantly greater than that of the US population, there is substantial agreement between overweight and obesity prevalence using observed and corrected BMI. We find no consistent relationship between SHR and BMI and suggest the unique anthropometric and metabolic profile observed in Inuit arise from factors not yet delineated. More complex anthropometric and imaging studies in Inuit are needed. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Suicide and Suicide Prevention among Inuit in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Kral, Michael J

2016-11-01

Inuit in Canada have among the highest suicide rates in the world, and it is primarily among their youth. Risk factors include known ones such as depression, substance use, a history of abuse, and knowing others who have made attempts or have killed themselves, however of importance are the negative effects of colonialism. This took place for Inuit primarily during the government era starting in the 1950s, when Inuit were moved from their family-based land camps to crowded settlements run by white men, and children were removed from their parents and placed into residential or day schools. This caused more disorganization than reorganization. The most negative effect of this colonialism/imperialism for Inuit has been on their family and sexual relationships. Many Inuit youth feel alone and rejected. Suicide prevention has been taking place, the most successful being community-driven programs developed and run by Inuit. Mental health factors for Indigenous peoples are often cultural. It is recommended that practitioners work with the community and with Inuit organizations. Empowered communities can be healing. © The Author(s) 2016.

Level and temporal trend of perfluoroalkyl acids in Greenlandic Inuit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manhai Long

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs have been detected in human blood, breast milk and umbilical cord blood across the globe. PFAAs do accumulate in the marine food chain in Arctic regions. In Greenland, increasing PFAA concentrations were observed during 1982–2006 in ringed seals and polar bears. However, until now, no data have been reported for PFAAs in Greenlandic Inuit. This study assesses the level and temporal trend of serum PFAAs in Greenlandic Inuit. Study design: Cross-section and temporal time trend survey. Methods: Serum PFAA levels were determined in 284 Inuit from different Greenlandic districts using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization. The temporal time trend of serum PFAAs in Nuuk Inuit during 1998–2005 and the correlation between serum PFAAs and legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs were explored. Results: Serum PFAA levels were higher in Nuuk Inuit than in non-Nuuk Inuit. Within the same district, higher PFAA levels were observed for males. An age-dependent, increasing trend of serum PFAA levels in the period from 1998–2005 was observed for Nuuk Inuit. For the pooled gender data, no significant association between PFAAs and legacy POPs was observed for Nuuk Inuit while for non-Nuuk Inuit this correlation was significant. No correlation between PFAAs and legacy POPs was found for male Inuit, whereas significant correlation was observed both for pooled female Inuit and for non-Nuuk Inuit females. Conclusions: We suggest that sources other than seafood intake might contribute to the observed higher PFAA levels in Nuuk Inuit compared to the pooled non-Nuuk Inuit.

Cancer patterns in Inuit Nunangat: 1998-2007.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrière, Gisèle M; Tjepkema, Michael; Pennock, Jennifer; Goedhuis, Neil

2012-05-15

To compare cancer incidence patterns between residents of Inuit Nunangat and the rest of Canada. Cancer cases were geographically linked to either Inuit Nunangat or the rest of Canada using postal codes or other geographic information. Population estimates were derived from the 2001 and 2006 censuses. Cancer cases were combined from 1998 to 2007 for Inuit Nunangat and the rest of Canada. Age-standardised incidence rates were calculated for all site cancers and sub-sites by sex. Standardised rate ratios between these 2 areas were calculated for all site cancers and sub-sites. The age-standardised incidence rate for all cancer sites (1998-2007) was 14% lower for the Inuit Nunangat male population and 29% higher for the female population by comparison to the rest of Canada. Cancers of the nasopharynx, lung and bronchus, colorectal, stomach (males), and kidney and renal pelvis (females), were elevated in the Inuit Nunangat population compared to the rest of Canada, whereas prostate and female breast cancers were lower in the Inuit Nunangat population. Cancers with potentially modifiable risk factors, such as buccal cavity and pharynx, nasopharynx, lung and bronchus, and colorectal cancer were elevated in the Inuit Nunangat population compared to the rest of Canada. Besides greater smoking prevalence within Inuit Nunangat by comparison to the rest of Canada, distinct socioeconomic characteristics between respective area populations including housing, and income may have contributed to incidence differentials. This study demonstrated that a geographic approach can be used in cancer surveillance when populations of interest are spatially distinguishable, and reside across distinct jurisdictions whose combined cancer registries will not completely provide information to identify the population of interest.

Metabolic profile in two physically active Inuit groups consuming either a western or a traditional Inuit diet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thor Munch-Andersen

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To evaluate the effect of regular physical activity on metabolic risk factors and blood pressure in Inuit with high BMI consuming a western diet (high amount of saturated fatty acids and carbohydrates with a high glycemic index. Study design: Cross sectional study, comparing Inuit eating a western diet with Inuit eating a traditional diet. Methods: Two physically active Greenland Inuit groups consuming different diet, 20 eating a traditional diet (Qaanaaq and 15 eating a western diet (TAB, age (mean (range; 38, (22–58 yrs, BMI; 28 (20–40 were subjected to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT, blood sampling, maximal oxygen uptake test, food interview/collection and monitoring of physical activity. Results: All Inuit had a normal OGTT. Fasting glucose (mmol/l, HbA1c (%, total cholesterol (mmol/l and HDL-C (mmol/l were for Qaanaaq women: 4.8±0.2, 5.3±0.1, 4.96±0.42, 1.34±0.06, for Qaanaaq men: 4.9±0.1, 5.7±0.1, 5.08±0.31, 1.28±0.09, for TAB women: 5.1±0.2, 5.3±0.1, 6.22±0.39, 1.86±0.13, for TAB men: 5.1±0.2, 5.3±0.1, 6.23±0.15, 1.60±0.10. No differences were found in systolic or diastolic blood pressure between the groups. There was a more adverse distribution of small dense LDL-C particles and higher total cholesterol and HDL-C concentration in the western diet group. Conclusions: Diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance was not found in the Inuit consuming either the western or the traditional diet, and this could, at least partly, be due to the high amount of regular daily physical activity. However, when considering the total cardio vascular risk profile the Inuit consuming a western diet had a less healthy profile than the Inuit consuming a traditional diet.

Metabolic profile in two physically active Inuit groups consuming either a western or a traditional Inuit diet.

Science.gov (United States)

Munch-Andersen, Thor; Olsen, David B; Søndergaard, Hans; Daugaard, Jens R; Bysted, Anette; Christensen, Dirk L; Saltin, Bengt; Helge, Jørn W

2012-03-19

To evaluate the effect of regular physical activity on metabolic risk factors and blood pressure in Inuit with high BMI consuming a western diet (high amount of saturated fatty acids and carbohydrates with a high glycemic index). Cross sectional study, comparing Inuit eating a western diet with Inuit eating a traditional diet. Two physically active Greenland Inuit groups consuming different diet, 20 eating a traditional diet (Qaanaaq) and 15 eating a western diet (TAB), age (mean (range)); 38, (22-58) yrs, BMI; 28 (20-40) were subjected to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), blood sampling, maximal oxygen uptake test, food interview/collection and monitoring of physical activity. All Inuit had a normal OGTT. Fasting glucose (mmol/l), HbA1c (%), total cholesterol (mmol/l) and HDL-C (mmol/l) were for Qaanaaq women: 4.8±0.2, 5.3±0.1, 4.96±0.42, 1.34±0.06, for Qaanaaq men: 4.9±0.1, 5.7±0.1, 5.08±0.31, 1.28±0.09, for TAB women: 5.1±0.2, 5.3±0.1, 6.22±0.39, 1.86±0.13, for TAB men: 5.1±0.2, 5.3±0.1, 6.23±0.15, 1.60±0.10. No differences were found in systolic or diastolic blood pressure between the groups. There was a more adverse distribution of small dense LDL-C particles and higher total cholesterol and HDL-C concentration in the western diet group. Diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance was not found in the Inuit consuming either the western or the traditional diet, and this could, at least partly, be due to the high amount of regular daily physical activity. However, when considering the total cardio vascular risk profile the Inuit consuming a western diet had a less healthy profile than the Inuit consuming a traditional diet.

Individual- and community-level determinants of Inuit youth mental wellness.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Andrew Paul; Richer, Faisca; Harper, Sam

2016-10-20

Following the onset of intensive colonial intervention and rapid social change in the lives of Inuit people, youth in Nunavik have experienced high rates of mental health problems and suicide. Inuit people describe a broad range of contextual influences on mental wellness based on lived experience, but most epidemiological studies have focused on individual risk factors and pathologies. This study aimed to assess the influence of multiple determinants of mental wellness among Inuit youth in Nunavik, including culturally meaningful activities, housing and community social characteristics. Mental wellness was measured in the form of two primary outcomes: self-esteem and suicidal ideation. Using cross-sectional data from the 2004 Nunavik Inuit Health Survey and multilevel regression modelling, we estimated associations between these two outcomes and various independent individual- and community-level explanatory factors among Inuit youth. All variables were selected to reflect Inuit perspectives on determinants of mental wellness. The study design and interpretation of results were validated with Inuit community representatives. Pride in Inuit identity, traditional activities, community-level social support and community-level socio-economic status were found to be protective. Barriers to participating in traditional activities, household crowding and high community rates of violence were risk factors. These findings support Inuit perspectives, expand the scope of epidemiological analysis of Inuit mental wellness and reinforce the need for locally informed, community-wide approaches to mental wellness promotion for Inuit youth.

Contrary to nature : Inuit conception of witchcraft

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Merkur

1987-01-01

Full Text Available The present contribution to the phenomenology of witchcraft will depend for its data on the traditional conceptions, rites, and folklore of witchcraft among the Inuit (Eskimo of Čanada and Greenland. A phenomenological definition of witchcraft may be obtained through recognition of its position within Inuit religion. Like many native North Americans, the Inuit epitomized their religion in the concept of balance. The Polar Inuit understood religion to have the function "to keep a right balance between mankind and the rest of the world". Without exception, the rites of Inuit witchcraft were rites of Inuit religion that were made unnatural, through the alteration of one or more features. Because counterclockwise ritual motions were specific to witchcraft, the expression "contrary to nature" may be understood to epitomize the Inuit's own appreciation of witchcraft. Whether witchcraft depended on deliberate violations of traditional observances, on malicious uses of magic formulae and songs, and/or on ritual motions, witchcraft proceeded "contrary to nature". Thus, witchcraft can be defined as special practices, which together with the beliefs and folklore surrounding them, are believed to be innately disruptive of the balance between mankind and the numina. Because it is contrary to nature, witchcraft is innately anti-social. The disruption of the balance of mankind with the numina is not the private act of the witch against a victim, but a danger for the entire community.

Plasma YKL-40 in Inuit and Danes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nøjgaard, Camilla; Johansen, Julia S; Bjerregaard, Peter

2015-01-01

AIMS: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether there are differences in plasma levels of YKL-40 between Inuit in Greenland and in Denmark and in Danes, as well as to study the relationship between alcohol intake, plasma YKL-40 and other factors in Inuit. METHODS: Plasma YKL-40 levels...... were measured on 1645 people from The Greenland Population Study (a cross-sectional population study of Inuit from Denmark and West Greenland) and were compared with the plasma YKL-40 levels of 8899 people from The Copenhagen City Heart Study (a population-based, prospective study of the Danish general...... population). RESULTS: The plasma concentrations of YKL-40 were significantly (P = 0.001) lower in Inuit living in Greenland (median 46 µg/l, range 10-2164, n = 1164) compared with the plasma YKL-40 levels of Inuit living in Denmark (median 63 µg/l, range 20-2827, n = 481) and of Danes living in Denmark...

Multiliteracies and Family Language Policy in an Urban Inuit Community

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick, Donna; Budach, Gabriele; Muckpaloo, Igah

2013-01-01

This study investigates the intersection of family language policy with Indigenous multiliteracies and urban Indigeneity. It documents a grassroots Inuit literacy initiative in Ottawa, Canada and considers literacy practices among Inuit at a local Inuit educational centre, where maintaining connections between urban Inuit and their homeland…

Level and Temporal Trend of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in Greenlandic Inuit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Long, Manhai; Bossi, Rossana; Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Eva Cecilie

bears. However, until now, no data have been reported for PFAAs in Greenlandic Inuit. This study assesses the level and temporal trend of serum PFAAs in Greenlandic Inuit. Study design: Cross-section and temporal time trend survey. Methods: Serum PFAA levels were determined in 284 Inuit from different...... Greenlandic districts using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization. The temporal time trend of serum PFAAs in Nuuk Inuit during 19982005 and the correlation between serum PFAAs and legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were explored. Results: Serum PFAA levels were...... higher in Nuuk Inuit than in non-Nuuk Inuit. Within the same district, higher PFAA levels were observed for males. An age-dependent, increasing trend of serum PFAA levels in the period from 19982005 was observed for Nuuk Inuit. For the pooled gender data, no significant association between PFAAs...

Level and temporal trend of perfluoroalkyl acids in Greenlandic Inuit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Long, Manhai; Bossi, Rossana; Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Eva Cecilie

2012-01-01

bears. However, until now, no data have been reported for PFAAs in Greenlandic Inuit. This study assesses the level and temporal trend of serum PFAAs in Greenlandic Inuit. Study design: Cross-section and temporal time trend survey. Methods: Serum PFAA levels were determined in 284 Inuit from different...... Greenlandic districts using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization. The temporal time trend of serum PFAAs in Nuuk Inuit during 19982005 and the correlation between serum PFAAs and legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were explored. Results: Serum PFAA levels were...... higher in Nuuk Inuit than in non-Nuuk Inuit. Within the same district, higher PFAA levels were observed for males. An age-dependent, increasing trend of serum PFAA levels in the period from 19982005 was observed for Nuuk Inuit. For the pooled gender data, no significant association between PFAAs...

Examining Evidence for Autonomy and Relatedness in Urban Inuit Parenting

Science.gov (United States)

McShane, Kelly E.; Hastings, Paul D.; Smylie, Janet K.; Prince, Conrad

2013-01-01

Inuit have experienced significant lifestyle changes in the past 50 years. Most recently, urbanization has resulted in greater numbers of Inuit living in urban centres in southern Canada. Little is known about Inuit parenting, and nothing has been published on Inuit parenting in an urban context. The present study sought to address this gap by describing the parenting of Inuit living in a large Canadian city and examining emergent themes for evidence of autonomy and relatedness. In partnership with the Tungasuvvingat Inuit Family Resource Centre, 39 Inuit parents completed an interview about their parenting experiences. Based on interviews, major parenting themes included: child characteristics; parenting behaviours and beliefs; affection and love; stressors; and responsive and respectful parenting. The majority of parenting themes linked to relatedness, although there was evidence of autonomy in both parenting behaviours and child characteristics. Results are interpreted in light of the autonomy–relatedness framework and theoretical implications of findings are discussed. PMID:23946698

A Narrative Study of Counsellors' Understandings of Inuit Spirituality

Science.gov (United States)

Wihak, Christine; Merali, Noorfarah

2005-01-01

Eight non-Indigenous counsellors who temporarily lived in Nunavut to serve Inuit clients were interviewed regarding what they learned about Inuit spirituality during their cultural immersion experience. They were also asked about how they applied their understandings of the Inuit spiritual worldview in their professional practice. Counsellors'…

Communicative Interaction and Second Language Acquisition: An Inuit Example.

Science.gov (United States)

Crago, Martha B.

1993-01-01

The role of cultural context in the communicative interaction of young Inuit children, their caregivers, and their non-Inuit teachers was examined in a longitudinal ethnographic study conducted in two small communities of arctic Quebec. Focus was on discourse features of primary language socialization of Inuit families. (32 references) (Author/LB)

Cancer patterns in Inuit Nunangat: 1998–2007

Science.gov (United States)

Carrière, Gisèle M.; Tjepkema, Michael; Pennock, Jennifer; Goedhuis, Neil

2012-01-01

Objectives To compare cancer incidence patterns between residents of Inuit Nunangat and the rest of Canada. Study design Cancer cases were geographically linked to either Inuit Nunangat or the rest of Canada using postal codes or other geographic information. Population estimates were derived from the 2001 and 2006 censuses. Methods Cancer cases were combined from 1998 to 2007 for Inuit Nunangat and the rest of Canada. Age-standardised incidence rates were calculated for all site cancers and sub-sites by sex. Standardised rate ratios between these 2 areas were calculated for all site cancers and sub-sites. Results The age-standardised incidence rate for all cancer sites (1998–2007) was 14% lower for the Inuit Nunangat male population and 29% higher for the female population by comparison to the rest of Canada. Cancers of the nasopharynx, lung and bronchus, colorectal, stomach (males), and kidney and renal pelvis (females), were elevated in the Inuit Nunangat population compared to the rest of Canada, whereas prostate and female breast cancers were lower in the Inuit Nunangat population. Conclusions Cancers with potentially modifiable risk factors, such as buccal cavity and pharynx, nasopharynx, lung and bronchus, and colorectal cancer were elevated in the Inuit Nunangat population compared to the rest of Canada. Besides greater smoking prevalence within Inuit Nunangat by comparison to the rest of Canada, distinct socioeconomic characteristics between respective area populations including housing, and income may have contributed to incidence differentials. This study demonstrated that a geographic approach can be used in cancer surveillance when populations of interest are spatially distinguishable, and reside across distinct jurisdictions whose combined cancer registries will not completely provide information to identify the population of interest. PMID:22663938

Education as Reconciliation: Resorting Inuit Nunangat

Science.gov (United States)

McKechnie, Jay

2015-01-01

Education is stated as the number one priority of the Government of Nunavut's "Sivumiut Abluqta" mandate. The Nunavut education system is seen by many as failing to provide Inuit with the promise of supporting Inuit economic and social well-being. Today in Nunavut, there is a growing awareness of the effects of past colonialist polices…

The Inuit and climate change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fenge, T.

2001-12-31

Marked climate change has been forecast for regions in high latitudes by global climate models presented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Observations and reports of significant alterations to the natural environment of Canada's north have been reported by Inuit and other indigenous peoples using their traditional ecological knowledge as a reference. Global climate change appears to be the cause for the changes noted. Many aspects of climate change need to be addressed, such as research, outreach, impacts, adaptations and international negotiations. Based on the strong partnership that had been developed between the Inuit and four federal agencies, three territorial governments and four indigenous people's organizations in support of the Northern Contaminants Program, Inuit are now seeking a partnership with the federal government to address the issues mentioned above concerning climate change. refs., 1 tab.

Inuit Social Studies: A Variant on a Common Theme.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolforth, John

1998-01-01

A social studies methods course for preservice Inuit student teachers in Canada mediated between the knowledge and professional skills required of social studies teachers as presented in the textbook and the knowledge brought by the Inuit students. Using genealogy, concept webs, and timelines, the instructor gave Inuit knowledge as much weight as…

Adverse metabolic risk profiles in Greenlandic Inuit children compared to Danish children.

Science.gov (United States)

Munch-Andersen, T; Sorensen, K; Andersen, L B; Aachmann-Andersen, N J; Aksglaede, L; Juul, A; Helge, J W

2013-06-01

During recent decades, the prevalence of metabolic morbidity has increased rapidly in adult Greenlandic Inuit. To what extent this is also reflected in the juvenile Inuit population is unknown. The objective was, therefore, in the comparison with Danish children, to evaluate metabolic profiles in Greenlandic Inuit children from the capital in the southern and from the northern most villages 187 Inuit and 132 Danish children were examined with anthropometrics, pubertal staging, fasting blood samples, and a maximal aerobic test. Both Inuit children living in Nuuk and the northern villages had significantly higher glucose, total cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1 levels, and diastolic blood pressure compared with Danish children after adjustment for differences in adiposity and aerobic fitness levels. The Inuit children living in Nuuk had significantly higher BMI, body fat %, HbA1 c, and significantly lower aerobic fitness and ApoA1 levels than northern living Inuit children. Greenlandic Inuit children had adverse metabolic health profile compared to the Danish children, the differences where more pronounced in Inuit children living in Nuuk. The tendencies toward higher prevalence of diabetes and metabolic morbidity in the adult Greenlandic Inuit population may also be present in the Inuit children population. Copyright © 2013 The Obesity Society.

Hypertriglyceridemic-waist phenotype and glucose intolerance among Canadian Inuit: the International Polar Year Inuit Health Survey for Adults 2007-2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Egeland, Grace M; Cao, Zhirong; Young, T Kue

2011-06-14

Inuit have not experienced an epidemic in type 2 diabetes mellitus, and it has been speculated that they may be protected from obesity's metabolic consequences. We conducted a population-based screening for diabetes among Inuit in the Canadian Arctic and evaluated the association of visceral adiposity with diabetes. A total of 36 communities participated in the International Polar Year Inuit Health Survey. Of the 2796 Inuit households approached, 1901 (68%) participated, with 2595 participants. Households were randomly selected, and adult residents were invited to participate. Assessments included anthropometry and fasting plasma lipids and glucose, and, because of survey logistics, only 32% of participants underwent a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test. We calculated weighted prevalence estimates of metabolic risk factors for all participants. Participants' mean age was 43.3 years; 35% were obese, 43.8% had an at-risk waist, and 25% had an elevated triglyceride level. Diabetes was identified in 12.2% of participants aged 50 years and older and in 1.9% of those younger than 50 years. A hypertriglyceridemic-waist phenotype was a strong predictor of diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 8.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1-34.6) in analyses adjusted for age, sex, region, family history of diabetes, education and use of lipid-lowering medications. Metabolic risk factors were prevalent among Inuit. Our results suggest that Inuit are not protected from the metabolic consequences of obesity, and that their rate of diabetes prevalence is now comparable to that observed in the general Canadian population. Assessment of waist circumference and fasting triglyceride levels could represent an efficient means for identifying Inuit at high risk for diabetes.

Ethnicity is important for creatinine excretion among Inuit and Caucasians in Greenland.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Stig; Dehnfeld, Marie; Laurberg, Peter

2015-01-01

Human nutrition, contamination and renal function are commonly assessed by the analysis of urine. A complete 24-hour urine sample is the ideal but it is inconvenient and unreliable. Thus, spot urine sampling with creatinine adjustment is widely used. Stratification for age and gender is recommended. Still, ethnicity may influence creatinine excretion. We collected 104 24-h urine samples among Inuit and non-Inuit living in Greenland. Completeness of sampling was checked by using para-amino benzoic acid (PABA) that also allowed for compensation of creatinine excretion when sampling was incomplete. We measured creatinine using the Jaffe method and PABA by the HPLC method. Participants were recruited from the capital city, a major town and a settlement (n = 36/48/20). They were aged 30-69 years with 78 Inuit and 26 non-Inuit. Inuit were smaller than non-Inuit (Caucasians): height, 163 vs. 177 cm, p Inuit compared to non-Inuit (men, 1344/1807 mg/24 h; women 894/1259 mg/24 h; p = 0.002; 0.02). It was influenced by age (p Inuit diet in the adjusted analysis. Creatinine excretion was described by: Inuit men, 1925 mg - (13.1 × age); Inuit women, 1701 mg - (17.0 × age). Inuit and Caucasians have different creatinine excretion. It is recommended to stratify by ethnicity in addition to adjustment for age and gender when using creatinine correction of spot urine samples.

Impact of Inuit customary adoption on behavioral problems in school-age Inuit children.

Science.gov (United States)

Decaluwe, Béatrice; Jacobson, Sandra W; Poirier, Marie-Andrée; Forget-Dubois, Nadine; Jacobson, Joseph L; Muckle, Gina

2015-05-01

A large proportion of Inuit children in Arctic Quebec are adopted in accordance with traditional Inuit customs. In contrast to adoptions in Southern Canada and the United States, the child is adopted at birth and by a close family member; he or she knows who his or her biological parents are, and will typically have contact with them. Studies of other populations have reported an increased incidence of behavior problems in adopted compared with nonadopted children. This study examined the actual extent of the increase in the number of behavior problems seen in Inuit children adopted in accordance with traditional customs. In a prospective longitudinal study conducted in the Canadian Arctic (n = 46 adopted and 231 nonadopted children), prenatal and familial variables were documented at birth and at school age (M = 11.3 years). Behavior problems were assessed on the Teacher Report Form of the Child Behavior Checklist. Adopted children lived in more economically disadvantaged families, but their caregivers were less prone to depression, domestic violence, or alcohol abuse compared with those of the nonadopted children. The adoption status was not related to the teacher's report of attention problems, externalizing or internalizing behaviors, after controlling for confounders. Despite less favorable socioeconomic circumstances, a higher extent of behavioral problems was not seen at school age in Inuit children adopted at birth by a family member. Psychosocial stressors associated with adoption are more likely to be responsible for an association with higher levels of childhood behavior problems rather than adoption per se. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Suicide and Suicide Prevention among Inuit in Canada

OpenAIRE

Kral, Michael J.

2016-01-01

Inuit in Canada have among the highest suicide rates in the world, and it is primarily among their youth. Risk factors include known ones such as depression, substance use, a history of abuse, and knowing others who have made attempts or have killed themselves, however of importance are the negative effects of colonialism. This took place for Inuit primarily during the government era starting in the 1950s, when Inuit were moved from their family-based land camps to crowded settlements run by ...

Curriculum Change in Nunavut: Towards Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit

Science.gov (United States)

McGregor, Heather Elizabeth

2012-01-01

Between 1985 and the present, curriculum developers, educators and Elders in Nunavut have been working towards reconceptualization of curriculum to better meet the strengths and needs of Inuit students and to reflect, preserve, and revitalize Inuit worldview, language, and culture. This article outlines the development of the 1989 curriculum…

Decreasing overweight and central fat patterning with Westernization among the Inuit in Greenland and Inuit migrants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard, P; Jørgensen, M E; Andersen, S

2002-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To analyse overweight, obesity and central fat patterning among the Inuit of Greenland and Inuit migrants in Denmark and their relation to Westernization. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, population-based epidemiological study. SUBJECTS: A total of 2046 adult Greenlanders (Inuit), 61% of those...... invited to participate, living in three areas of Greenland and in Denmark. MEASUREMENTS: Height, weight, waist and hip circumferences were measured and body mass index (BMI in kg/m(2)) and waist-hip ratio calculated. Sociocultural information was obtained by questionnaire and interview. Westernization...... was estimated by language and place of residence. RESULTS: The prevalence of obesity (>or=30 kg/m(2)) was 16 and 22% among men and women in Greenland (P=0.004), and 12 and 11%, respectively, in Denmark (NS). Westernization was accompanied by a decrease in the proportion of obese people, in particular among...

Intake of traditional Inuit diet vary in parallel with inflammation as estimated from YKL-40 and hsCRP in Inuit and non-Inuit in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schæbel, Louise Holm; Vestergaard, H; Laurberg, Peter Marvin

2013-01-01

Chronic low-grade inflammation is involved in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease. This was rare in pre-western Inuit who lived on a diet that consisted mainly of marine mammals rich in n-3 fatty acids.......Chronic low-grade inflammation is involved in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease. This was rare in pre-western Inuit who lived on a diet that consisted mainly of marine mammals rich in n-3 fatty acids....

Prevalence and Characteristics Associated with Breastfeeding Initiation Among Canadian Inuit from the 2007-2008 Nunavut Inuit Child Health Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

McIsaac, Kathryn E; Sellen, Daniel W; Lou, Wendy; Young, Kue

2015-09-01

We aimed to determine the prevalence of, and factors associated with, breastfeeding initiation in Canadian Inuit. We used data from the Nunavut Inuit Child Health Survey, a population-based, cross-sectional survey conducted in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Inuit children aged 3-5 years in 2007 or 2008 were randomly selected for the survey. Select household, maternal, infant and community characteristics were collected from the child's primary caregiver and entered into logistic regression models as potential predictors of breastfeeding initiation. Analyses were repeated in a subgroup of caregiver reports from biological mothers. The reported prevalence of breastfeeding initiation was 67.6% (95% CI 62.4-72.8) overall and 85.1% (95% CI 80.2-90.1) in a subgroup of caregiver reports from biological mothers. Adjusted prevalence odds ratios (pOR) indicate the primary caregiver was an important determinant of breastfeeding (adopted parent vs. biological mother: pOR = 0.03, 95% CI 0.01-0.07; other vs. biological mother: pOR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.14-0.74). Maternal smoking during pregnancy and having access to a community birthing facility were also potentially important, but not statistically significant (p > 0.05). In conclusion, data from the Nunavut Inuit Child Health Survey indicate breastfeeding is initiated for more than two-thirds of children, but rates are below the national average and this may be one of several pathways to poor health outcomes documented in many Inuit communities. Considered in the particular context of birthing facilities utilization and postnatal care arrangements in Inuit communities, these results suggest that increasing breastfeeding initiation will require health interventions that effectively engage all types of primary caregivers.

Inuit Elderly: A Systematic Review of Peer Reviewed Journal Articles.

Science.gov (United States)

Somogyi, Balvinder K; Barker, Melanie; MacLean, Calvin; Grischkan, Pamela

2015-01-01

Over the last century, Inuit have experienced rapid social changes that have greatly impacted their way of life, health, and intergenerational traditions. Although there is a growing body of research concerning Inuit youth, relatively little is known about elderly Inuit. In an effort to bridge this knowledge gap, a systematic review of peer-reviewed journal articles was conducted. This review identified a dearth of research on older Inuit, and highlighted limitations in service provision to this primarily rural and isolated population. Implications for policy and practice and recommendations for future research are also discussed.

The Inuit cancer pattern--the influence of migration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boysen, T.; Friborg, J.; Andersen, Allan

2008-01-01

The Inuit cancer pattern is characterized by high frequencies of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-associated carcinomas of the nasopharynx and salivary glands. The reasons are unknown, but genetic and environmental factors are believed to be involved. Using data from the well-defined Inuit population...... following migration to Denmark. The SIR was not generally influenced by duration of stay. The high risk of carcinoma of the nasopharynx and salivary glands observed in Inuit populations is maintained after migration to a low incidence area. This indicates that genetic factors or environmental factors acting...

Culturally Sensitive Counselling in Nunavut: Implications of Inuit Traditional Knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Wihak, Christine; Merali, Noorfarah

2003-01-01

The success of the Inuit people of Canada in seeking political autonomy resulted in the creation of the Nunavut territory. The new Government of Nunavut (GN) has instituted Inuit Quajimajatiqangit (IQ), the values, norms, and traditional knowledge of the Inuit, as formal policy to guide the delivery of health, social, and civil services in order…

Pharmaceutical health care and Inuit language communications in Nunavut, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Romain, Sandra J

2013-01-01

Pharmaceutical communication is an essential component of pharmaceutical health care, optimally ensuring patients understand the proper administration and side effects of their medications. Communication can often be complicated by language and culture, but with pharmaceuticals, misunderstandings can prove particularly harmful. In Nunavut, to ensure the preservation and revitalization of Inuit languages, the Inuit Language Protection Act and Official Languages Act were passed requiring that all public and private sector essential services offer verbal and written communication in Inuit languages (Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun) by 2012. While the legislation mandates compliance, policy implementation for pharmaceutical services is problematic. Not a single pharmacist in Nunavut is fluent in either of the Inuit languages. Pharmacists have indicated challenges in formally translating written documentation into Inuit languages based on concerns for patient safety. These challenges of negotiating the joint requirements of language legislation and patient safety have resulted in pharmacies using verbal on-site translation as a tenuous solution regardless of its many limitations. The complex issues of pharmaceutical health care and communication among the Inuit of Nunavut are best examined through multimethod research to encompass a wide range of perspectives. This methodology combines the richness of ethnographic data, the targeted depth of interviews with key informants and the breadth of cross-Canada policy and financial analyses. The analysis of this information would provide valuable insights into the current relationships between health care providers, pharmacists and Inuit patients and suggest future directions for policy that will improve the efficacy of pharmaceuticals and health care spending for the Inuit in Canada.

Pharmaceutical health care and Inuit language communications in Nunavut, Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra J. Romain

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Background. Pharmaceutical communication is an essential component of pharmaceutical health care, optimally ensuring patients understand the proper administration and side effects of their medications. Communication can often be complicated by language and culture, but with pharmaceuticals, misunderstandings can prove particularly harmful. In Nunavut, to ensure the preservation and revitalization of Inuit languages, the Inuit Language Protection Act and Official Languages Act were passed requiring that all public and private sector essential services offer verbal and written communication in Inuit languages (Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun by 2012. Methods. While the legislation mandates compliance, policy implementation for pharmaceutical services is problematic. Not a single pharmacist in Nunavut is fluent in either of the Inuit languages. Pharmacists have indicated challenges in formally translating written documentation into Inuit languages based on concerns for patient safety. These challenges of negotiating the joint requirements of language legislation and patient safety have resulted in pharmacies using verbal on-site translation as a tenuous solution regardless of its many limitations. Results. The complex issues of pharmaceutical health care and communication among the Inuit of Nunavut are best examined through multimethod research to encompass a wide range of perspectives. This methodology combines the richness of ethnographic data, the targeted depth of interviews with key informants and the breadth of cross-Canada policy and financial analyses. Conclusions. The analysis of this information would provide valuable insights into the current relationships between health care providers, pharmacists and Inuit patients and suggest future directions for policy that will improve the efficacy of pharmaceuticals and health care spending for the Inuit in Canada.

Diabetes among Inuit migrants in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moustgaard, Helene; Bjerregaard, Peter; Borch-Johnsen, Knut

2005-01-01

The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of diabetes and impaired glucose intolerance (IGT) among Inuit migrants living in Denmark, and to compare with findings from Greenland. Further, we analyzed determinants for diabetes and impaired glucose metabolism.......The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of diabetes and impaired glucose intolerance (IGT) among Inuit migrants living in Denmark, and to compare with findings from Greenland. Further, we analyzed determinants for diabetes and impaired glucose metabolism....

Metabolic profile in two physically active Inuit groups consuming either a western or a traditional Inuit diet

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Thor Munch; Olsen, David B; Søndergaard, Hans

2012-01-01

To evaluate the effect of regular physical activity on metabolic risk factors and blood pressure in Inuit with high BMI consuming a western diet (high amount of saturated fatty acids and carbohydrates with a high glycemic index).......To evaluate the effect of regular physical activity on metabolic risk factors and blood pressure in Inuit with high BMI consuming a western diet (high amount of saturated fatty acids and carbohydrates with a high glycemic index)....

Contemporary Inuit Traditional Beliefs Concerning Meteorites

Science.gov (United States)

Mardon, A. A.; Mardon, E. G.; Williams, J. S.

1992-07-01

Inuit religious mythology and the importance of meteorites as "messages" from the Creator of all things is only now being recognized. Field investigations near Resolute, Cornwallis Island in the high Canadian Arctic in 1988 are the bases for this paper. Through interpreters, several elders of the local Inuit described in detail the Inuit belief, recognition, and wonder at the falling meteors & meteorites during the long Polar Night and Polar Day. Such events are passed on in the oral tradition from generation to generation by the elders and especially those elders who fulfill the shamanistic roles. The Inuit have come across rocks that they immediately recognize as not being "natural" and in the cases of a fall that was observed and the rock recovered the meteorite is kept either on the person or in some hidden niche known only to that person. In one story recounted a meteorite fell and was recovered at the birth of one very old elder and the belief was that if the rock was somehow damaged or taken from his possession he would die. Some indirect indication also was conveyed that the discovery and possession of meteorites allow shaman to have "supernatural" power. This belief in the supernatural power of meteorites can be seen historically in many societies, including Islam and the "black rock" (Kaaba) of Mecca. It should also be noted, however, that metallic meteorites were clearly once the major source of iron for Eskimo society as is indicated from the recovery of meteoritical iron arrow heads and harpoon heads from excavated pre-Viking contact sites. The one evident thing that became clear to the author is that the Inuit distinctly believe that these meteorites are religious objects of the highest order and it brings into question the current academic practice of sending meteorites south to research institutes. Any seeming conflict with the traditional use of meteoric iron is more apparent than real--the animals, the hunt, and the act of survival--all being

The health of Inuit children under age 6 in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Findlay, Leanne C; Janz, Teresa A

2012-01-01

Previous research has suggested that Inuit children experience poor health as compared to their non-Aboriginal counterparts, although social determinants such as family and social conditions, lifestyle or behaviour, and cultural factors may be at play. The purpose of the current study was to examine the parent-reported health of Inuit children under 6 years of age living in Canada. Data from the 2006 Aboriginal Children's Survey were used to examine measures of Inuit child health as rated by parents including child health, limitations to physical activity, chronic conditions, ear infections, and dental problems. Associations between social determinants of health and parent-rated Inuit child health were also explored. Most Inuit children under age 6 were reported by their parents or guardians to be in excellent or very good health. The most common chronic conditions identified were asthma, speech and language difficulties, allergies, lactose intolerance, and hearing impairment. Several social determinants of health were associated with child health, including parental education, household income, breastfeeding, and perceived housing conditions. The findings show that social determinants of health, including both socio-economic and household characteristics, are associated with Inuit child health.

Inuit dietary patterns in modern Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard, Peter; Jeppesen, Charlotte

2010-01-01

The purpose of the study was to apply two different approaches of dietary pattern definition to data from Greenland and to analyse the contemporary dietary patterns of the Inuit in Greenland in relation to urbanization and socio-economic positions.......The purpose of the study was to apply two different approaches of dietary pattern definition to data from Greenland and to analyse the contemporary dietary patterns of the Inuit in Greenland in relation to urbanization and socio-economic positions....

Misclassification of iodine intake level from morning spot urine samples with high iodine excretion among Inuit and non-Inuit in Greenland.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Stig; Waagepetersen, Rasmus; Laurberg, Peter

2015-05-14

Iodine nutrition is commonly assessed from iodine excretion in urine. A 24 h urine sample is ideal, but it is cumbersome and inconvenient. Hence, spot urine samples with creatinine to adjust for differences in void volume are widely used. Still, the importance of ethnicity and the timing of spot urine samples need to be settled. We, thus, collected 104 early morning spot urine samples and 24 h urine samples from Inuit and non-Inuit living in Greenland. Diet was assessed by a FFQ. Demographic data were collected from the national registry and by questionnaires. Iodine was measured using the Sandell-Kolthoff reaction, creatinine using the Jaffe method and para-amino benzoic acid by the HPLC method for the estimation of completeness of urine sampling and compensation of incomplete urine samples to 24 h excretion. A population-based recruitment was done from the capital city, a major town and a settlement (n 36/48/20). Participants were seventy-eight Inuit and twenty-six non-Inuit. The median 24 h iodine excretion was 138 (25th-75th percentile 89-225) μg/97 (25th-75th percentile 72-124) μg in Inuit/non-Inuit (P= 0.030), and 153 (25th-75th percentile 97-251) μg/102 (25th-75th percentile 73-138) μg (P= 0.026) when including compensated iodine excretion. Iodine excretion in 24 h urine samples increased with a rising intake of traditional Inuit foods (P= 0.005). Iodine excretion was lower in morning spot urine samples than in 24 h urine samples (P< 0.001). This difference was associated with iodine intake levels (P< 0.001), and was statistically significant when the iodine excretion level was above 150 μg/24 h. In conclusion, the iodine intake level was underestimated from morning spot urine samples if iodine excretion was above the recommended level.

Blood pressure among the Inuit (Eskimo) populations in the Arctic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard, Peter; Dewailly, Eric; Young, T Kue

2003-01-01

Studies of blood pressure among various Inuit (Eskimo) populations in the Arctic have given inconsistent results. Most studies reported lower blood pressure among the Inuit as compared with the predominantly white national populations. This has been attributed to traditional subsistence practices...... and lifestyle. This study compared the blood pressure among the major Inuit population groups with other populations and examined the associations with factors like age, gender, obesity and smoking....

Mortality rates among children and teenagers living in Inuit Nunangat, 1994 to 2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliver, Lisa N; Peters, Paul A; Kohen, Dafna E

2012-09-01

Because Vital Statistics data do not include information on Inuit identity in all jurisdictions, mortality rates cannot be calculated specifically for Inuit. However, Inuit in Canada are geographically concentrated--78% live in Inuit Nunangat, and 82% of the area's total population identify as Inuit. While there are limitations, geographic approaches can be employed to calculate mortality for the population of that area. The Vital Statistics Database (1994 to 2008) and population estimates were used to calculate age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) in five-year intervals around the 1996 and 2006 Census years. Mortality rates were calculated for 1- to 19-year-olds living in Inuit Nunangat and those living elsewhere in Canada. The ASMR in 2004-2008 for 1- to 19-year-olds in Inuit Nunangat was 188.0 deaths per 100,000 person-years at risk, five times the rate (35.3) elsewhere in Canada. The disparity had not narrowed over the previous decade. In Inuit Nunangat, injuries were responsible for 64% of deaths of children and teenagers, compared with 36% in the rest of Canada. The persistently high mortality rates for children and teenagers living in Inuit Nunangat, compared with the rest of Canada, are important in understanding the health and socio-economic situation of residents of this region.

Inuit outside the Arctic : Migration, identity and perceptions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Terpstra, Tekke

2015-01-01

Today many Inuit live outside the Arctic. This research deals with the experiences of these migrants. The focus is on Greenlanders in Denmark, but their experiences are compared to those of Inuit in southern Canada. However, various of the themes discussed in this study also apply to other groups of

Adapting to the effects of climate change on Inuit health.

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, James D; Willox, Ashlee Cunsolo; Chatwood, Susan; Furgal, Christopher; Harper, Sherilee; Mauro, Ian; Pearce, Tristan

2014-06-01

Climate change will have far-reaching implications for Inuit health. Focusing on adaptation offers a proactive approach for managing climate-related health risks-one that views Inuit populations as active agents in planning and responding at household, community, and regional levels. Adaptation can direct attention to the root causes of climate vulnerability and emphasize the importance of traditional knowledge regarding environmental change and adaptive strategies. An evidence base on adaptation options and processes for Inuit regions is currently lacking, however, thus constraining climate policy development. In this article, we tackled this deficit, drawing upon our understanding of the determinants of health vulnerability to climate change in Canada to propose key considerations for adaptation decision-making in an Inuit context.

Inuit Perspectives on Arctic Environmental Change': A Traveling Exhibition

Science.gov (United States)

Sheffield, E. M.; Hakala, J. S.; Gearheard, S.

2006-12-01

The Inuit of Nunavut, Canada, have an intimate relationship with their surroundings. As a culture that relies on knowledge of sea ice, snow, and weather conditions for success in hunting, fishing, and healthy wellbeing, Inuit have observed and studied environmental patterns for generations. An ongoing study into their traditional knowledge and their observations of environmental change is being conducted by researcher Dr. Shari Gearheard, who has worked with Inuit communities in Nunavut for over a decade. The results of the research have been published in scientific journals, and to communicate the results to a broader audience, Dr. Gearheard designed an interactive CD-ROM displaying photographs, maps, and interview videos of Inuit Elders' perspectives on the changes they have witnessed. Receiving immediate popularity since its release in 2004, copies of `When the Weather is Uggianaqtuq: Inuit Observations of Environmental Change' have been distributed worldwide, to indigenous peoples, social science and climate change researchers, teachers, students, and the general public. To further disseminate the information contained on the CD-ROM, the National Snow and Ice Data Center and the Museum of Natural History, both of the University of Colorado, are partnering to create an exhibition which will open at the Museum during the International Polar Year in April 2008. The exhibit, tentatively titled `Inuit Perspectives on Arctic Environmental Change,' will feature photographs, graphics, and text in both English and Inuktitut describing environmental change in the North. The goals are to make the information and interpretation contained on the CD-ROM available and more accessible to a broad audience and to raise awareness about Arctic climate change and the important contribution of Inuit knowledge. Following exhibition at the Museum, the exhibit will travel throughout the United States, Alaska, and Nunavut, through a network of museums, schools, libraries, tribal

Cardiovascular Disease Susceptibility and Resistance in Circumpolar Inuit Populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tvermosegaard, Maria; Dahl-Petersen, Inger K; Nielsen, Nina Odgaard

2015-01-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major public health issue in indigenous populations in the Arctic. These diseases have emerged concomitantly with profound social changes over the past 60 years. The aim of this study was to summarize the literature on CVD risk among Arctic Inuit. Literature...... on prevalence, incidence, and time trends for CVD and its risk factors in Arctic Inuit populations was reviewed. Most evidence supports a similar incidence of coronary heart disease and a higher incidence of cerebrovascular disease among Arctic Inuit than seen in western populations. Factors that may increase...... intake (at least documented in Greenland), and contaminant levels are declining. Although there have been marked socioeconomic and dietary changes, it remains unsolved and to some extent controversial how this may have influenced cardiovascular risk among Arctic Inuit. The increase in life expectancy...

Ethnic differences in leptin and adiponectin levels between Greenlandic Inuit and Danish children.

Science.gov (United States)

Munch-Andersen, Thor; Sorensen, Kaspar; Aachmann-Andersen, Niels-Jacob; Aksglaede, Lise; Juul, Anders; Helge, Jørn W

2013-01-01

In a recent study, we found that Greenlandic Inuit children had a more adverse metabolic profile than Danish children. Aerobic fitness and adiposity could only partly account for the differences. Therefore, we set out to evaluate and compare plasma leptin and adiponectin levels in Danish and Inuit children. In total, 187 Inuit and 132 Danish children (5.7-17.1 years) had examinations of anthropometrics, body fat content, pubertal staging, fasting blood and aerobic fitness. Plasma leptin was higher in Danish boys [3,774 (4,741-3,005)] [pg/mL unadjusted geometric mean (95% CI)] compared to both northern [2,076 (2,525-1,706)] (p Inuit boys and higher in Danish girls [6,988 (8,353-5,847)] compared to southern living Inuit girls [4,910 (6,370-3,785)] (p = 0.021) and tended to be higher compared to northern living Inuit girls [5,131 (6,444-4,085)] (p = 0.052). Plasma adiponectin was higher for both Danish boys [22,359 (2,573-19,428)] [ng/mL unadjusted geometric mean (95% CI)] and girls [26,609 (28,994-24,420)] compared to southern living Inuit boys [15,306 (18,406-12,728)] and girls [18,864 (22,640-15,717)] (both p Inuit boys and girls, respectively. These differences were eliminated after adjustment for BF%, aerobic fitness, age and puberty. In contrast to our hypothesis, plasma leptin was higher in Danish children despite a more healthy metabolic profile compared to Inuit children. As expected, plasma adiponectin was lowest in Inuit children with the most adverse metabolic profile.

Adapting to the Effects of Climate Change on Inuit Health

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, James D.; Willox, Ashlee Cunsolo; Chatwood, Susan; Furgal, Christopher; Harper, Sherilee; Mauro, Ian; Pearce, Tristan

2014-01-01

Climate change will have far-reaching implications for Inuit health. Focusing on adaptation offers a proactive approach for managing climate-related health risks—one that views Inuit populations as active agents in planning and responding at household, community, and regional levels. Adaptation can direct attention to the root causes of climate vulnerability and emphasize the importance of traditional knowledge regarding environmental change and adaptive strategies. An evidence base on adaptation options and processes for Inuit regions is currently lacking, however, thus constraining climate policy development. In this article, we tackled this deficit, drawing upon our understanding of the determinants of health vulnerability to climate change in Canada to propose key considerations for adaptation decision-making in an Inuit context. PMID:24754615

Exploring the Value Orientations of Inuit and White Students: An Empirical Inquiry.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Lance W.; And Others

1989-01-01

Finds that, among 46 Inuit and 11 White 10-16-year-old students in the Northwest Territories (Canada), Inuit students had less modern values than their white peers, but Inuit scores varied considerably both within and among the 5 value orientations examined. Contains 34 references. (SV)

Inuit women's stories of strength: informing Inuit community-based HIV and STI prevention and sexual health promotion programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Rand, Jenny R

2016-01-01

There is a dearth of literature to guide the development of community-based HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention and sexual health promotion programs within Inuit communities. The aim of this study was to create a dialogue with Inuit women to address the lack of information available to inform programming to improve the sexual health of Inuit women, their families, and their communities in the Canadian Arctic. This study used Indigenous methodologies and methods by drawing from Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and postcolonial research theory in a framework of Two-Eyed Seeing, and using storytelling sessions to gather data. Community-based participatory research principles informed the design of the study, ensuring participants were involved in all stages of the project. Nine storytelling sessions took place with 21 Inuit women aged 18-61 years. Storytelling sessions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim, and Atlas.ti aided in the organization of the data for collaborative thematic analysis within three participatory analysis sessions with 13 of the participating women. From the storytelling and analysis sessions, five major themes emerged: (a) the way it used to be, (b) change, (c) family, (d) intimate relationships and (e) holistic strategies. Participating women emphasized that HIV and STI prevention and sexual health promotion programming needs to take a holistic, community-wide, family-focused and youth-centred approach within their communities. Participants identified several important determinants of sexual health and shared ideas for innovative approaches they believe will work as prevention efforts within their communities. This article specifically focuses on key characteristics of programming aimed at STI and HIV prevention and sexual health promotion that were identified throughout participants' stories. This study has provided a narrative to complement the epidemiological data that highlight the urgent need for prevention programming.

Congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency: identification of a common Inuit founder mutation.

Science.gov (United States)

Marcadier, Julien L; Boland, Margaret; Scott, C Ronald; Issa, Kheirie; Wu, Zaining; McIntyre, Adam D; Hegele, Robert A; Geraghty, Michael T; Lines, Matthew A

2015-02-03

Congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency is a rare hereditary cause of chronic diarrhea in children. People with this condition lack the intestinal brush-border enzyme required for digestion of di- and oligosaccharides, including sucrose and isomaltose, leading to malabsorption. Although the condition is known to be highly prevalent (about 5%-10%) in several Inuit populations, the genetic basis for this has not been described. We sought to identify a common mutation for congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency in the Inuit population. We sequenced the sucrase-isomaltase gene, SI, in a single Inuit proband with congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency who had severe fermentative diarrhea and failure to thrive. We then genotyped a further 128 anonymized Inuit controls from a variety of locales in the Canadian Arctic to assess for a possible founder effect. In the proband, we identified a novel, homozygous frameshift mutation, c.273_274delAG (p.Gly92Leufs*8), predicted to result in complete absence of a functional protein product. This change was very common among the Inuit controls, with an observed allele frequency of 17.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 12.6%-21.8%). The predicted Hardy-Weinberg prevalence of congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency in Inuit people, based on this single founder allele, is 3.0% (95% CI 1.4%-4.5%), which is comparable with previous estimates. We found a common mutation, SI c.273_274delAG, to be responsible for the high prevalence of congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency among Inuit people. Targeted mutation testing for this allele should afford a simple and minimally invasive means of diagnosing this condition in Inuit patients with chronic diarrhea. © 2015 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors.

The Thule Inuit Mummies From Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lynnerup, Niels

2015-01-01

Fourteen Thule Culture Inuit mummies are described here, including remarks on the cultural and archaeological setting of the Thule people. The mummy finds pertain to two mummy caches: six mummies found near Nuuk, at the site Pissisarfik, and eight mummies from Qilakitsoq. The latter find is the b......Fourteen Thule Culture Inuit mummies are described here, including remarks on the cultural and archaeological setting of the Thule people. The mummy finds pertain to two mummy caches: six mummies found near Nuuk, at the site Pissisarfik, and eight mummies from Qilakitsoq. The latter find...

Cardiovascular risk amongst migrant and non-migrant Greenland Inuit in a gender perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard, Peter; Jørgensen, Marit Eika; Borch-Johnsen, Knut

2007-01-01

surveys among adult Inuit in Greenland and Inuit migrants in Denmark (n = 1542). General Linear Models adjusted for age, smoking, diet (seal, fish, and fruit), and alcohol consumption. RESULTS: Blood pressure was significantly higher among Inuit migrants of either sex than among the Inuit in Greenland....... Among women, HDL-cholesterol concentrations were 1.59 mmol/l in Greenland and 1.83 among migrants (pSmoking, diet, and alcohol...

Prevalence of age-related maculopathy and age-related macular degeneration among the inuit in Greenland. The Greenland Inuit Eye Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Mads Varis Nis; Rosenberg, Thomas; la Cour, Morten

2008-01-01

To examine the age- and gender-specific prevalence and describe the common phenotype of early age-related maculopathy (ARM) and late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD) among the Inuit in Greenland.......To examine the age- and gender-specific prevalence and describe the common phenotype of early age-related maculopathy (ARM) and late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD) among the Inuit in Greenland....

A common Greenlandic Inuit BRCA1 RING domain founder mutation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, T.v.O.; Ejlertsen, B.; Albrechtsen, Anders

2009-01-01

of the families had members with ovarian cancer, suggesting that the RING domain may be an ovarian cancer hotspot. By SNP array analysis, we find that all 13 families share a 4.5 Mb genomic fragment containing the BRCA1 gene, showing that the mutation originates from a founder. Finally, analysis of 1152 Inuit......, representing almost ~2% of the total Greenlandic Inuit population, showed that the frequency of the mutation was 1.0%. We conclude that the BRCA1 nucleotide 234 T > G is a common Greenlandic Inuit founder mutation. The relative high frequency in the general population, together with the ease of screening...... and possibility to reduce mortality in gene carriers, may warrant screening of the Greenlandic Inuit population. Provided screening is efficient, about 5% of breast- and 13% of ovarian cancers, respectively, may be prevented Udgivelsesdato: 2009/5...

Inuit are protected against prostate cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dewailly, Eric; Mulvad, Gert; Pedersen, Henning Sloth

2003-01-01

Incidence and mortality rates for prostate cancer are reported to be low among Inuit, but this finding must be additionally supported given the difficulty of obtaining a precise medical diagnosis in the Arctic. We conducted an autopsy study in 1990–1994 among 61 deceased males representative of all...... deaths occurring in Greenland and found only one invasive prostate cancer. Histological data were available for 27 autopsies and revealed no latent carcinoma. Our results suggest that in situ carcinoma is rare among Inuit and that their traditional diet, which is rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty...

Inuit health in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard, P; Curtis, T; Borch-Johnsen, K

2003-01-01

During 1997-2001 a population survey was carried out amongst Greenland Inuit living in Denmark and West Greenland (Nuuk, Sisimiut, Qasigiannguit and four villages in Uummannaq municipality). Data collection comprised an interview, a questionnaire, clinical examinations and sampling of biological ...

Greenlandic Inuit show genetic signatures of diet and climate adaptation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fumagalli, Matteo; Moltke, Ida; Grarup, Niels

2015-01-01

The indigenous people of Greenland, the Inuit, have lived for a long time in the extreme conditions of the Arctic, including low annual temperatures, and with a specialized diet rich in protein and fatty acids, particularly omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). A scan of Inuit genomes......, with the effect on height replicated in Europeans. By analyzing membrane lipids, we found that the selected alleles modulate fatty acid composition, which may affect the regulation of growth hormones. Thus, the Inuit have genetic and physiological adaptations to a diet rich in PUFAs....

HIV/AIDS Risk and Prevention Issues Among Inuit Living in Nunavut Territory of Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Alexander

HIV infections occur across the Arctic but their incidence among aboriginal populations varies vastly. At the time this research was initiated there were no data on their occurrence, risk of HIV/AIDS or preventive strategies among Inuit living in the Nunavut territory of Canada. This review is the first to assess the risk of HIV infection among Inuit and evaluate current prevention strategies among Canadian-Inuit populations. The contents of this article are based on the author's own research, undertaken during 3 visits to the Canadian Arctic and the published literature. Disproportionately high rates of Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea within Inuit communities confirm the potential threat of silent HIV transmission. Inuit awareness of HIV/AIDS issues remains inadequate. It is easy to blame distorted perceptions fuelled by the media, religious influence and socio-cultural factors. Aboriginal and Inuit groups, including youth, women and injection drug abusers are at increased risk of infection. The adaptability of proven prevention methods including condom use and male circumcision are discussed. Access to treatment, adherence and resistance issues in the North Canada, require attention. HIV/AIDS poses a considerable threat to Canadian Inuit public health. The most important problem to be addressed is Inuit lack of awareness and understanding of HIV. Education is the single most effective means of prevention. Inuit-specific and culture-sensitive interventions are recommended. Further research opportunities exist to investigate Inuit understanding over HIV/AIDS issues and to assess local prevention efforts. Copyright © 2016 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

Inuit Voices on Quality Education in Nunavut: Policy Implications

Science.gov (United States)

Fredua-Kwarteng, Eric

2016-01-01

This paper is based on a research that explored how Inuit community members in Nunavut Territory, Canada, conceptualized quality education in the socio-cultural context of the territory. Data were collected through telephone interviews of 13 Inuit community members in Nunavut and document reviews both of which were conducted in 2010. The data…

Dietary sources of energy and nutrients in the contemporary diet of Inuit adults: results from the 2007-08 Inuit Health Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Kenny, Tiff-Annie; Hu, Xue Feng; Kuhnlein, Harriet V; Wesche, Sonia D; Chan, Hing Man

2018-05-01

To characterize the major components of the contemporary Inuit diet and identify the primary sources of energy and essential nutrients. Dietary data were derived from the 24 h recall collected by the Inuit Health Survey (IHS) from 2007 to 2008. The population proportion method was used to determine the percentage contribution of each group. Unique food items/preparations (ninety-three country foods and 1591 market foods) were classified into eight country food groups and forty-one market food groups. Nutrient composition of each food item was obtained from the Canadian Nutrient File. Thirty-six communities across three Inuit regions of northern Canada. A representative sample (n 2095) of non-pregnant Inuit adults (≥18 years), selected through stratified random sampling. Despite their modest contribution to total energy intake (6·4-19·6 %, by region) country foods represented a major source of protein (23-52 %), Fe (28-54 %), niacin (24-52 %) and vitamins D (up to 73 %), B6 (18-55 %) and B12 (50-82 %). By contrast, the three most popular energy-yielding market foods (i.e. sweetened beverages, added sugar and bread) collectively contributed approximately 20 % of total energy, while contributing minimally to most micronutrients. A notable exception was the contribution of these foods to Ca (13-21 %) and vitamins E (17-35 %) and C (as much as 50 %). Solid fruits were consumed by less than 25 % of participants while vegetables were reported by 38-59 % of respondents. Country foods remain a critical dimension of the contemporary Inuit diet.

Self-rated health among Greenlandic Inuit and Norwegian Sami adolescents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Spein, Anna Rita; Pedersen, Cecilia Petrine; Silviken, Anne Cathrine

2013-01-01

Self-rated health (SRH) and associated risk and protective correlates were investigated among two indigenous adolescent populations, Greenlandic Inuit and Norwegian Sami.......Self-rated health (SRH) and associated risk and protective correlates were investigated among two indigenous adolescent populations, Greenlandic Inuit and Norwegian Sami....

Ethnic differences in leptin and adiponectin levels between Greenlandic Inuit and Danish children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thor Munch-Andersen

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Objective. In a recent study, we found that Greenlandic Inuit children had a more adverse metabolic profile than Danish children. Aerobic fitness and adiposity could only partly account for the differences. Therefore, we set out to evaluate and compare plasma leptin and adiponectin levels in Danish and Inuit children. Methods. In total, 187 Inuit and 132 Danish children (5.7–17.1 years had examinations of anthropometrics, body fat content, pubertal staging, fasting blood and aerobic fitness. Results. Plasma leptin was higher in Danish boys [3,774 (4,741–3,005] [pg/mL unadjusted geometric mean (95% CI] compared to both northern [2,076 (2,525–1,706] (p<0.001 and southern (2,515 (3,137–2,016 (p<0.001 living Inuit boys and higher in Danish girls [6,988 (8,353–5,847] compared to southern living Inuit girls [4,910 (6,370–3,785] (p=0.021 and tended to be higher compared to northern living Inuit girls [5,131 (6,444–4,085] (p=0.052. Plasma adiponectin was higher for both Danish boys [22,359 (2,573–19,428] [ng/mL unadjusted geometric mean (95% CI] and girls [26,609 (28,994–24,420] compared to southern living Inuit boys [15,306 (18,406–12,728] and girls [18,864 (22,640–15,717] (both p<0.001, respectively. All differences remained after adjustment for body fat percentage (BF%, aerobic fitness, age and puberty. The leptin/adiponectin ratio was higher in Danish boys and tended to be higher in Danish girls compared to northern living Inuit boys and girls, respectively. These differences were eliminated after adjustment for BF%, aerobic fitness, age and puberty. Conclusions. In contrast to our hypothesis, plasma leptin was higher in Danish children despite a more healthy metabolic profile compared to Inuit children. As expected, plasma adiponectin was lowest in Inuit children with the most adverse metabolic profile.

Inuit Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, John

Inuit live mainly in the treeless Arctic regions of North America, Greenland, and parts of northeastern Siberia. Their cosmology, based on shamanistic belief, constructed a view of the sky and its contents distinctively suited to their spiritual and pragmatic needs. Their astronomy, particularly for those groups living far above the Arctic Circle, reflects the unique appearance of the celestial sphere at high northerly latitudes, demonstrated most noticeably in the annual disappearance of the sun during midwinter months.

The Harvest and Management of Migratory Bird Eggs by Inuit in Nunatsiavut, Labrador

Science.gov (United States)

Natcher, David; Felt, Larry; Chaulk, Keith; Procter, Andrea

2012-12-01

This paper presents the results of collaborative research conducted in 2007 on the harvest of migratory bird eggs by Inuit households of Nunatsiavut, Labrador. Harvest variability between communities and species is examined, as is the social and ecological factors affecting the 2007 Inuit egg harvest. Representing the first comprehensive account of Inuit egg use in Labrador, this information should be valuable to agencies responsible for managing migratory bird populations in North America and will contribute to a more informed understanding of the complexity and temporal variability in subsistence harvesting among Labrador Inuit. It is argued that the recognition of this complexity will be critical as the Nunatsiavut Government and other wildlife management agencies formulate management policies that are supportive rather, than constraining, to Inuit resource use in the future.

Preterm birth in the Inuit and First Nations populations of Québec, Canada, 1981-2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Auger, Nathalie; Fon Sing, Mélanie; Park, Alison L; Lo, Ernest; Trempe, Normand; Luo, Zhong-Cheng

2012-03-24

To evaluate preterm birth (PTB) for Inuit and First Nations vs. non-Indigenous populations in the province of Québec, Canada. Retrospective cohort study. We evaluated singleton live births for Québec residents, 1981-2008 (n = 2,310,466). Municipality of residence (Inuit-inhabited, First Nations-inhabited, rest of Québec) and language (Inuit, First Nations, French/English) were used to identify Inuit and First Nations births. The outcome was PTB (Inuit language speakers in Inuit-inhabited areas and the rest of Québec compared with French/English speakers in the rest of Québec, and disparities persisted over time. Relative to French/English speakers in the rest of Québec, Inuit language speakers in the rest of Québec had the highest risk of PTB (HR 1.98, 95% CI: 1.62-2.41). The risk was also elevated for Inuit language speakers in Inuit-inhabited areas, though to a lesser extent (HR 1.29, 95% CI: 1.18-1.41). In contrast, First Nations language speakers in First Nations-inhabited areas and the rest of Québec had similar or lower risks of PTB relative to French/English speakers in the rest of Québec. Inuit populations, especially those outside Inuit-inhabited areas, have persistently elevated risks of PTB, indicating a need for strategies to prevent PTB in this population.

The influence of persistent organic pollutants in the traditional Inuit diet on markers of inflammation.

Science.gov (United States)

Schæbel, L K; Bonefeld-Jørgensen, E C; Vestergaard, H; Andersen, S

2017-01-01

Concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are high in Inuit living predominately on the traditional marine diet. Adverse effects of POPs include disruption of the immune system and cardiovascular diseases that are frequent in Greenland Inuit. We aimed to assess the association between exposure to POPs from the marine diet and inflammation, taking into account other factors such as vitamin D. We invited Inuit and non-Inuit living in settlements or the town in rural East Greenland or in the capital city Nuuk. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire and donated a blood sample for measurement of the two markers of inflammation YKL-40 and hsCRP, 25-hydroxy-vitamin D, eleven organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), fourteen polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), one polybrominated biphenyl, and nine polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) adjusted to the serum lipid content. Participants were 50 through 69 years old, living in settlements, town or city (n = 151/173/211; 95% participation rate). ΣOCP, ΣPCB and ΣPBDE serum levels were higher in Inuit than in non-Inuit (pInuit compared to non-Inuit (pInuit diet and with markers of inflammation. This supports a pro-inflammatory role of POPs to promote chronic diseases common to populations in Greenland. These data inform guidelines on 'the Arctic dilemma' and encourage follow-up on the ageing Arctic populations.

Raised BMI cut-off for overweight in Greenland Inuit--a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Stig; Fleischer Rex, Karsten; Noahsen, Paneeraq; Sørensen, Hans Christian Florian; Mulvad, Gert; Laurberg, Peter

2013-01-01

Obesity is associated with increased morbidity and premature death. Obesity rates have increased worldwide and the WHO recommends monitoring. A steep rise in body mass index (BMI), a measure of adiposity, was detected in Greenland from 1963 to 1998. Interestingly, the BMI starting point was in the overweight range. This is not conceivable in a disease-free, physically active, pre-western hunter population. This led us to reconsider the cut-off point for overweight among Inuit in Greenland. We found 3 different approaches to defining the cut-off point of high BMI in Inuit. First, the contribution to the height by the torso compared to the legs is relatively high. This causes relatively more kilograms per centimetre of height that increases the BMI by approximately 10% compared to Caucasian whites. Second, defining the cut-off by the upper 90-percentile of BMI from height and weight in healthy young Inuit surveyed in 1963 estimated the cut-off point to be around 10% higher compared to Caucasians. Third, if similar LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides are assumed for a certain BMI in Caucasians, the corresponding BMI in Inuit in both Greenland and Canada is around 10% higher. However, genetic admixture of Greenland Inuit and Caucasian Danes will influence this difference and hamper a clear distinction with time. Defining overweight according to the WHO cut-off of a BMI above 25 kg/m(2) in Greenland Inuit may overestimate the number of individuals with elevated BMI.

Growth measures among preschool-age Inuit children living in Canada and Greenland.

Science.gov (United States)

Galloway, Tracey; Niclasen, Birgit V L; Muckle, Gina; Young, Kue; Egeland, Grace M

2012-12-01

The present study reports findings from a study of preschool-age Inuit children living in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland. We compare stature and obesity measures using cutoffs from the Centers for Disease Control and the International Obesity Task Force references. The sample is comprised of 1121 Inuit children (554 boys and 567 girls) aged 3-5 years living in Nunavut (n=376) and Nunavik (n=87), Canada, in the capital city of Nuuk, Greenland (n=86), and in Greenland's remaining towns and villages (n=572). Greenland Inuit children were significantly taller than their Canadian counterparts, with greatest height and weight observed among children from Nuuk. Overall prevalence of stunting was low with the three cutoffs yielding similar values for height-for-age z-scores. Obesity prevalence was higher among Canadian Inuit children than their Greenland counterparts. Inuit children have stature values consistent with those of the Centers for Disease Control reference and low prevalence of stunting, though geographic variability in mean stature values between Canadian and Greenlandic samples likely reflects differences in both socioeconomic status and genetic admixture. Obesity prevalence is high among both Canadian and Greenland Inuit preschoolers, with children living in the city of Nuuk exhibiting lower obesity prevalence than children living in either Nunavut or Nunavik, Canada or Greenland's towns and villages. Varying obesity prevalence may reflect varying degrees of food security in remote locations as well as the influence of stature and sitting height which have not been well studied in young Inuit children.

High prevalence of markers of coronary heart disease among Greenland Inuit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Marit Eika; Bjerregaard, Peter; Kjaergaard, Jens Jørgen

2008-01-01

were associated with CHD. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of markers of CHD was not different from that in Western populations. The Inuit is a population undergoing rapid social and health transitions, with the emergence of cardiovascular risk factors, and there is a need for critical rethinking...... of markers of CHD among Greenland Inuit, and to study associations between markers of CHD and behavioral and biological variables. DESIGN: We studied prevalence of angina pectoris (AP), self-reported myocardial infarction (MI), and ECG defined MI and ischaemia in a population survey among 1316 Inuit living...

The Role of Inuit Languages in Nunavut Schooling: Nunavut Teachers Talk about Bilingual Education

Science.gov (United States)

Aylward, M. Lynn

2010-01-01

This article provides a discourse analysis of interview transcripts generated from 10 experienced Nunavut teachers (five Inuit and five non-Inuit) regarding the role of Inuit languages in Nunavut schooling. Discussion and analysis focus on the motif of bilingual education. Teachers' talk identified discourse models of "academic truths" and…

“Double culturedness”: the “capital” of Inuit nurses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helle Møller

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Background. The health and educational systems in Greenland and Nunavut are reflections of those in Denmark and Southern Canada, with the language of instruction and practise being Danish and English. This places specific demands on Inuit studying nursing. Objective. This paper discusses the experiences of Inuit who are educated in nursing programmes and practise in healthcare systems located in the Arctic but dominated by EuroCanadian and Danish culture and language. Design. Research was qualitative and ethnographic. It was conducted through 12 months of fieldwork in 5 Greenlandic and 2 Nunavut communities. Methods. Observation, participant observation, interviews, questionnaires and document review were used. The analytical framework involved Bourdieu’s concepts of capital and habitus. Results. Participants experienced degrees of success and well-being in the educational systems that are afforded to few other Canadian and Greenlandic Inuit. This success appeared to be based on nurses and students possessing, or having acquired, what I call “double culturedness”; this makes them able to communicate in at least 2 languages and cultures, including the ability to understand, negotiate and interact, using at least 2 ways of being in the world and 2 ways of learning and teaching. Conclusion. There continues to be a critical need for Inuit nurses with their special knowledge and abilities in the healthcare systems of the Arctic. Inuit nurses’ experiences will help inform the education and healthcare systems and point to areas in need of support and change in order to increase recruitment and retention of nursing students and practitioners.

Cardiovascular Disease Susceptibility and Resistance in Circumpolar Inuit Populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Tvermosegaard, Maria; Dahl-Petersen, Inger K; Nielsen, Nina Odgaard; Bjerregaard, Peter; Jørgensen, Marit Eika

2015-09-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major public health issue in indigenous populations in the Arctic. These diseases have emerged concomitantly with profound social changes over the past 60 years. The aim of this study was to summarize the literature on CVD risk among Arctic Inuit. Literature on prevalence, incidence, and time trends for CVD and its risk factors in Arctic Inuit populations was reviewed. Most evidence supports a similar incidence of coronary heart disease and a higher incidence of cerebrovascular disease among Arctic Inuit than seen in western populations. Factors that may increase CVD risk include aging of the population, genetic susceptibility, and a rapid increase in obesity, diabetes, and hypertension in parallel with decreasing physical activity and deterioration of the lipid profile. In contrast, and of great importance, there has been a decrease in smoking and alcohol intake (at least documented in Greenland), and contaminant levels are declining. Although there have been marked socioeconomic and dietary changes, it remains unsolved and to some extent controversial how this may have influenced cardiovascular risk among Arctic Inuit. The increase in life expectancy, in combination with improved prognosis for patients with manifest CVD, will inevitably lead to a large increase in absolute numbers of individuals affected by CVD in Arctic Inuit populations, exacerbated by the rise in most CVD risk factors over the past decades. For preventive purposes and for health care planning, it is crucial to carefully monitor disease incidence and trends in risk factors in these vulnerable Arctic populations. Copyright © 2015 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vitamin D-rich marine Inuit diet and markers of inflammation - a population-based survey in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schæbel, Louise Kærholm; Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Eva Cecilie; Laurberg, Peter

2015-01-01

The traditional Inuit diet in Greenland consists mainly of fish and marine mammals, rich in vitamin D. Vitamin D has anti-inflammatory capacity but markers of inflammation have been found to be high in Inuit living on a marine diet. Yet, the effect of vitamin D on inflammation in Inuit remains...... unsettled. This led us to investigate the association between vitamin D and markers of inflammation in a population with a high intake of a marine diet. We studied 535 Inuit and non-Inuit living in West and East Greenland. Information concerning dietary habits was obtained by interview-based FFQ. Blood...... samples were drawn for analysis of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and chitinase-3-like protein 1(YKL-40). Participants were divided into three groups based on degree of intake of the traditional Inuit diet. The diet groups (Inuit diet/mixed diet/imported foods) were...

Dangerous climate change and the importance of adaptation for the Arctic's Inuit population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ford, James D

2009-01-01

The Arctic's climate is changing rapidly, to the extent that 'dangerous' climate change as defined by the United Nations Framework on Climate Change might already be occurring. These changes are having implications for the Arctic's Inuit population and are being exacerbated by the dependence of Inuit on biophysical resources for livelihoods and the low socio-economic-health status of many northern communities. Given the nature of current climate change and projections of a rapidly warming Arctic, climate policy assumes a particular importance for Inuit regions. This paper argues that efforts to stabilize and reduce greenhouse gas emissions are urgent if we are to avoid runaway climate change in the Arctic, but unlikely to prevent changes which will be dangerous for Inuit. In this context, a new policy discourse on climate change is required for Arctic regions-one that focuses on adaptation. The paper demonstrates that states with Inuit populations and the international community in general has obligations to assist Inuit to adapt to climate change through international human rights and climate change treaties. However, the adaptation deficit, in terms of what we know and what we need to know to facilitate successful adaptation, is particularly large in an Arctic context and limiting the ability to develop response options. Moreover, adaptation as an option of response to climate change is still marginal in policy negotiations and Inuit political actors have been slow to argue the need for adaptation assistance. A new focus on adaptation in both policy negotiations and scientific research is needed to enhance Inuit resilience and reduce vulnerability in a rapidly changing climate.

Signs of the arctic: Typological aspects of Inuit Sign Language

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schuit, J.M.

2014-01-01

In this thesis, the native sign language used by deaf Inuit people is described. Inuit Sign Language (IUR) is used by less than 40 people as their sole means of communication, and is therefore highly endangered. Apart from the description of IUR as such, an additional goal is to contribute to the

Nunavik: Inuit-Controlled Education in Arctic Quebec. Northern Lights Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Vick-Westgate, Ann

This book documents the debate among the Inuit of Nunavik (northern Quebec) over the purposes, strengths, and weaknesses of public schools in their 14 arctic communities. The book begins with a summary of the history of education in Nunavik, including traditional Inuit methods and purposes of education. The 14 communities comprise the Kativik…

Household crowding and psychosocial health among Inuit in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Riva, Mylène; Larsen, Christina Viskum Lytken; Bjerregaard, Peter

2014-01-01

men and women are differently influenced by their housing conditions. METHODS: Data on more than 3,000 Inuit aged 18 years and older are from the Inuit health in transition Greenland survey. Associations between household crowding and composition, and mental well-being and binge drinking were examined......OBJECTIVES: Poor housing conditions experienced by many Indigenous peoples threaten their health and well-being. This study examines whether household crowding is associated with poorer psychosocial health among Greenlanders, and the mediating role of social support. It also assesses whether Inuit...... using logistic regression models, adjusting for individuals' characteristics. RESULTS: Household crowding was associated with poorer mental well-being. Binge drinking was more common among people living in households without children. These effects were more important for women than for men...

Preterm birth in the Inuit and First Nations populations of Québec, Canada, 1981–2008

Science.gov (United States)

Auger, Nathalie; Sing, Mélanie Fon; Park, Alison L.; Lo, Ernest; Trempe, Normand; Luo, Zhong-Cheng

2012-01-01

Objectives To evaluate preterm birth (PTB) for Inuit and First Nations vs. non-Indigenous populations in the province of Québec, Canada. Study design Retrospective cohort study. Methods We evaluated singleton live births for Québec residents, 1981–2008 (n =2,310,466). Municipality of residence (Inuit-inhabited, First Nations-inhabited, rest of Québec) and language (Inuit, First Nations, French/English) were used to identify Inuit and First Nations births. The outcome was PTB (Inuit language speakers in Inuit-inhabited areas and the rest of Québec compared with French/English speakers in the rest of Québec, and disparities persisted over time. Relative to French/English speakers in the rest of Québec, Inuit language speakers in the rest of Québec had the highest risk of PTB (HR 1.98, 95% CI: 1.62–2.41). The risk was also elevated for Inuit language speakers in Inuit-inhabited areas, though to a lesser extent (HR 1.29, 95% CI: 1.18–1.41). In contrast, First Nations language speakers in First Nations-inhabited areas and the rest of Québec had similar or lower risks of PTB relative to French/English speakers in the rest of Québec. Conclusions Inuit populations, especially those outside Inuit-inhabited areas, have persistently elevated risks of PTB, indicating a need for strategies to prevent PTB in this population. PMID:22456035

DNA-polymorphisms and plasma levels of vascular disease risk factors in Greenland Inuit--is there a relation with the low risk of cardiovascular disease in the Inuit?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maat, M de; Bladbjerg, E-M; Johansen, L G

1999-01-01

Greenland Inuit are a population with a low risk of cardiovascular disease. Recently, we stated that frequencies of potentially high risk alleles of the apolipoproteins, fibrinogen, factor V, glycoprotein IIIa and factor VII (FVII) genes have different allele frequencies in the Inuit when compared...... and CVD risk in Caucasian populations, but for other measures this was not the case (allele frequencies of the PAI-1 polymorphism, and plasma levels of fibrinogen, FVII and t-PA). In conclusion there are clear differences in genetic background and plasma levels of risk factors in Greenland Inuit compared......, aged 30-34 gamma. In addition, we compared the plasma levels of these factors and those of C-reactive protein (CRP) and D-Dimer in Inuit and in Danes, comparable for age and gender. Frequencies (f) were assessed of the alleles that are known as the potential high risk alleles in Caucasians...

Prenatal Exposure of the Northern Quebec Inuit Infants to Environmental Contaminants.

Science.gov (United States)

Muckle, Gina; Ayotte, Pierre; Dewailly, Eric; Jacobson, Sandra W.; Jacobson, Joseph L.

2001-01-01

Through their marine-based diet, the Inuit of Nunavik (Quebec) are exposed to neurotoxic environmental contaminants that impact cognitive development. Mercury levels in Nunavik Inuit mothers and newborns were higher than in U.S. and Canadian populations but lower than in previous Arctic samples. Lead, polychlorinated biphenyls, chorinated…

Representing the Inuit in Contemporary British and Canadian Juvenile Non-Fiction.

Science.gov (United States)

David, Robert G.

2001-01-01

Examines text and pictorial representations of the Inuit in juvenile reference books and in geographical and historical juvenile non-fiction works. Finds continuing prevalence of a wide range of stereotypes. Identifies strengths and weaknesses of a variety of such representations, aided by a discussion group of Inuit people. (SR)

Birth Weight and Risk of Adiposity among Adult Inuit in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rønn, Pernille Falberg; Smith, Lærke Steenberg; Andersen, Gregers Stig

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The Inuit population in Greenland has undergone rapid socioeconomic and nutritional changes simultaneously with an increasing prevalence of obesity. Therefore, the objective was to examine fetal programming as part of the aetiology of obesity among Inuit in Greenland by investigating...... circumference, FMI, FFMI and SAT with generally weaker associations among women compared to men. Birth weight was only associated with VAT after additional adjustment for waist circumference and appeared to be specific and inverse for men only. CONCLUSIONS: Higher birth weight among Inuit was associated...... with adiposity in adulthood. More studies are needed to explore a potential inverse association between birth size and VAT....

Increased missense mutation burden of Fatty Acid metabolism related genes in nunavik inuit population.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Sirui; Xiong, Lan; Xie, Pingxing; Ambalavanan, Amirthagowri; Bourassa, Cynthia V; Dionne-Laporte, Alexandre; Spiegelman, Dan; Turcotte Gauthier, Maude; Henrion, Edouard; Diallo, Ousmane; Dion, Patrick A; Rouleau, Guy A

2015-01-01

Nunavik Inuit (northern Quebec, Canada) reside along the arctic coastline where for generations their daily energy intake has mainly been derived from animal fat. Given this particular diet it has been hypothesized that natural selection would lead to population specific allele frequency differences and unique variants in genes related to fatty acid metabolism. A group of genes, namely CPT1A, CPT1B, CPT1C, CPT2, CRAT and CROT, encode for three carnitine acyltransferases that are important for the oxidation of fatty acids, a critical step in their metabolism. Exome sequencing and SNP array genotyping were used to examine the genetic variations in the six genes encoding for the carnitine acyltransferases in 113 Nunavik Inuit individuals. Altogether ten missense variants were found in genes CPT1A, CPT1B, CPT1C, CPT2 and CRAT, including three novel variants and one Inuit specific variant CPT1A p.P479L (rs80356779). The latter has the highest frequency (0.955) compared to other Inuit populations. We found that by comparison to Asians or Europeans, the Nunavik Inuit have an increased mutation burden in CPT1A, CPT2 and CRAT; there is also a high level of population differentiation based on carnitine acyltransferase gene variations between Nunavik Inuit and Asians. The increased number and frequency of deleterious variants in these fatty acid metabolism genes in Nunavik Inuit may be the result of genetic adaptation to their diet and/or the extremely cold climate. In addition, the identification of these variants may help to understand some of the specific health risks of Nunavik Inuit.

Healthcare use for acute gastrointestinal illness in two Inuit communities: Rigolet and Iqaluit, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Harper, Sherilee L; Edge, Victoria L; Ford, James; Thomas, M Kate; Pearl, David; Shirley, Jamal; McEwen, Scott A

2015-01-01

The incidence of self-reported acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, and Iqaluit, Nunavut, is higher than reported elsewhere in Canada; as such, understanding AGI-related healthcare use is important for healthcare provision, public health practice and surveillance of AGI. This study described symptoms, severity and duration of self-reported AGI in the general population and examined the incidence and factors associated with healthcare utilization for AGI in these 2 Inuit communities. Cross-sectional survey data were analysed using multivariable exact logistic regression to examine factors associated with individuals' self-reported healthcare and over-the-counter (OTC) medication utilization related to AGI symptoms. In Rigolet, few AGI cases used healthcare services [4.8% (95% CI=1.5-14.4%)]; in Iqaluit, some cases used healthcare services [16.9% (95% CI=11.2-24.7%)]. Missing traditional activities due to AGI (OR=3.8; 95% CI=1.18-12.4) and taking OTC medication for AGI symptoms (OR=3.8; 95% CI=1.2-15.1) were associated with increased odds of using healthcare services in Iqaluit. In both communities, AGI severity and secondary symptoms (extreme tiredness, headache, muscle pains, chills) were significantly associated with increased odds of taking OTC medication. While rates of self-reported AGI were higher in Inuit communities compared to non-Inuit communities in Canada, there were lower rates of AGI-related healthcare use in Inuit communities compared to other regions in Canada. As such, the rates of healthcare use for a given disease can differ between Inuit and non-Inuit communities, and caution should be exercised in making comparisons between Inuit and non-Inuit health outcomes based solely on clinic records and healthcare use.

Teen pregnancy in Inuit communities - gaps still needed to be filled.

Science.gov (United States)

Moisan, Caroline; Baril, Chloé; Muckle, Gina; Belanger, Richard E

2016-01-01

Teen pregnancy is depicted around the world as an important cause of health disparities both for the child and the mother. Accordingly, much effort has been invested in its prevention and led to its decline in the northern hemisphere since the mid-1990s. Despite that, high rates are still observed in the circumpolar regions. As Inuit communities have granted better understanding of teenage pregnancy a priority for the coming years, this article comprehensively reviews this multidimensional issue. By depicting current prevalence, likely determinants and possible impacts documented among Inuit of Canada, Alaska and Greenland, and contrasting them to common knowledge that has emerged from other populations over the years, great gaps surface. In some regions, the number of pregnancies per number of Inuit women aged between 15 and 19 years has increased since the turn of the millennium, while statistics from others are either absent or difficult to compare. Only few likely determinants of teenage pregnancy such as low education and some household factors have actually been recognized among Inuit populations. Documented impacts of early pregnancy on Inuit women and their children are also limited compared to those from other populations. As a way to better address early pregnancy in the circumpolar context, the defence for additional scientific efforts and the provision of culturally adapted sexual health prevention programmes appear critical.

Genetic variation in alcohol metabolizing enzymes among Inuit and its relation to drinking patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjerregaard, Peter; Mikkelsen, Stine Schou; Becker, Ulrik; Hansen, Torben; Tolstrup, Janne S

2014-11-01

Variation in genes involved in alcohol metabolism is associated with drinking patterns worldwide. We compared variation in these genes among the Inuit with published results from the general population of Denmark and, due to the Asian ancestry of the Inuit, with Han Chinese. We analyzed the association between gene variations and drinking patterns among the Inuit. We genotyped 4162 Inuit participants from two population health surveys. Information on drinking patterns was available for 3560. Seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were examined: ADH1B arg48his, ADH1C ile350val, ADH1C arg272gln, ALDH2 glu504lys, ALDH2 5'-UTR A-357G, ALDH1B1 ala86val and ALDH1B1 arg107leu. The allele distribution differed significantly between Inuit and the general population of Denmark. A protective effect on heavy drinking was found for the TT genotype of the ALDH1B1 arg107leu SNP (OR=0.59; 95% CI 0.37-0.92), present in 3% of pure Inuit and 37% of Danes. The ADH1C GG genotype was associated with heavy drinking and a positive CAGE test (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.05-1.72). It was present in 27% of Inuit and 18% of Danes. The Asian genotype pattern with a high frequency of the ADH1B A allele and an ALDH2 gene coding for an inactive enzyme was not present in Greenland. ADH1C and ALDH1B1 arg107leu SNPs play a role in the shaping of drinking patterns among the Inuit in Greenland. A low frequency of the ALDH1B1 arg107leu TT genotype compared with the general population in Denmark deserves further study. This genotype was protective of heavy drinking among the Inuit. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distance education for tobacco reduction with Inuit frontline health workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Rob; Hammond, Merryl; Carry, Catherine L; Kinnon, Dianne; Killulark, Joan; Nevala, Janet

2013-01-01

Tobacco reduction is a major priority in Canadian Inuit communities. However, many Inuit frontline health workers lacked the knowledge, confidence and support to address the tobacco epidemic. Given vast distances, high costs of face-to-face training and previous successful pilots using distance education, this method was chosen for a national tobacco reduction course. To provide distance education about tobacco reduction to at least 25 frontline health workers from all Inuit regions of Canada. Promising practices globally were assessed in a literature survey. The National Inuit Tobacco Task Group guided the project. Participants were selected from across Inuit Nunangat. They chose a focus from a "menu" of 6 course options, completed a pre-test to assess individual learning needs and chose which community project(s) to complete. Course materials were mailed, and trainers provided intensive, individualized support through telephone, fax and e-mail. The course ended with an open-book post-test. Follow-up support continued for several months post-training. Of the 30 participants, 27 (90%) completed the course. The mean pre-test score was 72% (range: 38-98%). As the post-test was done using open books, everyone scored 100%, with a mean improvement of 28% (range: 2-62%). Although it was often challenging to contact participants through phone, a distance education approach was very practical in a northern context. Learning is more concrete when it happens in a real-life context. As long as adequate support is provided, we recommend individualized distance education to others working in circumpolar regions.

The Effectiveness of the Tupiq Program for Inuit Sex Offenders.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Lynn A; Hamilton, Ellen; Wilton, Geoff; Cousineau, Colette; Varrette, Steven K

2015-11-01

This study examines the effectiveness of the Tupiq program, a culturally specific program for Inuit sex offenders that incorporates cognitive behavioural methods with traditional Inuit knowledge and culture led by Inuit healers and facilitators. Outcomes of 61 offenders who participated in the Tupiq program and were released were compared with outcomes of a cohort of 114 released Inuit sex offenders incarcerated during the same time period who had taken alternative sex offender treatment programs, or had not attended any sex offender program. On release, Tupiq participants had significantly lower rates of general reoffending and violent reoffending than those in the combined comparison group. The hazard of reoffending for the comparison group was almost twice that of the Tupiq group. Although the sexual reoffending rate for the Tupiq participants was less than half of that of the comparison group, the difference between the two groups was not significant because of reduced statistical power. Survival analysis controlling for covariates confirmed significantly lower rates of general reoffending for the Tupiq group. Further analyses comparing the outcomes of the subgroup of offenders in the comparison group who participated in alternative sex offender treatment programs with those who participated in Tupiq indicated that Tupiq participants had significantly lower rates of both general and sexual reoffending. These positive results for this culturally specific program suggest that similarly designed interventions have a probability of contributing to the reduction of sexual offending within Inuit communities and, potentially, other jurisdictions that work with cultural minority sex offender groups from relatively isolated communities. © The Author(s) 2014.

The influence of persistent organic pollutants in the traditional Inuit diet on markers of inflammation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schæbel, L K; Bonefeld-Jørgensen, E C; Vestergaard, H

2017-01-01

influence on both YKL-40 and hsCRP by ΣOCP (psmoking. POP levels were associated with the intake of the traditional Inuit diet and with markers of inflammation. This supports a pro-inflammatory role of POPs......Concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are high in Inuit living predominately on the traditional marine diet. Adverse effects of POPs include disruption of the immune system and cardiovascular diseases that are frequent in Greenland Inuit. We aimed to assess the association between...... exposure to POPs from the marine diet and inflammation, taking into account other factors such as vitamin D. We invited Inuit and non-Inuit living in settlements or the town in rural East Greenland or in the capital city Nuuk. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire and donated a blood sample...

Pharmaceutical health care and Inuit language communications in Nunavut, Canada

OpenAIRE

Romain, Sandra J.

2013-01-01

Background. Pharmaceutical communication is an essential component of pharmaceutical health care, optimally ensuring patients understand the proper administration and side effects of their medications. Communication can often be complicated by language and culture, but with pharmaceuticals, misunderstandings can prove particularly harmful. In Nunavut, to ensure the preservation and revitalization of Inuit languages, the Inuit Language Protection Act and Official Languages Act were passed requ...

Arctic observers: Richard King, monogenism and the historicisation of Inuit through travel narratives.

Science.gov (United States)

Sera-Shriar, Efram

2015-06-01

In 1848 the ethnologist, surgeon and Arctic explorer Richard King (1810-1876) published a three-part series on Inuit in the Journal of the Ethnological Society of London. This series provided a detailed history of Inuit from the eleventh century to the early nineteenth century. It incorporated a mixture of King's personal observations from his experience travelling to the Arctic as a member of George Back's expedition (1833-1835), and the testimonies of other contemporary and historical actors who had written on the subject. The aim was to historicise Inuit through the use of travel reports and show persistent features among the race. King was a monogenist and his sensitive recasting of Inuit was influenced by his participation in a research community actively engaged in humanitarian and abolitionist causes. The physician and ethnologist Thomas Hodgkin (1798-1866) argued that King's research on Inuit was one of the best ethnological approaches to emulate and that it set the standard for the nascent discipline. If we are to take seriously Hodgkin's claim, we should look at how King constructed his depiction of Inuit. There is much to be gained by investigating the practices of nineteenth-century ethnologists because it strengthens our knowledge of the discipline's past and shows how modern understandings of races were formed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cancer patterns in Inuit populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Melbye, M.; Friborg, Jeppe Tang

2008-01-01

to be responsible for this pattern. During the second half of the 20th century, Inuit societies underwent major changes in lifestyle and living conditions, and the risk of lifestyle-associated tumours, especially cancers of the lung, colon, and breast, increased considerably after changes in smoking, diet...

Preterm birth in the Inuit and First Nations populations of Québec, Canada, 1981–2008

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nathalie Auger

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To evaluate preterm birth (PTB for Inuit and First Nations vs. non-Indigenous populations in the province of Québec, Canada. Study design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: We evaluated singleton live births for Québec residents, 1981–2008 (n = 2,310,466. Municipality of residence (Inuit-inhabited, First Nations-inhabited, rest of Québec and language (Inuit, First Nations, French/English were used to identify Inuit and First Nations births. The outcome was PTB (<37 completed weeks. Cox proportional hazards regression was employed to estimate hazard ratios (HR and 95% confidence intervals (CI of PTB, adjusting for maternal age, education, marital status, parity and birth year. Results: PTB rates were higher for Inuit language speakers in Inuit-inhabited areas and the rest of Québec compared with French/English speakers in the rest of Québec, and disparities persisted over time. Relative to French/English speakers in the rest of Québec, Inuit language speakers in the rest of Québec had the highest risk of PTB (HR 1.98, 95% CI: 1.62–2.41. The risk was also elevated for Inuit language speakers in Inuit-inhabited areas, though to a lesser extent (HR 1.29, 95% CI: 1.18–1.41. In contrast, First Nations language speakers in First Nations-inhabited areas and the rest of Québec had similar or lower risks of PTB relative to French/English speakers in the rest of Québec. Conclusions: Inuit populations, especially those outside Inuit-inhabited areas, have persistently elevated risks of PTB, indicating a need for strategies to prevent PTB in this population.

Raised BMI cut-off for overweight in Greenland Inuit – a review

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Stig; Fleischer Rex, Karsten; Noahsen, Paneeraq; Sørensen, Hans Christian Florian; Mulvad, Gert; Laurberg, Peter

2013-01-01

Background Obesity is associated with increased morbidity and premature death. Obesity rates have increased worldwide and the WHO recommends monitoring. A steep rise in body mass index (BMI), a measure of adiposity, was detected in Greenland from 1963 to 1998. Interestingly, the BMI starting point was in the overweight range. This is not conceivable in a disease-free, physically active, pre-western hunter population. Objective This led us to reconsider the cut-off point for overweight among Inuit in Greenland. Design and findings We found 3 different approaches to defining the cut-off point of high BMI in Inuit. First, the contribution to the height by the torso compared to the legs is relatively high. This causes relatively more kilograms per centimetre of height that increases the BMI by approximately 10% compared to Caucasian whites. Second, defining the cut-off by the upper 90-percentile of BMI from height and weight in healthy young Inuit surveyed in 1963 estimated the cut-off point to be around 10% higher compared to Caucasians. Third, if similar LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides are assumed for a certain BMI in Caucasians, the corresponding BMI in Inuit in both Greenland and Canada is around 10% higher. However, genetic admixture of Greenland Inuit and Caucasian Danes will influence this difference and hamper a clear distinction with time. Conclusion Defining overweight according to the WHO cut-off of a BMI above 25 kg/m2 in Greenland Inuit may overestimate the number of individuals with elevated BMI. PMID:23986904

Raised BMI cut-off for overweight in Greenland Inuit – a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stig Andersen

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Background. Obesity is associated with increased morbidity and premature death. Obesity rates have increased worldwide and the WHO recommends monitoring. A steep rise in body mass index (BMI, a measure of adiposity, was detected in Greenland from 1963 to 1998. Interestingly, the BMI starting point was in the overweight range. This is not conceivable in a disease-free, physically active, pre-western hunter population. Objective. This led us to reconsider the cut-off point for overweight among Inuit in Greenland. Design and findings. We found 3 different approaches to defining the cut-off point of high BMI in Inuit. First, the contribution to the height by the torso compared to the legs is relatively high. This causes relatively more kilograms per centimetre of height that increases the BMI by approximately 10% compared to Caucasian whites. Second, defining the cut-off by the upper 90-percentile of BMI from height and weight in healthy young Inuit surveyed in 1963 estimated the cut-off point to be around 10% higher compared to Caucasians. Third, if similar LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides are assumed for a certain BMI in Caucasians, the corresponding BMI in Inuit in both Greenland and Canada is around 10% higher. However, genetic admixture of Greenland Inuit and Caucasian Danes will influence this difference and hamper a clear distinction with time. Conclusion. Defining overweight according to the WHO cut-off of a BMI above 25 kg/m2 in Greenland Inuit may overestimate the number of individuals with elevated BMI.

Healthcare use for acute gastrointestinal illness in two Inuit communities: Rigolet and Iqaluit, Canada†

Science.gov (United States)

Harper, Sherilee L.; Edge, Victoria L.; Ford, James; Thomas, M. Kate; Pearl, David; Shirley, Jamal; McEwen, Scott A.

2015-01-01

Background The incidence of self-reported acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, and Iqaluit, Nunavut, is higher than reported elsewhere in Canada; as such, understanding AGI-related healthcare use is important for healthcare provision, public health practice and surveillance of AGI. Objectives This study described symptoms, severity and duration of self-reported AGI in the general population and examined the incidence and factors associated with healthcare utilization for AGI in these 2 Inuit communities. Design Cross-sectional survey data were analysed using multivariable exact logistic regression to examine factors associated with individuals’ self-reported healthcare and over-the-counter (OTC) medication utilization related to AGI symptoms. Results In Rigolet, few AGI cases used healthcare services [4.8% (95% CI=1.5–14.4%)]; in Iqaluit, some cases used healthcare services [16.9% (95% CI=11.2–24.7%)]. Missing traditional activities due to AGI (OR=3.8; 95% CI=1.18–12.4) and taking OTC medication for AGI symptoms (OR=3.8; 95% CI=1.2–15.1) were associated with increased odds of using healthcare services in Iqaluit. In both communities, AGI severity and secondary symptoms (extreme tiredness, headache, muscle pains, chills) were significantly associated with increased odds of taking OTC medication. Conclusions While rates of self-reported AGI were higher in Inuit communities compared to non-Inuit communities in Canada, there were lower rates of AGI-related healthcare use in Inuit communities compared to other regions in Canada. As such, the rates of healthcare use for a given disease can differ between Inuit and non-Inuit communities, and caution should be exercised in making comparisons between Inuit and non-Inuit health outcomes based solely on clinic records and healthcare use. PMID:26001982

Healthcare use for acute gastrointestinal illness in two Inuit communities: Rigolet and Iqaluit, Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sherilee L. Harper

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Background: The incidence of self-reported acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, and Iqaluit, Nunavut, is higher than reported elsewhere in Canada; as such, understanding AGI-related healthcare use is important for healthcare provision, public health practice and surveillance of AGI. Objectives: This study described symptoms, severity and duration of self-reported AGI in the general population and examined the incidence and factors associated with healthcare utilization for AGI in these 2 Inuit communities. Design: Cross-sectional survey data were analysed using multivariable exact logistic regression to examine factors associated with individuals’ self-reported healthcare and over-the-counter (OTC medication utilization related to AGI symptoms. Results: In Rigolet, few AGI cases used healthcare services [4.8% (95% CI=1.5–14.4%]; in Iqaluit, some cases used healthcare services [16.9% (95% CI=11.2–24.7%]. Missing traditional activities due to AGI (OR=3.8; 95% CI=1.18–12.4 and taking OTC medication for AGI symptoms (OR=3.8; 95% CI=1.2–15.1 were associated with increased odds of using healthcare services in Iqaluit. In both communities, AGI severity and secondary symptoms (extreme tiredness, headache, muscle pains, chills were significantly associated with increased odds of taking OTC medication. Conclusions: While rates of self-reported AGI were higher in Inuit communities compared to non-Inuit communities in Canada, there were lower rates of AGI-related healthcare use in Inuit communities compared to other regions in Canada. As such, the rates of healthcare use for a given disease can differ between Inuit and non-Inuit communities, and caution should be exercised in making comparisons between Inuit and non-Inuit health outcomes based solely on clinic records and healthcare use.

Adverse Metabolic Risk Profiles in Greenlandic Inuit Children Compared to Danish Children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Munch-Andersen, T.; Sorensen, K.; Andersen, L. B.

2013-01-01

Objective During recent decades, the prevalence of metabolic morbidity has increased rapidly in adult Greenlandic Inuit. To what extent this is also reflected in the juvenile Inuit population is unknown. The objective was, therefore, in the comparison with Danish children, to evaluate metabolic p...

Fat distribution and glucose intolerance among Greenland inuit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Marit Eika; Borch-Johnsen, Knut; Stolk, Ronald

2013-01-01

circumference [WC], and percentage of body fat) and the indices of glucose metabolism (fasting and 2-h glucose levels, insulin resistance per homeostasis model assessment [HOMA-IR], and the insulin sensitivity index [ISI0,120]) among Greenland Inuit. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 3,108 adult Inuit...... associated with glucose intolerance, fasting and 2-h plasma glucose levels, HOMA-IR, and ISI0,120. VAT was more strongly associated with all outcomes than was SAT. After further adjustment for BMI or WC, VAT was associated with glucose intolerance and insulin resistance, whereas there was a trend toward...

Association between socioeconomic status and overweight and obesity among Inuit adults: International Polar Year Inuit Health Survey, 2007–2008

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia Zienczuk

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Objectives. To evaluate the socio-economic correlates of overweight and obesity among Inuit undergoing rapid cultural changes. Study design. A cross-sectional health survey of 2,592 Inuit adults from 36 communities in the Canadian Arctic. Methods. Main outcome measures were overweight and obesity (BMI>25 kg/m2 and >30 kg/m2, respectively and as characteristics were similar, groups were combined into an at-risk BMI category (BMI>25 kg/m2. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between various sociodemographic characteristics and physical activity with overweight and obesity. Results. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 28 and 36%, respectively, with a total prevalence of overweight and obesity of 64%. In analyses of sociodemographic variables adjusted for age, gender and region, higher education, any employment, personal income, and private housing were all significantly positively correlated with an at-risk BMI (p≤0.001. Smoking, Inuit language as primary language spoken at home, and walking were inversely associated with overweight and obesity. Conclusions. The current findings highlight the social disparities in overweight and obesity prevalence in an ethnically distinct population undergoing rapid cultural changes.

Household food security and breast-feeding duration among Canadian Inuit.

Science.gov (United States)

McIsaac, Kathryn E; Stock, David C; Lou, Wendy

2017-01-01

There have been few studies investigating the association between food security and breast-feeding duration and none have been conducted among Canadian Inuit, a population disproportionately burdened with food insecurity. We evaluated the association between household food security and breast-feeding duration in Canadian Inuit children. Data were obtained from the Nunavut Inuit Child Health Survey, a population-based cross-sectional survey. The Canadian Territory of Nunavut in 2007 and 2008. Caregivers of Inuit children aged 3-5 years. Participating children were randomly sampled from community medical centre lists. Out of 215 children, 147 lived in food-insecure households (68·4 %). Using restricted mean survival time models, we estimated that children in food-secure households were breast-fed for 16·8 (95 % CI 12·5, 21·2) months and children in food-insecure households were breast-fed for 21·4 (95 % CI 17·9, 24·8) months. In models adjusting for social class, traditional knowledge and child health, household food security was not associated with breast-feeding duration (hazard ratio=0·82, 95 % CI 0·58, 1·14). Our research does not support the hypothesis that children living in food-insecure households were breast-fed for a longer duration than children living in food-secure households. However, we found that more than 50 % of mothers in food-insecure households continued breast-feeding well beyond 1 year. Many mothers in food-secure households also continued to breast-feed beyond 1 year. Given the high prevalence of food insecurity in Inuit communities, we need to ensure infants and their caregivers are being adequately nourished to support growth and breast-feeding, respectively.

Determinants of dietary behavior and physical activity among Canadian Inuit: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Akande, Victor O; Hendriks, Anna M; Ruiter, Robert A C; Kremers, Stef P J

2015-06-24

Increased dependence on Western diets and low physical activity have largely contributed to weight gain and associated chronic diseases in the Canadian Inuit population. The purpose of this study was to systematically review factors influencing dietary and physical activity behaviors to guide health promotion interventions and provide recommendations for future studies. We conducted a systematic literature review to identify relevant articles. Searches were conducted between May 2014 and July 2014, and inclusive of articles published up until July 2014. Articles were searched using four databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, SocINDEX, and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. Eligible studies focused on diet and/or physical activity or determinants of diet and/or physical activity in Canadian Inuit population, and were published in English. A total of 45 articles were included in the analysis. A detailed appraisal of the articles suggested that many Inuit have disconnected from the traditional ways of life, including harvesting and processing of traditional food species and the associated physical activity. In the last two decades there has been a significant shift from consumption of healthy traditional foods to energy-dense store-bought foods particularly among younger Inuit (Inuit. However, our understanding is limited on how these behaviours might be influenced in the face of these changes. Prospective studies are needed to advance our knowledge of cognitive and environmental determinants of Inuit energy balance-related behaviours. These studies can inform the development of health promotion interventions in the population.

Dangerous climate change and the importance of adaptation for the Arctic's Inuit population

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ford, James D [Department of Geography, McGill University, 805 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H3A 2K6 (Canada)], E-mail: james.ford@mcgill.ca

2009-04-15

The Arctic's climate is changing rapidly, to the extent that 'dangerous' climate change as defined by the United Nations Framework on Climate Change might already be occurring. These changes are having implications for the Arctic's Inuit population and are being exacerbated by the dependence of Inuit on biophysical resources for livelihoods and the low socio-economic-health status of many northern communities. Given the nature of current climate change and projections of a rapidly warming Arctic, climate policy assumes a particular importance for Inuit regions. This paper argues that efforts to stabilize and reduce greenhouse gas emissions are urgent if we are to avoid runaway climate change in the Arctic, but unlikely to prevent changes which will be dangerous for Inuit. In this context, a new policy discourse on climate change is required for Arctic regions-one that focuses on adaptation. The paper demonstrates that states with Inuit populations and the international community in general has obligations to assist Inuit to adapt to climate change through international human rights and climate change treaties. However, the adaptation deficit, in terms of what we know and what we need to know to facilitate successful adaptation, is particularly large in an Arctic context and limiting the ability to develop response options. Moreover, adaptation as an option of response to climate change is still marginal in policy negotiations and Inuit political actors have been slow to argue the need for adaptation assistance. A new focus on adaptation in both policy negotiations and scientific research is needed to enhance Inuit resilience and reduce vulnerability in a rapidly changing climate.

Inuit interpreters engaged in end-of-life care in Nunavik, Northern Quebec.

Science.gov (United States)

Hordyk, Shawn Renee; Macdonald, Mary Ellen; Brassard, Paul

2017-01-01

Inuit interpreters are key players in end-of-life (EOL) care for Nunavik patients and families. This emotionally intensive work requires expertise in French, English and Inuit dialects to negotiate linguistic and cultural challenges. Cultural differences among medical institutions and Inuit communities can lead to value conflicts and moral dilemmas as interpreters navigate how best to transmit messages of care at EOL. Our goal was to understand the experience of Inuit interpreters in the context of EOL care in Nunavik in order to identify training needs. In the context of a larger ethnographic project on EOL care in Nunavik, we met with 24 current and former interpreters from local health centres and Montreal tertiary care contexts. Data included informal and formal interviews focusing on linguistic resources, experiences concerning EOL care, and suggestions for the development of interpretation training. Inuit working as interpreters in Nunavik are hired to provide multiple services of which interpretation plays only a part. Many have no formal training and have few resources (e.g. visual aids, dictionaries) to draw upon during medical consultations. Given the small size of communities, many interpreters personally know their clients and often feel overwhelmed by moral dilemmas when translating EOL information for patients and families. The concept of moral distress is a helpful lens to make sense of their experience, including personal and professional repercussions. Inuit interpreters in Nunavik are working with little training yet in context with multiple linguistic and cultural challenges. Linguistic and cultural resources and focused training on moral dilemmas unique to circumpolar contexts could contribute to improved work conditions and ultimately to patient care.​​​​.

Teen pregnancy in Inuit communities – gaps still needed to be filled

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caroline Moisan

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Teen pregnancy is depicted around the world as an important cause of health disparities both for the child and the mother. Accordingly, much effort has been invested in its prevention and led to its decline in the northern hemisphere since the mid-1990s. Despite that, high rates are still observed in the circumpolar regions. As Inuit communities have granted better understanding of teenage pregnancy a priority for the coming years, this article comprehensively reviews this multidimensional issue. By depicting current prevalence, likely determinants and possible impacts documented among Inuit of Canada, Alaska and Greenland, and contrasting them to common knowledge that has emerged from other populations over the years, great gaps surface. In some regions, the number of pregnancies per number of Inuit women aged between 15 and 19 years has increased since the turn of the millennium, while statistics from others are either absent or difficult to compare. Only few likely determinants of teenage pregnancy such as low education and some household factors have actually been recognized among Inuit populations. Documented impacts of early pregnancy on Inuit women and their children are also limited compared to those from other populations. As a way to better address early pregnancy in the circumpolar context, the defence for additional scientific efforts and the provision of culturally adapted sexual health prevention programmes appear critical.

Teen pregnancy in Inuit communities – gaps still needed to be filled

Science.gov (United States)

Moisan, Caroline; Baril, Chloé; Muckle, Gina; Belanger, Richard E.

2016-01-01

Teen pregnancy is depicted around the world as an important cause of health disparities both for the child and the mother. Accordingly, much effort has been invested in its prevention and led to its decline in the northern hemisphere since the mid-1990s. Despite that, high rates are still observed in the circumpolar regions. As Inuit communities have granted better understanding of teenage pregnancy a priority for the coming years, this article comprehensively reviews this multidimensional issue. By depicting current prevalence, likely determinants and possible impacts documented among Inuit of Canada, Alaska and Greenland, and contrasting them to common knowledge that has emerged from other populations over the years, great gaps surface. In some regions, the number of pregnancies per number of Inuit women aged between 15 and 19 years has increased since the turn of the millennium, while statistics from others are either absent or difficult to compare. Only few likely determinants of teenage pregnancy such as low education and some household factors have actually been recognized among Inuit populations. Documented impacts of early pregnancy on Inuit women and their children are also limited compared to those from other populations. As a way to better address early pregnancy in the circumpolar context, the defence for additional scientific efforts and the provision of culturally adapted sexual health prevention programmes appear critical. PMID:27938638

Els inuit. Caçadors del Gran Nord

OpenAIRE

Bailón Trueba, Francesc

2017-01-01

Els inuit, també coneguts com a “esquimals” i que significa “éssers humans”, són un dels pobles indígenes que encara conserven moltes de les seves antigues tradicions. Vivint en perfecta simbiosi amb la naturalesa han sabut aprofitar els escassos recursos que l'Àrtic els ofereix i s'han convertit en l'actualitat en la societat caçadora més avançada del món. Conèixer el passat dels inuit ens permetrà entendre millor el present i futur d'aquest poble, un dels més afectats per l'escalfament glob...

Familial aggregation of intracranial aneurysms in an Inuit patient population in Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindgaard, Lars; Eskesen, Vagn; Gjerris, Flemming

2003-01-01

The incidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and intracranial aneurysm (IA) has been reported to be higher in Greenlandic Inuits than in Caucasian Danes, but the rate of familial aggregation in Inuits is unknown....

Xenoestrogenic activity in blood of European and Inuit populations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manicardi Gian-Carlo

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Human exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs is ubiquitous and found in all individuals. Studies have documented endocrine disrupting effects and impact on reproduction. The aim of the present study was to compare the level of xenoestrogenic activity in serum of groups with varying POP exposure, and to evaluate correlations to the POP biomarkers, 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153 and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl-ethylene (p,p'-DDE. Methods The study included 358 men: Greenlandic Inuit's, Swedish fishermen, and Warsaw (Poland and Kharkiv (Ukraine inhabitants. Xenoestrogenicity of serum extracts alone (XER and XER competitive (XERcomp effect on 17β-estradiol induced estrogen receptor (ER transactivity were assessed in the hormone free, lipophilic serum fraction containing the POPs using the MVLN human breast cancer cell line. Results No agonistic XER activity was exhibited for Inuit serum samples, while 12 – 24% of the European samples had detectable agonistic XER activity. On the contrary, 71% of Inuit serum samples antagonized XERcomp compared to 7 – 30 % in the other regions. XER and XERcomp were not or weakly correlated to the two POP markers. XER activity of Inuit samples was negatively associated to levels of CB-153 and p,p'-DDE. For the Warsaw group a positive and negative correlation between XER and p,p'-DDE and estradiol equivalence level and CB-153 levels was found. Conclusion No strong consistent association between xenoestrogenic net activity and the two POP markers was found. The results showed that the selected POP markers alone can not predict the integrated xenoestrogenic serum activity. Correlations to the POP markers were found at the extreme edge; the Inuit's and Warsaw study groups eliciting high frequency of samples with ER antagonistic and agonistic activity, respectively. We suggest that the variation in xenoestrogenic serum activity reflects differences in POP exposure

Co-production of knowledge: An Inuit Indigenous Knowledge perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel, R.; Behe, C.

2017-12-01

A "co-production of knowledge" approach brings together different knowledge systems while building equitable and collaborative partnerships from `different ways of knowing.' Inuit Indigenous Knowledge is a systematic way of thinking applied to phenomena across biological, physical, cultural and spiritual systems; rooted with a holistic understanding of ecosystems (ICC Alaska 2016). A holistic image of Arctic environmental change is attained by bringing Indigenous Knowledge (IK) holders and scientists together through a co-production of knowledge framework. Experts from IK and science should be involved together from the inception of a project. IK should be respected as its own knowledge system and should not be translated into science. A co-production of knowledge approach is important in developing adaptation policies and practices, for sustainability and to address biodiversity conservation (Daniel et al. 2016). Co-production of knowledge is increasingly being recognized by the scientific community at-large. However, in many instances the concept is being incorrectly applied. This talk will build on the important components of co-production of knowledge from an Inuit perspective and specifically IK. In this presentation we will differentiate the co-production of knowledge from a multi-disciplinary approach or multi-evidence based decision-making. We underscore the role and value of different knowledge systems with different methodologies and the need for collaborative approaches in identifying research questions. We will also provide examples from our experiences with Indigenous communities and scientists in the Arctic. References: Inuit Circumpolar Council of Alaska. 2016. Alaskan Inuit Food Security Conceptual Framework: How to Assess the Arctic From An Inuit Perspective, 201pp. Daniel, R., C. Behe, J. Raymond-Yakoubian, E. Krummel, and S. Gearhead. Arctic Observing Summit White Paper Synthesis, Theme 6: Interfacing Indigenous Knowledge, Community

What's to Be Done with the Fox? Inuit Teachers Inventing Musical Games for Inuit Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Joan

2006-01-01

This paper explores the issue of culturally responsive music curriculum content in the context of a music course that I taught on three occasions for Nunavut Arctic College's Teacher Education Program (NTEP). The 19 Inuit students who attended the course were working toward achieving certification for teaching in Nunavut schools. One of the…

Household crowding is associated with higher allostatic load among the Inuit.

Science.gov (United States)

Riva, Mylene; Plusquellec, Pierrich; Juster, Robert-Paul; Laouan-Sidi, Elhadji A; Abdous, Belkacem; Lucas, Michel; Dery, Serge; Dewailly, Eric

2014-04-01

Household crowding is an important problem in some aboriginal communities that is reaching particularly high levels among the circumpolar Inuit. Living in overcrowded conditions may endanger health via stress pathophysiology. This study examines whether higher household crowding is associated with stress-related physiological dysregulations among the Inuit. Cross-sectional data on 822 Inuit adults were taken from the 2004 Qanuippitaa? How are we? Nunavik Inuit Health Survey. Chronic stress was measured using the concept of allostatic load (AL) representing the multisystemic biological 'wear and tear' of chronic stress. A summary index of AL was constructed using 14 physiological indicators compiled into a traditional count-based index and a binary variable that contrasted people at risk on at least seven physiological indicators. Household crowding was measured using indicators of household size (total number of people and number of children per house) and overcrowding defined as more than one person per room. Data were analysed using weighted Generalised Estimating Equations controlling for participants' age, sex, income, diet and involvement in traditional activities. Higher household crowding was significantly associated with elevated AL levels and with greater odds of being at risk on at least seven physiological indicators, especially among women and independently of individuals' characteristics. This study demonstrates that household crowding is a source of chronic stress among the Inuit of Nunavik. Differential housing conditions are shown to be a marker of health inequalities among this population. Housing conditions are a critical public health issue in many aboriginal communities that must be investigated further to inform healthy and sustainable housing strategies.

Self-rated health among Greenlandic Inuit and Norwegian Sami adolescents: associated risk and protective correlates.

Science.gov (United States)

Spein, Anna Rita; Pedersen, Cecilia Petrine; Silviken, Anne Cathrine; Melhus, Marita; Kvernmo, Siv Eli; Bjerregaard, Peter

2013-01-01

Self-rated health (SRH) and associated risk and protective correlates were investigated among two indigenous adolescent populations, Greenlandic Inuit and Norwegian Sami. Cross-sectional data were collected from "Well-being among Youth in Greenland" (WBYG) and "The Norwegian Arctic Adolescent Health Study" (NAAHS), conducted during 2003-2005 and comprising 10th and 11th graders, 378 Inuit and 350 Sami. SRH was assessed by one single item, using a 4-point and 5-point scale for NAAHS and WBYG, respectively. Logistic regressions were performed separately for each indigenous group using a dichotomous measure with "very good" (NAAHS) and "very good/good" (WBYG) as reference categories. We simultaneously controlled for various socio-demographics, risk correlates (drinking, smoking, violence and suicidal behaviour) and protective correlates (physical activity, well-being in school, number of close friends and adolescent-parent relationship). A majority of both Inuit (62%) and Sami (89%) youth reported "good" or "very good" SRH. The proportion of "poor/fair/not so good" SRH was three times higher among Inuit than Sami (38% vs. 11%, p≤0.001). Significantly more Inuit females than males reported "poor/fair" SRH (44% vs. 29%, p≤0.05), while no gender differences occurred among Sami (12% vs. 9%, p≤0.08). In both indigenous groups, suicidal thoughts (risk) and physical activity (protective) were associated with poor and good SRH, respectively. In accordance with other studies of indigenous adolescents, suicidal thoughts were strongly associated with poorer SRH among Sami and Inuit. The Inuit-Sami differences in SRH could partly be due to higher "risk" and lower "protective" correlates among Inuit than Sami. The positive impact of physical activity on SRH needs to be targeted in future intervention programs.

Tunngajuq: stress and resilience among Inuit youth in Nunavut, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Kral, Michael J; Salusky, Ida; Inuksuk, Pakkak; Angutimarik, Leah; Tulugardjuk, Nathan

2014-10-01

As part of a cross-national collaborative study of resilience among circumpolar youth, we examined the life experiences, stressors, and coping or resilience strategies of Inuit youth in the community of Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada. An Inuit steering committee was formed with youth, adults, and one elder. The steering committee led this project in the community, informing community members of progress and helping direct all aspects of the study from research questions to methods to data collection to dissemination. A structured interview used across sites allowed youth to describe what matters to them, that is, what is at stake for them in terms of challenges and successes. Developing stable and secure relationships with one's friends and family members enabled Inuit youth to become more resilient in the face of stresses related to social change in the Canadian Arctic. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Gender differences in the association between westernization and metabolic risk among Greenland Inuit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Marit Eika; Moustgaard, Helene; Bjerregaard, Peter

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND: The Inuit have gone through an accelerated process of modernization especially since 1950. Primarily because of the dietary transition, westernisation is expected to influence the Inuit's metabolic risk in a negative way with respect to cardiovascular risk. The aim was to analyze meta...

Unikkaartuit: meanings of well-being, unhappiness, health, and community change among Inuit in Nunavut, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Kral, Michael J; Idlout, Lori; Minore, J Bruce; Dyck, Ronald J; Kirmayer, Laurence J

2011-12-01

Suicide among young Inuit in the Canadian Arctic is at an epidemic level. In order to understand the distress and well-being experienced in Inuit communities, a first step in understanding collective suicide, this qualitative study was designed. Fifty Inuit were interviewed in two Inuit communities in Nunavut, Canada, and questionnaires asking the same questions were given to 66 high school and college students. The areas of life investigated here were happiness and wellbeing, unhappiness, healing, and community and personal change. Three themes emerged as central to well-being: the family, talking/communication, and traditional Inuit cultural values and practices. The absence of these factors were most closely associated with unhappiness. Narratives about community and personal change were primarily about family, intergenerational segregation, an increasing population, more trouble in romantic relationships among youth, drug use, and poverty. Change over time was viewed primarily as negative. Discontinuity of kinship structure and function appears to be the most harmful effect of the internal colonialism imposed by the Canadian government in the 1950s and 1960s. Directions toward community control and action are encouraging, and are highlighted. Inuit community action toward suicide prevention and community wellness is part of a larger movement of Indigenous self-determination.

Prevalence of obesity and its metabolic correlates among the circumpolar inuit in 3 countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Young, T Kue; Bjerregaard, Peter; Dewailly, Eric

2007-01-01

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the prevalence of obesity and the metabolic correlates of different levels of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference among the Inuit in 3 countries. METHODS: Data from 4 surveys of Inuit in Canada, Greenland, and Alaska conducted during 1990-2001 were pooled......, with a total sample size of 2545 participants. These data were compared with data from a Canadian population of predominantly European origin. RESULTS: Using the World Health Organization criteria for overweight and obesity, we found that the crude prevalence of overweight among Inuit men and women was 36.......6% and 32.5%, respectively, and obesity was 15.8% and 25.5%, respectively. Inuit prevalences were similar to those of the highly developed countries of Europe and North America. As levels of obesity increased, as measured by BMI or waist circumference, the mean values of various metabolic indicators...

Population-based study of high plasma C-reactive protein concentrations among the Inuit of Nunavik.

Science.gov (United States)

Labonté, Marie-Eve; Dewailly, Eric; Chateau-Degat, Marie-Ludivine; Couture, Patrick; Lamarche, Benoît

2012-01-01

The shift away from traditional lifestyle in the Inuit population over the past few decades has been associated with an increased prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure (BP) and diabetes. However, the impact of this transition on the pro-inflammatory marker high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) has not been documented. To examine the prevalence of elevated plasma hs-CRP concentrations in Inuit from Nunavik in the province of Quebec (Canada) and identify anthropometric, biochemical and lifestyle risk factors associated with elevated hs-CRP. A population-representative sample of 801 Inuit residents from 14 villages of Nunavik, aged between 18 and 74 years, was included in the analyses. Subjects participated in a clinical session and completed questionnaires on lifestyle. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine risk factors for elevated hs-CRP. Elevated plasma hs-CRP concentrations (≥ 2 mg/L) were present in 32.7% (95% confidence interval (CI) 29.5-35.8) of the Inuit adult population and were more prevalent among women than among men (36.7% vs. 29.0%, p=0.007). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that every 1 mmHg increase in systolic BP was associated with a 3% increase in the odds of having hs-CRP concentrations ≥ 2 mg/L in the Inuit population (95% CI 1.01-1.04). The combination of older age (≥ 50 vs. Inuit with values that are similar to those seen in Canadian Caucasian populations. Sex, age, waist circumference and systolic BP are major factors that increase the risk of this inflammatory phenotype among Inuit from Nunavik, despite their different lifestyle background compared with Caucasians.

Adaptations of Euro-Canadian Schools to Inuit Culture in Selected Communities in Nunavut.

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Paul

Formal schooling is less than 100 years old in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut. In the last three decades, efforts to reflect and value Inuit culture in northern schools have increased, in light of concerns over whether the dominant culture's education system was appropriate or effective for Inuit children. These efforts have resulted in varying…

Dioxin-like activities in serum across European and Inuit populations

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Manhai; Andersen, Birgitte S; Lindh, Christian H; Hagmar, Lars; Giwercman, Aleksander; Manicardi, Gian-Carlo; Bizzaro, Davide; Spanò, Marcello; Toft, Gunnar; Pedersen, Henning S; Zvyezday, Valentyna; Bonde, Jens Peter; Bonefeld-Jorgensen, Eva C

2006-01-01

Background Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides can cause a series of adverse effects on e.g. reproduction in animals and humans, many of which involve the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The aim of the present study was to compare the integrated serum level of AhR mediated activity among European and Inuit populations, and evaluate whether the activity was associated to the selected POP markers, 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p'-DDE). Methods The study included 338 males from Greenland (Inuit's), Sweden, Warsaw (Poland) and Kharkiv (Ukraine). The AhR transactivity of serum extracts alone (AhRag) and competitive AhR activity (AhRcomp) upon co-exposure with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) were determined in the lipophilic serum fraction containing the POPs using the AhR mediated luciferase reporter Hepa1.12cR cell assay. Results The European groups showed higher median level of AhR-TEQ (TCDD toxic equivalents) compared to the Inuit's, whereas higher incidence of Inuits sample further induced AhRcomp activity. Neither AhRag nor AhR-TEQ were correlated to CB-153 or p,p'-DDE for any of the study groups. Multiple regressions showed a significant heterogeneity of association between the CB-153 and the AhRcomp across the study groups, and accordingly a negative association between AhRcomp and CB-153 was found for the Kharkiv group. Conclusion No consistent correlation between AhR activities and two POP markers was found. Although the difference of AhRag between European and Inuit men could not be explained by CB-153 or p,p'-DDE levels alone, we believe that the variation of AhR serum activity reflects different pattern of POP exposure, genetics and/or life style factors. PMID:16725033

Genetic variation in alcohol metabolizing enzymes among Inuit and its relation to drinking patterns

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard, Peter; Mikkelsen, Stine Schou; Becker, Ulrik

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Variation in genes involved in alcohol metabolism is associated with drinking patterns worldwide. We compared variation in these genes among the Inuit with published results from the general population of Denmark and, due to the Asian ancestry of the Inuit, with Han Chinese. We analyzed...

The Effect of an Extreme and Prolonged Population Bottleneck on Patterns of Deleterious Variation: Insights from the Greenlandic Inuit.

Science.gov (United States)

Pedersen, Casper-Emil T; Lohmueller, Kirk E; Grarup, Niels; Bjerregaard, Peter; Hansen, Torben; Siegismund, Hans R; Moltke, Ida; Albrechtsen, Anders

2017-02-01

The genetic consequences of population bottlenecks on patterns of deleterious genetic variation in human populations are of tremendous interest. Based on exome sequencing of 18 Greenlandic Inuit we show that the Inuit have undergone a severe ∼20,000-year-long bottleneck. This has led to a markedly more extreme distribution of allele frequencies than seen for any other human population tested to date, making the Inuit the perfect population for investigating the effect of a bottleneck on patterns of deleterious variation. When comparing proxies for genetic load that assume an additive effect of deleterious alleles, the Inuit show, at most, a slight increase in load compared to European, East Asian, and African populations. Specifically, we observe Inuit. In contrast, proxies for genetic load under a recessive model suggest that the Inuit have a significantly higher load (20% increase or more) compared to other less bottlenecked human populations. Forward simulations under realistic models of demography support our empirical findings, showing up to a 6% increase in the genetic load for the Inuit population across all models of dominance. Further, the Inuit population carries fewer deleterious variants than other human populations, but those that are present tend to be at higher frequency than in other populations. Overall, our results show how recent demographic history has affected patterns of deleterious variants in human populations. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

Subtractive Bilingualism and the Survival of the Inuit Language: Heritage-versus Second-Language Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Stephen C.; Taylor, Donald M.; Macarthur, Judy

2000-01-01

Examines the impact of early heritage-language education and second-language education on heritage-language and second-language development among Inuit, White, and mixed-heritage kindergarten children. Inuit children in second-language classes showed heritage language skills equal to or better than mixed-heritage children and Whites educated in…

MYTHOLOGY AND SHAMANISM IN SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS OF THE INUIT AND KAINGANG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rogério Reus Gonçalves da Rosa

2011-12-01

Full Text Available From the exchange system established between humans, non-human and superhuman this article will analyze the importance of mythological thinking and shamanism in social relations of the Inuit and Kaingang. The objectives of this paper are analyze the mythology and shamanism; present the mythological narratives about the origin Inuit and Kaingang; observe the implications of mythology and shamanic systems in configurations of sex and gender of men and women living in the central Canadian Arctic and in the lowlands of southern Brazil.

Policy silences: why Canada needs a National First Nations, Inuit and Métis health policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavoie, Josée G

2013-12-27

Despite attempts, policy silences continue to create barriers to addressing the healthcare needs of First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The purpose of this article is to answer the question, if what we have in Canada is an Aboriginal health policy patchwork that fails to address inequities, then what would a Healthy Aboriginal Health Policy framework look like? The data collected included federal, provincial and territorial health policies and legislation that contain Aboriginal, First Nation, Inuit and/or Métis-specific provisions available on the internet. Key websites included the Parliamentary Library, federal, provincial and territorial health and Aboriginal websites, as well as the Department of Justice Canada, Statistics Canada and the Aboriginal Canada Portal. The Indian Act gives the Governor in Council the authority to make health regulations. The First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB) of Health Canada historically provided health services to First Nations and Inuit, as a matter of policy. FNIHB's policies are few, and apply only to Status Indians and Inuit. Health legislation in 2 territories and 4 provinces contain no provision to clarify their responsibilities. In provinces where provisions exist, they broadly focus on jurisdiction. Few Aboriginal-specific policies and policy frameworks exist. Generally, these apply to some Aboriginal peoples and exclude others. Although some Aboriginal-specific provisions exist in some legislation, and some policies are in place, significant gaps and jurisdictional ambiguities remain. This policy patchwork perpetuates confusion. A national First Nation, Inuit and Métis policy framework is needed to address this issue.

Cytokine responses in relation to age, gender, body mass index, Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, and otitis media among inuit in greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Nina Odgaard; Soborg, Bolette; Børresen, Malene

2013-01-01

To evaluate the cytokine response pattern in Inuit in Greenland in relation to age, gender, body mass index (BMI), Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (MTI), and otitis media (OM) to assess whether Inuit may have signs of impaired immune responsiveness to infection.......To evaluate the cytokine response pattern in Inuit in Greenland in relation to age, gender, body mass index (BMI), Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (MTI), and otitis media (OM) to assess whether Inuit may have signs of impaired immune responsiveness to infection....

Temporal trends of alcohol and drug use among Inuit of Northern Quebec, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Fortin, Marilyn; Bélanger, Richard E; Boucher, Olivier; Muckle, Gina

2015-01-01

Alcohol and drug use is a serious health problem for many indigenous populations across Canada, including Inuit. The literature on substance use in these populations is too sparse to devise public health interventions. The present article portrays alcohol and drug use among Inuit living in Nunavik (Northern Quebec) between the 1990s and 2000s, and identifies socio-demographic characteristics related to substance use. The Santé Québec Health Survey (1992) and the Nunavik Inuit Health Survey Qanuippitaa (2004) served as databases for this empirical work. Statistical comparisons were made of substance use variables in the 2 samples. Proportions were compared by chi-square tests (p≤0.05) with benchmarking of statistics for all of Quebec and, when available, all of Canada. Alcohol and drug use among Inuit increased significantly between 1992 and 2004, particularly among young adults. Alcohol users consumed significantly more alcohol per drinking episode than other Canadians in both time periods. Considerable cannabis use was widespread. In 2004, no significant differences in frequencies of heavy drinking episodes were observed by gender, with 60% of drug users consuming alcohol on a regular basis. As in other populations from North America, this study profiles the increase in substance use among Inuit from Nunavik in the first part of the last 20 years. We observed distinct substance use patterns among them in comparison to other Canadians. Such findings, if replicated in the coming years, emphasize the need for major, culturally-relevant public health interventions in this population.

Rare ATGL haplotypes are associated with increased plasma triglyceride concentrations in the Greenland Inuit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Christopher T; Gallinger, Zane R; Wang, Jian

2010-01-01

To genotype common genetic variants found in the adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) gene and test them for association with cardiovascular disease risk factors in the Greenland Inuit.......To genotype common genetic variants found in the adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) gene and test them for association with cardiovascular disease risk factors in the Greenland Inuit....

Temporal trends in Inuit, First Nations and non-Aboriginal birth outcomes in rural and northern Quebec.

Science.gov (United States)

Simonet, Fabienne; Wilkins, Russell; Luo, Zhong-Cheng

2012-01-01

The objective was to assess trends in Inuit, First Nations and non-Aboriginal birth outcomes in the rural and northern regions of Quebec. In a birth cohort-based study of all births to residents of rural and northern Quebec from 1991 through 2000 (n = 177,193), we analyzed birth outcomes and infant mortality for births classified by maternal mother tongue (Inuit, First Nations or non-Aboriginal) and by community type (predominantly First Nations, Inuit or non-Aboriginal). From 1991-1995 to 1996-2000, there was a trend of increasing rates of preterm birth for all 6 study groups. In all rural and northern areas, low birth weight rates increased significantly only for the Inuit mother tongue group [RR1.45 (95% CI 1.05-2.01)]. Stillbirth rates showed a non-significant increase for the Inuit mother tongue group [RR1.76 (0.64-4.83)]. Neonatal mortality rates decreased significantly in the predominantly non-Aboriginal communities and in the non-Aboriginal mother tongue group [RR0.78 (0.66-0.92)], and increased non-significantly for the First Nations mother tongue group [RR2.17 (0.71-6.62)]. Perinatal death rates increased for the First Nations mother tongue grouping in northern areas [RR2.19 (0.99-4.85)]. There was a disconcerting rise of some mortality outcomes for births to First Nations and Inuit mother tongue women and to women in predominantly First Nations and Inuit communities, in contrast to some improvements for births to non-Aboriginal mother tongue women and to women in predominantly non-Aboriginal communities in rural or northern Quebec, indicating a need for improving perinatal and neonatal health for Aboriginal populations in rural and northern regions.

Rates of stillbirth by gestational age and cause in Inuit and First Nations populations in Quebec.

Science.gov (United States)

Auger, Nathalie; Park, Alison L; Zoungrana, Hamado; McHugh, Nancy Gros-Louis; Luo, Zhong-Cheng

2013-04-02

Inuit and First Nations populations have higher rates of stillbirth than non-Aboriginal populations in Canada do, but little is known about the timing and cause of stillbirth in Aboriginal populations. We compared gestational age- and cause-specific stillbirth rates in Inuit and First Nations populations with the rates in the non-Aboriginal population in Quebec. Data included singleton stillbirths and live births at 24 or more gestational weeks among Quebec residents from 1981 to 2009. We calculated odds ratios (ORs), rate differences and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the retrospective cohort of Inuit and First Nations births relative to non-Aboriginal births using fetuses at risk (i.e., ongoing pregnancies) as denominators and adjusting for maternal characteristics. The main outcomes were stillbirth by gestational age (24-27, 28-36, ≥ 37 wk) and cause of death. Rates of stillbirth per 1000 births were greater among Inuit (6.8) and First Nations (5.7) than among non-Aboriginal (3.6) residents. Relative to the non-Aboriginal population, the risk of stillbirth was greater at term (≥ 37 wk) than before term for both Inuit (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.9 to 4.8) and First Nations (OR 2.6, 95% CI 2.1 to 3.3) populations. Causes most strongly associated with stillbirth were poor fetal growth, placental disorders and congenital anomalies among the Inuit, and hypertension and diabetes among the First Nations residents. Stillbirth rates in Aboriginal populations were particularly high at term gestation. Poor fetal growth, placental disorders and congenital anomalies were important causes of stillbirth among the Inuit, and diabetic and hypertensive complications were important causes in the First Nations population. Prevention may require improvements in pregnancy and obstetric care.

Temporal trends in Inuit, First Nations and non-Aboriginal birth outcomes in rural and northern Quebec

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabienne Simonet

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Objectives. The objective was to assess trends in Inuit, First Nations and non-Aboriginal birth outcomes in the rural and northern regions of Quebec. Study design and methods. In a birth cohort-based study of all births to residents of rural and northern Quebec from 1991 through 2000 (n = 177,193, we analyzed birth outcomes and infant mortality for births classified by maternal mother tongue (Inuit, First Nations or non-Aboriginal and by community type (predominantly First Nations, Inuit or non-Aboriginal. Results. From 1991–1995 to 1996–2000, there was a trend of increasing rates of preterm birth for all 6 study groups. In all rural and northern areas, low birth weight rates increased significantly only for the Inuit mother tongue group [RR1.45 (95% CI 1.05–2.01]. Stillbirth rates showed a non-significant increase for the Inuit mother tongue group [RR1.76 (0.64–4.83]. Neonatal mortality rates decreased significantly in the predominantly non-Aboriginal communities and in the non-Aboriginal mother tongue group [RR0.78 (0.66–0.92], and increased non-significantly for the First Nations mother tongue group [RR2.17 (0.71–6.62]. Perinatal death rates increased for the First Nations mother tongue grouping in northern areas [RR2.19 (0.99–4.85]. Conclusion. There was a disconcerting rise of some mortality outcomes for births to First Nations and Inuit mother tongue women and to women in predominantly First Nations and Inuit communities, in contrast to some improvements for births to non-Aboriginal mother tongue women and to women in predominantly non-Aboriginal communities in rural or northern Quebec, indicating a need for improving perinatal and neonatal health for Aboriginal populations in rural and northern regions.

"The weight on our shoulders is too much, and we are falling": Suicide among Inuit male youth in Nunavut, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Kral, Michael J

2013-03-01

Inuit youth suicide is at an epidemic level in the circumpolar north. Rapid culture change has left Inuit in a state of coloniality that destabilized their kin-based social organization, and in spite of advances in self-governance social problems such as suicide continue. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork I carried out in Nunavut, Canada (2004-2005), including 27 interviews with Inuit between the ages of 17 and 61, I examine male youth in particular in the context of recent colonial change, gender ideologies and behavior, youth autonomy, and the family. Anger is common among Inuit male youth, often directed toward girlfriends and parents, and suicide is embedded in some of these relationships. Many Inuit male youth are struggling with a new cultural model of love and sexuality. Inuit speak about a need for more responsible parenting. Evidence is beginning to show, however, that local, community-based suicide prevention may be working. © 2013 by the American Anthropological Association.

Genetic polymorphisms in CYP1A1, CYP1B1 and COMT genes in Greenlandic Inuit and Europeans.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghisari, Mandana; Long, Manhai; Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Eva C

2013-01-01

The Indigenous Arctic population is of Asian descent, and their genetic background is different from the Caucasian populations. Relatively little is known about the specific genetic polymorphisms in genes involved in the activation and detoxification mechanisms of environmental contaminants in Inuit and its relation to health risk. The Greenlandic Inuit are highly exposed to legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and an elucidation of gene-environment interactions in relation to health risks is needed. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the genotype and allele frequencies of the cytochrome P450 CYP1A1 Ile462Val (rs1048943), CYP1B1 Leu432Val (rs1056836) and catechol-O-methyltransferase COMT Val158Met (rs4680) in Greenlandic Inuit (n=254) and Europeans (n=262) and explore the possible relation between the genotypes and serum levels of POPs. The genotype and allele frequency distributions of the three genetic polymorphisms differed significantly between the Inuit and Europeans. For Inuit, the genotype distribution was more similar to those reported for Asian populations. We observed a significant difference in serum polychlorinated biphenyl (CB-153) and the pesticide 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p'-DDE) levels between Inuit and Europeans, and for Inuit also associations between the POP levels and genotypes for CYP1A1, CYP1B1 and COMT. Our data provide new information on gene polymorphisms in Greenlandic Inuit that might support evaluation of susceptibility to environmental contaminants and warrant further studies.

Persistent organic pollutants and diabetes among Inuit in the Canadian Arctic.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Kavita; Chan, Hing Man

2017-04-01

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that is of increasing concern in Inuit communities. Behavioural factors such as physical inactivity and poor diet are well-known risk factors. Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) has emerged as an additional factor in the pathogenesis of diabetes. In this study, association between polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) with diabetes in Canadian Inuit was examined. Data from the Adult Inuit Health Survey (2007-2008) of Inuit participants from the Canadian Arctic were analyzed. Self-reported diabetes (excluding gestational diabetes) and clinical measurement of fasting glucose were examined as outcomes. Association with individual PCB congeners, sum of dioxin-like PCBs (∑DL-PCB), non-dioxin-like PCBs (∑NDL-PCB), total PCBs (∑PCB), and p,p'-DDE were investigated using multiple regression models adjusted for confounding factors. Using different methods to incorporate serum lipids, highest vs. lowest quartile exposures to PCB-105, PCB-118, PCB-153, PCB-156, PCB-170, PCB-180, PCB-183, ∑PCB, and p,p'-DDE were associated with increased risk of diabetes. For these PCBs, odds ratios (ORs) ranged from 1.9-3.5 (lower 95% CI: 0.8-1.4, upper 95% CI: 4.4-9.0) and for p,p'-DDE the OR was 2.5 (lower 95% CI: 1.1-1.2, upper 95% CI: 5.9-6.0). The highest vs. lowest quartile exposure to most PCBs and p,p'-DDE were associated with an increase of fasting glucose by 3-7%. PCBs and p,p'-DDE were associated with increased risk of diabetes and higher fasting glucose level in a cross-sectional survey of Canadian Inuit. Cause-effect relationships of PCBs and p,p'-DDE with diabetes and diabetes-related outcomes need to be further investigated in a cohort study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

End-of-Life Care in Nunavik, Quebec: Inuit Experiences, Current Realities, and Ways Forward.

Science.gov (United States)

Hordyk, Shawn Renee; Macdonald, Mary Ellen; Brassard, Paul

2017-06-01

Increasing longevity for Inuit living in Nunavik, northern Quebec, has resulted in heightened rates of cancers and chronic diseases necessitating complex treatments. Consequently, end-of-life (EOL) care, once the domain of Inuit families and communities, has come to include professionalized healthcare providers with varying degrees of awareness of factors to consider in providing care to Inuit populations. To better understand the factors shaping EOL care in Nunavik to support the development of a sustainable model of care. Using focused ethnography, we conducted participant observations and informal and semistructured interviews with 103 participants (community members, healthcare practitioners, and administrators) across Nunavik and in Montreal, the affiliated tertiary care center. Data domains included the following: care trajectories; patient and family experiences receiving and providing EOL care; local and urban resources and challenges; and ways forward. Sociocultural, historical, and geographic factors shape EOL care in Nunavik, presenting a complex set of challenges for Inuit patients, families, and healthcare providers. A sustainable model of EOL care requires building on shared initiatives, capitalizing on the existing strengths in communities, and attending to the multiple bereavement needs in the region. Building a sustainable model of EOL care requires respectful collaboration among governing structures, healthcare institutions, and community members. It must centrally value local knowledge and initiatives. To ensure Inuit families and patients are supported throughout the dying process, future initiatives must centrally include local stakeholders in both the design and evaluation of any changes to the current healthcare system.

Primary birthing attendants and birth outcomes in remote Inuit communities—a natural “experiment” in Nunavik, Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Simonet, F; Wilkins, R; Labranche, E; Smylie, J; Heaman, M; Martens, P; Fraser, W D; Minich, K; Wu, Y; Carry, C; Luo, Z-C

2010-01-01

Background There is a lack of data on the safety of midwife-led maternity care in remote or indigenous communities. In a de facto natural “experiment”, birth outcomes were assessed by primary birthing attendant in two sets of remote Inuit communities. Methods A geocoding-based retrospective birth cohort study in 14 Inuit communities of Nunavik, Canada, 1989–2000: primary birth attendants were Inuit midwives in the Hudson Bay (1529 Inuit births) vs western physicians in Ungava Bay communities (1197 Inuit births). The primary outcome was perinatal death. Secondary outcomes included stillbirth, neonatal death, post-neonatal death, preterm, small-for-gestational-age and low birthweight birth. Multilevel logistic regression was used to obtain the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) controlling for maternal age, marital status, parity, education, infant sex and plurality, community size and community-level random effects. Results The aORs (95% confidence interval) for perinatal death comparing the Hudson Bay vs Ungava Bay communities were 1.29 (0.63 to 2.64) for all Inuit births and 1.13 (0.48 to 2.47) for Inuit births at ≥28 weeks of gestation. There were no statistically significant differences in the crude or adjusted risks of any of the outcomes examined. Conclusion Risks of perinatal death were somewhat but not significantly higher in the Hudson Bay communities with midwife-led maternity care compared with the Ungava Bay communities with physician-led maternity care. These findings are inconclusive, although the results excluding extremely preterm births are more reassuring concerning the safety of midwife-led maternity care in remote indigenous communities. PMID:19286689

Fat distribution and glucose intolerance among Greenland Inuit

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jørgensen, Marit Eika; Borch-Johnsen, Knut; Stolk, Ronald; Bjerregaard, Peter

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVEA high amount of subcutaneous fat is suggested to explain the observation of lower obesity-associated metabolic risk among Inuit than among Europeans. We examined the association between measures of obesity (visceral adipose tissue [VAT], subcutaneous adipose tissue [SAT], BMI, waist

Age-related variation in limb bone diaphyseal structure among Inuit foragers from Point Hope, northern Alaska.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, I J; Nesbitt, A; Mongle, C; Gould, E S; Grine, F E

2014-01-01

Age-related deterioration of limb bone diaphyseal structure is documented among precontact Inuit foragers from northern Alaska. These findings challenge the concept that bone loss and fracture susceptibility among modern Inuit stem from their transition away from a physically demanding traditional lifestyle toward a more sedentary Western lifestyle. Skeletal fragility is rare among foragers and other traditional-living societies, likely due to their high physical activity levels. Among modern Inuit, however, severe bone loss and fractures are apparently common. This is possibly because of recent Western influences and increasing sedentism. To determine whether compromised bone structure and strength among the Inuit are indeed aberrant for a traditional-living group, data were collected on age-related variation in limb bone diaphyseal structure from a group predating Western influences. Skeletons of 184 adults were analyzed from the Point Hope archaeological site. Mid-diaphyseal structure was measured in the humerus, radius, ulna, femur, and tibia using CT. Structural differences were assessed between young, middle-aged, and old individuals. In all bones examined, both females and males exhibited significant age-related reductions in bone quantity. With few exceptions, total bone (periosteal) area did not significantly increase between young and old age in either sex, nor did geometric components of bending rigidity (second moments of area). While the physically demanding lifestyles of certain traditional-living groups may protect against bone loss and fracture susceptibility, this is not the case among the Inuit. It remains possible, however, that Western characteristics of the modern Inuit lifestyle exacerbate age-related skeletal deterioration.

Dietary advice on Inuit traditional food use needs to balance benefits and risks of mercury, selenium, and n3 fatty acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Laird, Brian D; Goncharov, Alexey B; Egeland, Grace M; Chan, Hing Man

2013-06-01

Elevated concentrations of mercury (Hg) are commonly found in the traditional foods, including fish and marine mammals, of Inuit living in Canada's Arctic. As a result, Inuit often have higher dietary Hg intake and elevated Hg blood concentrations. However, these same traditional foods are excellent sources of essential nutrients. The goals of this study were 1) to identify the traditional food sources of Hg exposure for Inuit, 2) to estimate the percentage of Inuit who meet specific nutrient Dietary Reference Intakes and/or exceed the Toxicological Reference Values (TRVs), and 3) to evaluate options that maximize nutrient intake while minimizing contaminant exposure. A participatory cross-sectional survey was designed in consultation with Inuit in 3 Canadian Arctic jurisdictions (Nunatsiavut, Nunavut, and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region). Estimated intakes for EPA (20:5n3) and DHA (22:6n3) met suggested dietary targets, and estimated selenium (Se) intake fell within the Acceptable Range of Oral Intake. Estimated intakes of Hg (rs = 0.41, P Inuit.

Pan-Arctic TV Series on Inuit wellness: a northern model of communication for social change?

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Rhonda; Morales, Robin; Leavitt, Doreen; Carry, Catherine; Kinnon, Dianne; Rideout, Denise; Clarida, Kath

2011-06-01

This paper provides highlights of a utilization-focused evaluation of a collaborative Pan-Arctic Inuit Wellness TV Series that was broadcast live in Alaska and Canada in May 2009. This International Polar Year (IPY) communication and outreach project intended to (1) share information on International Polar Year research progress, disseminate findings and explore questions with Inuit in Alaska, Canada and Greenland; (2) provide a forum for Inuit in Alaska, Canada and Greenland to showcase innovative health and wellness projects; (3) ensure Inuit youth and adult engagement throughout; and (4) document and reflect on the overall experience for the purposes of developing and "testing" a participatory communication model. Utilization-focused formative evaluation of the project, with a focus on overall objectives, key messages and lessons learned to facilitate program improvement. Participant observation, surveys, key informant interviews, document review and website tracking. Promising community programs related to 3 themes - men's wellness, maternity care and youth resilience - in diverse circumpolar regions were highlighted, as were current and stillevolving findings from ongoing Arctic research. Multiple media methods were used to effectively deliver and receive key messages determined by both community and academic experts. Local capacity and new regional networks were strengthened. Evidence-based resources for health education and community action were archived in digital formats (websites and DVDs), increasing accessibility to otherwise isolated individuals and remote communities. The Pan-Arctic Inuit Wellness TV Series was an innovative, multi-dimensional communication project that raised both interest and awareness about complex health conditions in the North and stimulated community dialogue and potential for increased collaborative action. Consistent with a communication for social change approach, the project created new networks, increased motivation to act

Increased asthma and adipose tissue inflammatory gene expression with obesity and Inuit migration to a western country.

Science.gov (United States)

Backer, Vibeke; Baines, Katherine J; Powell, Heather; Porsbjerg, Celeste; Gibson, Peter G

2016-02-01

An overlap between obesity and asthma exists, and inflammatory cells in adipose tissue could drive the development of asthma. Comparison of adipose tissue gene expression among Inuit living in Greenland to those in Denmark provides an opportunity to assess how changes in adipose tissue inflammation can be modified by migration and diet. To examine mast cell and inflammatory markers in adipose tissue and the association with asthma. Two Inuit populations were recruited, one living in Greenland and another in Denmark. All underwent adipose subcutaneous biopsy, followed by clinical assessment of asthma, and measurement of AHR. Adipose tissue biopsies were homogenised, RNA extracted, and PCR was performed to determine the relative gene expression of mast cell (tryptase, chymase, CPA3) and inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-1β, and CD163). Of the 1059 Greenlandic Inuit participants, 556 were living in Greenland and 6.4% had asthma. Asthma was increased in Denmark (9%) compared to Greenland (3.6%, p Inuit (p Inuit, adipose tissue inflammation is also increased in those who migrate to Denmark, possibly as a result of dietary changes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Y-chromosomal STR haplotypes in Inuit and Danish population samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bosch, Elena; Rosser, Zoë H; Nørby, Søren

2003-01-01

Nineteen Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (STRs), DYS19, DYS389-I, DYS389-II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385, DYS388, DYS434, DYS435, DYS436, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS460, DYS461 and DYS462 were typed in Inuit (n=70) and Danish (n=62) population samples.......Nineteen Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (STRs), DYS19, DYS389-I, DYS389-II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385, DYS388, DYS434, DYS435, DYS436, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS460, DYS461 and DYS462 were typed in Inuit (n=70) and Danish (n=62) population samples....

CT-scanning of ancient Greenlandic Inuit temporal bones

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Homøe, P; Lynnerup, N; Videbaek, H

1992-01-01

Additional morphological evidence of former infectious middle ear disease (IMED) was found by CT-scanning in 5 of 6 Greenlandic Inuit crania strongly suspected for former IMED due to earlier examination revealing either bilateral hypocellularity or asymmetry of the pneumatized area of the temporal...

GAD65 antibodies among Greenland Inuit and its relation to glucose intolerance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Michael Lynge; Bjerregaard, Peter; Jørgensen, Marit Eika

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of circulating Glutamin-Acid-decarboxylase 65 antibodies in a sample of Greenlanders (Inuit) with clinically verified diabetes with samples of participants from a population survey. The study population included participants with known diabetes.......3 % and less than 1 % among Greenlanders without diabetes (p = 0.001). The prevalence of circulating Glutamin-Acid-decarboxylase 65 antibodies among Greenlanders with and without diabetes is relatively low in a global perspective in accordance with one former study among Inuit. Autoimmune diabetes seems...

Liver biochemistry and associations with alcohol intake, hepatitis B virus infection and Inuit ethnicity: a population-based comparative epidemiological survey in Greenland and Denmark.

Science.gov (United States)

Rex, Karsten Fleischer; Krarup, Henrik Bygum; Laurberg, Peter; Andersen, Stig

2016-01-01

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is common in Arctic populations and high alcohol intake has been associated with an increased risk of a number of diseases. Yet, a description of the influence of alcohol intake in persons with HBV infection on liver biochemistry is lacking. We aimed to describe the association between reported alcohol intake and liver biochemistry taking into account also HBV infection, ethnicity, Inuit diet, body mass index (BMI), gender and age in an Arctic population. Population-based investigation of Inuit (n=441) and non-Inuit (94) in Greenland and Inuit living in Denmark (n=136). Participants filled in a questionnaire on alcohol intake and other life style factors. Blood samples were tested for aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin, albumin, hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B surface antibody and hepatitis B core antibody. We also performed physical examinations. Participation rate was 95% in Greenland and 52% in Denmark. An alcohol intake above the recommended level was reported by 12.9% of non-Inuit in Greenland, 9.1% of Inuit in East Greenland, 6.1% of Inuit migrants and 3.4% of Inuit in the capital of Greenland (p=0.035). Alcohol intake was associated with AST (pbiochemistry. Non-Inuit in Greenland reported a higher alcohol intake than Inuit. Ethnic origin was more markedly associated with liver biochemistry than was alcohol intake, and Greenlandic ethnicity modified the effect of alcohol intake on AST. HBV infection was slightly associated with ALP but not with other liver biochemistry parameters.

Vitamin D status and intake of lactating Inuit women living in the Canadian Arctic.

Science.gov (United States)

El Hayek Fares, Jessy; Weiler, Hope A

2018-02-13

To determine the prevalence and correlates of healthy vitamin D status in lactating Inuit women living in remote regions of the Arctic. Cross-sectional. Households were selected randomly in thirty-six communities of Nunavut, Nunatsiavut and Inuvialuit Settlement Region. Dietary intake was assessed using a 24 h recall and an FFQ. Anthropometric measurements, household living conditions, supplement use and health status were assessed. In fasting samples, serum 25-hydroxyvitaimn D (25(OH)D) was measured using a chemiluminescent assay (LIAISON; Diasorin Inc.). Lactating Inuit women participating in the 2007-2008 International Polar Year Inuit Health Survey conducted in the months of August to October. Among participants (n 34), 8·8, 26·5 and 50·0 % had 25(OH)D concentrations at or above 75, 50 and 40 nmol/l, respectively. More than one-third of participants did not consume traditional foods during the previous day and only 11·3 % of total energy intake was derived from traditional foods. Only 14·7 % of the sample consumed the daily number of milk servings recommended by Canada's Food Guide (two servings) for First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Using multivariable logistic regression to examine 25(OH)D≥40 nmol/l, only higher body fat was inversely correlated with 25(OH)D concentration. The present study is the first to assess simultaneously vitamin D status and other known factors that affect it among lactating Inuit women living in remote communities in the Arctic. Healthy maternal vitamin D status was observed in 25 % of participants during the late summer and early autumn. This requires further assessment in a larger sample spanning more seasons.

Canada's relationship with Inuit: a history of policy and program development

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Bonesteel, Sarah; Anderson, Erik

2008-01-01

... and justice, sovereignty and relocations, the E-number identification system, Inuit political organizations, comprehensive claim agreements, housing, healthcare, education, economic development, self-government...

Fatty acid profiles among the Inuit of Nunavik: current status and temporal change.

Science.gov (United States)

Proust, Françoise; Lucas, Michel; Dewailly, Eric

2014-05-01

The Inuit undergo substantial changes in their lifestyle, but few data exist on how these changes occur in biomarkers, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Here, we report data from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2004 among 861 representative Nunavik Inuit adults, in whom FAs were measured in red blood cells (RBCs). FAs were also measured in plasma phospholipids (n=452) to assess temporal trend by comparing plasma PUFAs measured in 1992. Food intakes were estimated using a validated food frequency questionnaire. In 2004, marine food intake was 84±4g/d (±SEM). Adjusted-mean of RBC omega-3 was significantly higher, and omega-6 lower, in older age groups (PtrendInuit adults still have high RBC omega-3, but show signs of nutritional transition - as indicated by lower omega-3 and higher trans-fats in RBCs of young compared to older. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monster Figures and Unhappy Endings in Inuit Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

McGrath, Robin

1988-01-01

Examines the incidence of frightening figures and unhappy endings in traditional and modern Inuit stories and identifies purpose for these elements. Monsters and unhappy endings apparently are tools to help children come to terms with Eskimo environment and values. Studies the conclusions and implications for Indian education. (TES)

Guiding health promotion efforts with urban Inuit: a community-specific perspective on health information sources and dissemination strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

McShane, Kelly E; Smylie, Janet K; Hastings, Paul D; Martin, Carmel M

2006-01-01

To develop a community-specific perspective of health information sources and dissemination strategies of urban Inuit to better guide health promotion efforts. Through a collaborative partnership with the Tungasuvvingat Inuit Family Resource Centre, a series of key informant interviews and focus groups were conducted to gather information on specific sources of health information, strategies of health information dissemination, and overall themes in health information processes. Distinct patterns of health information sources and dissemination strategies emerged from the data. Major themes included: the importance of visual learning, community Elders, and cultural interpreters; community cohesion; and the Inuit and non-Inuit distinction. The core sources of health information are family members and sources from within the Inuit community. The principal dissemination strategy for health information was direct communication, either through one-on-one interactions or in groups. This community-specific perspective of health information sources and dissemination strategies shows substantial differences from current mainstream models of health promotion and knowledge translation. Health promotion efforts need to acknowledge the distinct health information processes of this community, and should strive to integrate existing health information sources and strategies of dissemination with those of the community.

DNA evidence of bowhead whale exploitation by Greenlandic Paleo-Inuit 4,000 years ago

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seersholm, Frederik Valeur; Pedersen, Mikkel Winther; Søe, Martin Jensen

2016-01-01

-described midden deposits. Our results confirm that the species found in the fossil record, like harp seal and ringed seal, were a vital part of Inuit subsistence, but also add a new dimension with evidence that caribou, walrus and whale species played a more prominent role for the survival of Paleo-Inuit cultures...... than previously reported. Most notably, we report evidence of bowhead whale exploitation by the Saqqaq culture 4,000 years ago....

Engaging First Nation and Inuit communities in asthma management and control: assessing cultural appropriateness of educational resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Latycheva, O; Chera, R; Hampson, C; Masuda, J R; Stewart, M; Elliott, S J; Fenton, N E

2013-01-01

Asthma is a growing concern in First Nations and Inuit communities. As with many health indicators and outcomes, Aboriginal peoples living in remote areas experience greater disparities in respiratory health compared with non-Aboriginal Canadians. Therefore, it is critically important to take into account their unique needs when developing asthma educational materials and resources. The purpose of this study is to assess the cultural relevance of existing asthma education materials for First Nations and Inuit peoples. Five First Nations and Inuit communities from across Canada participated in the project. A combination of quantitative evaluations (eg surveys) and qualitative approaches (eg open discussion, live chats) were used to assess printed and web-based asthma education materials. Participants represented First Nations and Inuit communities from across Canada and were selected on the basis of age and role: 6 to 12 years old (children), 12 and over (youth), parents and grandparents, community leaders and teachers, and community advisory group members. In general, the results showed that although participants of all age categories liked the selection of asthma educational materials and resources, they identified pictures and images related to First Nations and Inuit people living and coping with asthma as ways of improving cultural relevance. This reinforces findings that tailoring materials to include Aboriginal languages, ceremonies and traditions would enhance their uptake. Our findings also demonstrate that visually based content in both printed and virtual form were the preferred style of learning of all participants, except young children who preferred to learn through play and interactive activities. Asthma is a growing concern in First Nations and Inuit communities. Given this concern, it is essential to understand cultural needs and preferences when developing asthma education materials and resources. The findings from this research emphasize the need

Inuit family understandings of sexual health and relationships in Nunavut.

Science.gov (United States)

Healey, Gwen K

2014-04-16

To explore Inuit family understandings of sexual health and relationships in order to inform responsive public health interventions that are designed to meet the needs of Nunavummiut. A qualitative indigenous knowledge approach was used for this study with a focus on Inuit epistemology and methodology, as described in the Piliriqatigiinniq Community Health Research Partnership Model. Interviews were conducted with 20 parents in three Nunavut communities in 2011. An immersion and crystallization analytical approach was used to analyze the data and to identify groupings or themes in the data. The stories shared by parents are honoured, keeping their words intact as often as possible in the presentation of results. Parents in this study largely discussed sexual health in the context of historical community events related to settlement and/or residential schools. Residential schools and forced settlement into communities were linked to trauma, family separation, hardship and grief. These experiences were prominent in participants' understandings of sexual health and perceptions of sexual health behaviours among youth in the community. This study highlights the complexity of the landscape of sexual health in Nunavut and the need for public health approaches that are inclusive of Inuit family perspectives on sexual health. Greater understanding of historical and community context can contribute to the development of pertinent, evidence-based public health interventions that will meet the needs of the population.

Plasma levels of selenium-containing proteins in Inuit adults from Nunavik.

Science.gov (United States)

Achouba, Adel; Dumas, Pierre; Ouellet, Nathalie; Lemire, Mélanie; Ayotte, Pierre

2016-11-01

Selenium (Se) is highly abundant in marine foods traditionally consumed by Inuit of Nunavik (Northern Quebec, Canada) and accordingly, their Se intake is among the highest in the world. However, little is known regarding the biological implications of this high Se status in this Arctic indigenous population. We used a method combining affinity chromatography and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry with quantification by post-column isotope dilution to determine total Se levels and concentrations of Se-containing proteins in archived plasma samples of Inuit adults who participated to the 2004 Nunavik Inuit Health Survey (N = 852). Amounts of mercury (Hg) associated with Se-containing proteins were also quantified. Results show that glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3), selenoprotein P (SelP) and selenoalbumin (SeAlb) represented respectively 25%, 52% and 23% of total plasma Se concentrations. In addition, small amounts of Hg co-eluted with each Se-containing protein and up to 50% of plasma Hg was associated to SelP. Total plasma Se concentrations (median = 139 μg L− 1; interquartile range (IQR) = 22.7 μg L− 1) were markedly lower and less variable than whole blood Se concentration (median = 261 μg L− 1, IQR = 166 μg L− 1). A non linear relation was observed between whole blood Se and plasma Se levels, with plasma Se concentrations leveling off at approximately 200 μg L− 1, whereas 16% and 3% of individuals exhibited whole blood concentrations higher than 500 μg L− 1 and 1000 μg L− 1, respectively. In contrast, a linear relationship was previously reported in communities consuming Brazil nuts which are rich Se, mainly present as selenomethionine. This suggests that a different selenocompound, possibly selenoneine, is present in the Arctic marine food chain and accumulates in the blood cellular fraction of Inuit.

Inuit and Scientific Perspectives on the Relationship Between Sea Ice and Climate Change. The Ideal Complement?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laidler, G.J. [Department of Geography, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road North, Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6 (Canada)

2006-10-15

Sea ice is influential in regulating energy exchanges between the ocean and the atmosphere, and has figured prominently in scientific studies of climate change and climate feedbacks. However, sea ice is also a vital component of everyday life in Inuit communities of the circumpolar Arctic. Therefore, it is important to understand the links between the potential impacts of climate change on Arctic sea ice extent, distribution, and thickness as well as the related consequences for northern coastal populations. This paper explores the relationship between sea ice and climate change from both scientific and Inuit perspectives. Based on an overview of diverse literature the experiences, methods, and goals which differentiate local and scientific sea ice knowledge are examined. These efforts are considered essential background upon which to develop more accurate assessments of community vulnerability to climate, and resulting sea ice, change. Inuit and scientific perspectives may indeed be the ideal complement when investigating the links between sea ice and climate change, but effective and appropriate conceptual bridges need to be built between the two types of expertise. The complementary nature of these knowledge systems may only be realized, in a practical sense, if significant effort is expended to: (1) understand sea ice from both Inuit and scientific perspectives, along with their underlying differences; (2) investigate common interests or concerns; (3) establish meaningful and reciprocal research partnerships with Inuit communities; (4) engage in, and improve, collaborative research methods; and, (5) maintain ongoing dialogue.

Inuit Education and Schools in the Eastern Arctic

Science.gov (United States)

McGregor, Heather E.

2010-01-01

Since the mid-twentieth century, sustained contact between Inuit and newcomers has led to profound changes in education in the Eastern Arctic, including the experience of colonization and progress toward the re-establishment of traditional education in schools. The milestone of the establishment of Nunavut Territory in 1999 was followed by the…

The birth of a Catholic Inuit community. The transition to Christianity in Pelly Bay, Nunavut, 1935-1950

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Remie, C.H.W.; Oosten, J.G.

2002-01-01

The transition to Catholicism in Pelly Bay is usually described as a successful conquest of a pagan terra nullius, a process in which Inuit played only a passive role. In fact, there was already a nucleus of Catholics in Pelly Bay when the first missionary arrived. Inuit invited him to come and stay

Forty-five year trends in overweight and obesity in an indigenous arctic Inuit Society in transition and spatiotemporal trends.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Stig; Rex, Karsten Fleischer; Noahsen, Paneeraq; Sørensen, Hans Christian Florian; Larsen, Nicolai Hardenberg; Mulvad, Gert; Laurberg, Peter

2014-01-01

Overweight and obesity associate with increased morbidity and premature death. Westernization of societies heralds rising obesity rates. A steep increase in body mass index (BMI) and overweight in Greenland from 1963 to 1998 led us to follow-up on height, weight, BMI, and rates of overweight among populations in Greenland and assess time trends between different stages of transition. BMI was calculated from height and weight measured on Inuit and non-Inuit aged 50 through 69 years surveyed in 1963, 1998, and 2008 in Ammassalik district in East Greenland and in 1998 and 2008 in the capital Nuuk in West Greenland. A total of 1,186 were surveyed in 1963 (52 men/63 women), 1998 (309/226), and 2008 (297/239). BMI increased with time (P Inuit men (P = 0.001; settlements/town/city, in 1998, 23.9/24.9/25.5 kg/m(2) ; in 2008, 25.0/26.0/27.0 kg/m(2) ) while not in Inuit women (P = 0.18). The number of overweight Inuit (BMI >27 kg/m(2) ) increased with time in men (4.0/25.6/33.2% in 1963/1998/2008, P = 0.001) and in women (13.6/30.7/37.3%, P = 0.001). BMI was above 30 kg/m(2) in 2.0/10.8/17.5% of all Inuit men in 1963/1998/2008 (P = 0.003) and in 8.3%/23.0/24.5% of all Inuit women (P = 0.02) respectively. Overweight and obesity rates rise with time and with societal transition in Greenland. Settlements and town are catching up with the city where the rate of increase is diminishing, although there were gender differences. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Alcohol Problems in Alaska Natives: Lessons from the Inuit

Science.gov (United States)

Seale, J. Paul; Shellenberger, Sylvia; Spence, John

2006-01-01

In this Alaska Native study, cultural "insiders" analyzed problems associated with increased alcohol availability, factors which have reduced alcohol-related problems, and ideas for improving treatment in an Inuit community. Participants described frequent bingeing, blackouts, family violence, suicide, loss of child custody, and feelings…

Participatory Research for Chronic Disease Prevention in Inuit Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Gittelsohn, Joel; Roache, Cindy; Kratzmann, Meredith; Reid, Rhonda; Ogina, Julia; Sharma, Sangita

2010-01-01

Objective: To develop a community-based chronic disease prevention program for Inuit in Nunavut, Canada. Methods: Stakeholders contributed to intervention development through formative research [in-depth interviews (n = 45), dietary recalls (n = 42)], community workshops, group feedback and implementation training. Results: Key cultural themes…

Continuity and discontinuity in the Inuit culture of Greenland

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kylstra, Hans P.

1977-01-01

In november 1976 the Arctic Centre of the University of Gronlngen organized its third symposium. The third symposium was a Dutch-Danish one on the Greenlandic Inuit: 'Continuity and Discontinuity In Greenlandic Arctic Culture'. As on the two previous occasions, an exhibition was organized.

Food consumption, obesity and abnormal glycaemic control in a Canadian Inuit community.

Science.gov (United States)

Singer, J; Putulik Kidlapik, C; Martin, B; Dean, H J; Trepman, E; Embil, J M

2014-12-01

Dietary and lifestyle factors may contribute to diabetes and obesity in the Canadian Inuit. We documented dietary patterns, physical activity level, obesity, blood glucose abnormalities and diabetes prevalence in a Canadian Inuit community. There were 250 Inuit residents of Repulse Bay, Nunavut, who had an interview about diet and physical activity, measurement of weight and height, and laboratory studies (194 subjects). Children, adolescents and younger adults (aged food and more processed snack foods and sweet drinks than older adults (aged ≥ 48 years). Only 88 of 250 subjects (35%) reported that they went out on the land once or more per week. Of the 85 children and adolescent subjects (aged 7-17 years), 11 (13%) were obese. Average body mass index for adults (aged ≥ 18 years) was 29 ± 6 kg m(-2) , and 61 adults (37%) were obese (body mass index ≥30 kg m(-2) ). In the 140 adults who had laboratory studies, 18 adults (13%) had a blood glucose abnormality, including 10 adults (7%) with impaired fasting glucose, four adults (3%) with impaired glucose tolerance and six adults (4%) with diabetes (five adults previously undiagnosed). Twelve of the 194 subjects tested (6%) had fasting insulin ≥140 pmol L(-1) (mean, 196 ± 87 pmol L(-1) ). In summary, there was a high prevalence of poor dietary choices, limited physical activity, obesity and type 2 diabetes in this Inuit community. Public health programmes are needed to improve the dietary and health status of this community. © 2014 The Authors. Clinical Obesity © 2014 World Obesity.

Traditional dietary pattern is associated with elevated cholesterol among the Inuit of Nunavik.

Science.gov (United States)

Labonté, Marie-Ève; Dewailly, Eric; Lucas, Michel; Chateau-Degat, Marie-Ludivine; Couture, Patrick; Lamarche, Benoît

2014-08-01

Our cross-sectional study assessed the associations between dietary patterns and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among Nunavik Inuit. This study was conducted as part of the 2004 Nunavik Inuit Health Survey, which included the collection of clinical measurements, plasma samples, and diet information from a food frequency questionnaire. A sample of 666 Inuit aged 18 years and older was included in our analyses. Dietary patterns were generated by principal component analysis. Multivariate general linear models adjusting for sex, age, waist circumference, and other potential confounders were used to examine associations between dietary patterns and CVD risk factors. Four distinct patterns were identified, namely the traditional, Western, nutrient-poor food, and healthy patterns. The traditional pattern showed positive associations with plasma total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, apolipoprotein B100, LDL peak particle diameter, and oxidized LDL (all P values for trend≤0.04), but showed no association with the total cholesterol:high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio or with inflammatory biomarkers (all P values for trend ≥0.19). The nutrient-poor food pattern was positively associated with oxidized LDL (P=0.04), but inversely associated with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (PInuit is not associated with important changes in CVD risk factors, with the exception of a slight elevation in cholesterol concentrations, most likely attributable to increased n-3 fatty acid intake. Dietary patterns reflecting the recent introduction of market foods in the Inuit diet appear to exert a trivial influence on CVD risk factors. Copyright © 2014 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prey items and predation behavior of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Nunavut, Canada based on Inuit hunter interviews

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are the most widely distributed cetacean, occurring in all oceans worldwide, and within ocean regions different ecotypes are defined based on prey preferences. Prey items are largely unknown in the eastern Canadian Arctic and therefore we conducted a survey of Inuit Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to provide information on the feeding ecology of killer whales. We compiled Inuit observations on killer whales and their prey items via 105 semi-directed interviews conducted in 11 eastern Nunavut communities (Kivalliq and Qikiqtaaluk regions) from 2007-2010. Results Results detail local knowledge of killer whale prey items, hunting behaviour, prey responses, distribution of predation events, and prey capture techniques. Inuit TEK and published literature agree that killer whales at times eat only certain parts of prey, particularly of large whales, that attacks on large whales entail relatively small groups of killer whales, and that they hunt cooperatively. Inuit observations suggest that there is little prey specialization beyond marine mammals and there are no definitive observations of fish in the diet. Inuit hunters and elders also documented the use of sea ice and shallow water as prey refugia. Conclusions By combining TEK and scientific approaches we provide a more holistic view of killer whale predation in the eastern Canadian Arctic relevant to management and policy. Continuing the long-term relationship between scientists and hunters will provide for successful knowledge integration and has resulted in considerable improvement in understanding of killer whale ecology relevant to management of prey species. Combining scientists and Inuit knowledge will assist in northerners adapting to the restructuring of the Arctic marine ecosystem associated with warming and loss of sea ice. PMID:22520955

Obesity studies in the circumpolar Inuit: a scoping review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tracey Galloway

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Background. Among circumpolar populations, recent research has documented a significant increase in risk factors which are commonly associated with chronic disease, notably obesity. Objective. The present study undertakes a scoping review of research on obesity in the circumpolar Inuit to determine the extent obesity research has been undertaken, how well all subpopulations and geographic areas are represented, the methodologies used and whether they are sufficient in describing risk factors, and the prevalence and health outcomes associated with obesity. Design. Online databases were used to identify papers published 1992–2011, from which we selected 38 publications from Canada, the United States, and Greenland that used obesity as a primary or secondary outcome variable in 30 or more non-pregnant Inuit (“Eskimo” participants aged 2 years or older. Results. The majority of publications (92% reported cross-sectional studies while 8% examined retrospective cohorts. All but one of the studies collected measured data. Overall 84% of the publications examined obesity in adults. Those examining obesity in children focused on early childhood or adolescence. While most (66% reported 1 or more anthropometric indices, none incorporated direct measures of adiposity. Evaluated using a customized quality assessment instrument, 26% of studies achieved an “A” quality ranking, while 18 and 39% achieved quality rankings of “B” and “C”, respectively. Conclusions. While the quality of studies is generally high, research on obesity among Inuit would benefit from careful selection of methods and reference standards, direct measures of adiposity in adults and children, studies of preadolescent children, and prospective cohort studies linking early childhood exposures with obesity outcomes throughout childhood and adolescence.

Increased asthma and adipose tissue inflammatory gene expression with obesity and Inuit migration to a western country

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Backer, Vibeke; Baines, Katherine J; Powell, Heather

2016-01-01

inflammation can be modified by migration and diet. OBJECTIVE: To examine mast cell and inflammatory markers in adipose tissue and the association with asthma. METHODS: Two Inuit populations were recruited, one living in Greenland and another in Denmark. All underwent adipose subcutaneous biopsy, followed...... of mast cell markers in adipose tissue and asthma. Among Greenlandic Inuit, adipose tissue inflammation is also increased in those who migrate to Denmark, possibly as a result of dietary changes....... by clinical assessment of asthma, and measurement of AHR. Adipose tissue biopsies were homogenised, RNA extracted, and PCR was performed to determine the relative gene expression of mast cell (tryptase, chymase, CPA3) and inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-1β, and CD163). RESULTS: Of the 1059 Greenlandic Inuit...

Evaluation of the acceptability of a CD-Rom as a health promotion tool for Inuit in Ottawa.

Science.gov (United States)

McShane, Kelly E; Smylie, Janet K; Hastings, Paul D; Prince, Conrad; Siedule, Connie

2013-01-01

There are few health promotion tools for urban Inuit, and there is a specific dearth of evaluations on such tools. The current study used a community-specific approach in the evaluation of a health promotion tool, based on an urban Inuit community's preferences of health knowledge sources and distribution strategies. In partnership with the Tungasuvvingat Inuit Family Health Team in Ottawa, a CD-Rom was developed featuring an Inuk Elder presenting prenatal health messages in both Inuktitut and English. Also, relevant evaluation materials were developed. Using a mixed methods approach, 40 participants completed interviews prior to viewing the CD-Rom and participated in a focus group at follow-up. Questionnaires were also completed pre- and post-viewing to assess changes between expectations and reactions in order to document acceptability. Significant increases were found on satisfaction, acceptability of medium and relevance of content ratings. Qualitative findings also included (a) interest, uncertainty and conditional interest prior to viewing; and (b) positive evaluations of the CD-Rom. This suggests that CD-Rom technology has the potential for health promotion for urban Inuit, and the community-specific evaluation approach yielded useful information.

The association between blood pressure and whole blood methylmercury in a cross-sectional study among Inuit in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Anni Brit Sternhagen; Davidsen, Michael; Bjerregaard, Peter

2012-01-01

to a high exposure of methylmercury. We examined the relation between whole blood mercury and blood pressure (BP) in Inuit in Greenland. METHODS: A cross-sectional population-based study among adult Inuit in Greenland was performed in 2005-2009. Information on socio-demography, lifestyle, BP, blood samples...... whole blood mercury concentrations, diastolic BP and the risk of hypertension decreased among men in the study: this may be explained by confounding by exercise or unknown factors.......BACKGROUND: The Inuit in Greenland have a high average consumption of marine species and are highly exposed to methylmercury, which in other studies has been related to hypertension. Data on the relation between methylmercury and hypertension is limited, especially in populations subjected...

Voedsel en recht in de jagersverzamelaarssamenleving van de Inuit

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bastmeijer, Kees; Rasing, Willem

2014-01-01

Als één van de laatste artikelen van de Rode draad ‘Voedsel en recht’ maken wij een uitstap naar een samenleving waarin jacht en voedsel nog in sterke mate het dagelijks leven bepaalden: de traditionele Inuit (Eskimo’s). Welke regels over voedsel kenden zij? En kunnen deze normen ons iets vertellen

Using Inuit traditional ecological knowledge for detecting and monitoring avian cholera among Common Eiders in the eastern Canadian Arctic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dominique A. Henri

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In recent decades, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK has played an increasing role in wildlife management and biodiversity conservation in Canada and elsewhere. This study examined the potential contribution that Inuit TEK (which is one aspect of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit or Inuit traditional knowledge could offer to detect and monitor avian cholera and other disease-related mortality among Northern Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima borealis breeding in the eastern Canadian Arctic. Avian cholera is an infectious disease (Pasteurella multocida that has been a major conservation issue because of its potential to cause high rates of disease and mortality in several bird species in repeating epizootics; it has spread geographically in North America since the 1940s. In 2004, Inuit hunters from Ivujivik, Nunavik, Québec, were the first to detect avian disease outbreaks among Northern Common Eiders nesting in northeastern Hudson Bay and western Hudson Strait. Laboratory analysis of bird tissues confirmed avian cholera in that region. From 2007 to 2009, we collected Inuit TEK about mortality among Common Eiders and other bird species north and west of where the outbreaks were first detected. During interviews in the communities of Kimmirut, Cape Dorset, Coral Harbour, and Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada (n = 40, Inuit participants reported seeing a total of 8 Common Eiders and 41 specimens of other bird species either sick or dead in northern Hudson Strait, Hudson Bay, and Foxe Basin. Most of the observed disease and mortality events were at sea, on sea ice, or on small nesting islands. Such events probably would have gone undetected by biologists, who were mainly monitoring avian cholera outbreaks on large nesting islands in that region. Inuit participants readily recalled details about the timing, location, and numbers of sick and dead birds that they observed. Some reported signs of disease that were consistent with avian cholera. Inuit also revealed

Inuit Student Teachers' Agency, Positioning and Symbolic Action: Reflections from a "Qallunaat" on Music Teaching in the Canadian Arctic

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Joan

2006-01-01

This article examines how three Inuit student teachers in the Nunavut Teacher Education Program invested their "social and cultural capital" during a music course for classroom teachers, which the author taught in the Canadian Arctic. She describes how, through the musical games they invented for use in Inuit classrooms, these students…

Toward Precision Medicine: TBC1D4 Disruption Is Common Among the Inuit and Leads to Underdiagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Manousaki, Despoina; Kent, Jack W; Haack, Karin; Zhou, Sirui; Xie, Pingxing; Greenwood, Celia M; Brassard, Paul; Newman, Deborah E; Cole, Shelley; Umans, Jason G; Rouleau, Guy; Comuzzie, Anthony G; Richards, J Brent

2016-11-01

A common nonsense mutation in TBC1D4 was recently found to substantially increase the odds of type 2 diabetes in Greenlandic Inuit, leading to exclusively increased postprandial glucose. We investigated the frequency and effect of the TBC1D4 mutation on glucose metabolism and type 2 diabetes diagnosis among Canadian and Alaskan Inuit. Exome sequencing of the TBC1D4 variant was performed in 114 Inuit from Nunavik, Canada, and Sanger sequencing was undertaken in 1,027 Alaskan Inuit from the Genetics of Coronary Artery Disease in Alaskan Natives (GOCADAN) Study. Association testing evaluated the effect of the TBC1D4 variant on diabetes-related metabolic traits and diagnosis. The TBC1D4 mutation was present in 27% of Canadian and Alaskan Inuit. It was strongly associated with higher glucose (effect size +3.3 mmol/L; P = 2.5 x 10 -6 ) and insulin (effect size +175 pmol/L; P = 0.04) 2 h after an oral glucose load in homozygote carriers. TBC1D4 carriers with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes had an increased risk of remaining undiagnosed unless postprandial glucose values were tested (odds ratio 5.4 [95% CI 2.5-12]) compared with noncarriers. Of carriers with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, 32% would remain undiagnosed without an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Disruption of TBC1D4 is common among North American Inuit, resulting in exclusively elevated postprandial glucose. This leads to underdiagnosis of type 2 diabetes, unless an OGTT is performed. Accounting for genetic factors in the care of Inuit with diabetes provides an opportunity to implement precision medicine in this population. © 2016 by the American Diabetes Association.

Birth weight and risk of adiposity among adult Inuit in Greenland.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pernille Falberg Rønn

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The Inuit population in Greenland has undergone rapid socioeconomic and nutritional changes simultaneously with an increasing prevalence of obesity. Therefore, the objective was to examine fetal programming as part of the aetiology of obesity among Inuit in Greenland by investigating the association between birth weight and measures of body composition and fat distribution in adulthood. METHODS: The study was based on cross-sectional data from a total of 1,473 adults aged 18-61 years in two population-based surveys conducted in Greenland between 1999-2001 and 2005-2010. Information on birth weight was collected from birth records. Adiposity was assessed by anthropometry, fat mass index (FMI, fat-free mass index (FFMI, and visceral (VAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT estimated by ultrasound. The associations to birth weight were analyzed using linear regression models and quadratic splines. Analyses were stratified by sex, and adjusted for age, birthplace, ancestry and family history of obesity. RESULTS: Spline analyses showed linear relations between birth weight and adult adiposity. In multiple regression analyses, birth weight was positively associated with BMI, waist circumference, FMI, FFMI and SAT with generally weaker associations among women compared to men. Birth weight was only associated with VAT after additional adjustment for waist circumference and appeared to be specific and inverse for men only. CONCLUSIONS: Higher birth weight among Inuit was associated with adiposity in adulthood. More studies are needed to explore a potential inverse association between birth size and VAT.

Pneumatization and otitis media in Greenlandic Inuit before European colonization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Homøe, P; Lynnerup, N; Skovgaard, L T

1995-01-01

A total of 127 Greenlandic Inuit crania from before the European colonization of Greenland and deriving from the West (W), Southeast (SE), and Northeast (NE) coast of Greenland were examined for sequelae of infectious middle ear disease (IMED) and for a relationship between the size of the pneuma...

Re-Learning the Traditional Art of Inuit Grass Basket-Making

Science.gov (United States)

Cowan, Cindy

2005-01-01

This paper describes an adult learning project to revitalise the traditional Inuit art of weaving grass baskets. The participants involved in the project, all older women who speak an indigenous first language (Inuktitut) and who have limited experience with formal education, largely on their own initiative, undertook the process of successfully…

On Inuit and Judicial protection in a shared legal order

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jans, J.H.

2012-01-01

A recent decision of the General Court of the European Union (Case T-18/10 Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Others v EP and Council, Order of 6 September 2011) illustrates once again the limited options available to NGOs wishing to contest a decision of the European institutions before the courts. This

Qallunaaliaqtut: Inuit Students' Experiences of Postsecondary Education in the South

Science.gov (United States)

Rodon, Thierry; Lévesque, Francis; Dalseg, Sheena Kennedy

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to learn from the experiences of postsecondary Inuit students from Canada. Through surveys, interviews, and focus groups, we realized that despite the challenges associated with pursuing postsecondary education in the South, most respondents perceived their experience to be positive. Lack of access to sufficient and…

The Importance of Culturally Safe Assessment Tools for Inuit Students

Science.gov (United States)

Stoffer, Jasmin

2017-01-01

There are still no major assessment and diagnostic tools that educators can use to properly assess our Inuit students' learning. Cultural safety as it is currently defined in New Zealand educational research (Macfarlane et al., 2007) is necessary in creating a classroom community that encourages the appreciation of culture and worldview, and…

Socioeconomic and Cultural Correlates of Diet Quality in the Canadian Arctic: Results from the 2007-2008 Inuit Health Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Galloway, Tracey; Johnson-Down, Louise; Egeland, Grace M

2015-09-01

We examined the impact of socioeconomic and cultural factors on dietary quality in adult Inuit living in the Canadian Arctic. Interviews and a 24-h dietary recall were administered to 805 men and 1292 women from Inuit regions in the Canadian Arctic. We examined the effect of age, sex, education, income, employment, and cultural variables on respondents' energy, macronutrient intake, sodium/potassium ratio, and healthy eating index. Logistic regression was used to assess the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on diet quality indicators. Age was positively associated with traditional food (TF) consumption and greater energy from protein but negatively associated with total energy and fibre intake. Associations between SES and diet quality differed considerably between men and women and there was considerable regional variability in diet quality measures. Age and cultural variables were significant predictors of diet quality in logistic regression. Increased age and use of the Inuit language in the home were the most significant predictors of TF consumption. Our findings are consistent with studies reporting a nutrition transition in circumpolar Inuit. We found considerable variability in diet quality and complex interaction between SES and cultural variables producing mixed effects that differ by age and gender.

Adapting to the impacts of climate change on food security among Inuit in the Western Canadian Arctic.

Science.gov (United States)

Wesche, Sonia D; Chan, Hing Man

2010-09-01

This study examined critical impacts of climate change on Inuit diet and nutritional health in four Inuit communities in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Western Arctic, Canada. The first objective was to combine data from community observation studies and dietary interview studies to determine potential climate change impacts on nutritional quality. The second objective was to address the scale of data collection and/or availability to compare local versus regional trends, and identify implications for adaptation planning. Information was compiled from 5 reports (4 community reports and 1 synthesis report) of climate change observations, impacts and adaptations in 12 Inuit communities (2005-2006), and from a dietary report of food use from 18 Inuit communities (1997-2000). Changing access to, availability of, quality of, and ability to use traditional food resources has implications for quality of diet. Nutritional implications of lower traditional food use include likely reductions in iron, zinc, protein, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids, among others. The vulnerability of each community to changing food security is differentially influenced by a range of factors, including current harvesting trends, levels of reliance on individual species, opportunities for access to other traditional food species, and exposure to climate change hazards. Understanding linkages between climate change and traditional food security provides a basis for strengthening adaptive capacity and determining effective adaptation options to respond to future change.

Suicide Among Inuit: Results From a Large, Epidemiologically Representative Follow-Back Study in Nunavut

Science.gov (United States)

Chachamovich, Eduardo; Kirmayer, Laurence J; Haggarty, John M; Cargo, Margaret; McCormick, Rod; Turecki, Gustavo

2015-01-01

Objective: The Inuit population in Canada’s North has suffered from high rates of death by suicide. We report on the first large-scale, controlled, epidemiologically representative study of deaths by suicide in an Indigenous population, which investigates risk factors for suicide among all Inuit across Nunavut who died by suicide during a 4-year period. Methods: We identified all suicides by Inuit (n = 120) that occurred between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2006, in Nunavut. For each subject, we selected a community-matched control subject. We used proxy-based procedures and conducted structured interviews with informants to obtain life histories, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Axis I and II diagnoses, and measures of impulsive and (or) aggressive traits. Results: Compared with control subjects, subjects who died by suicide were more likely to have experienced childhood abuse (OR 2.38; 95% CI 1.39 to 4.08), have family histories of major depressive disorder (P = 0.002) and suicide completion (P = 0.02), and have been affected by major depressive disorder (OR 13.00; 95% CI 6.20 to 27.25), alcohol dependence (OR 2.90; 95% CI 1.59 to 5.24), or cannabis dependence (OR 3.96; 95% CI 2.29 to 6.8) in the last 6 months. In addition, subjects who died by suicide were more likely to have been affected with cluster B personality disorders (OR 10.18; 95% CI 3.34 to 30.80) and had higher scores of impulsive and aggressive traits (P suicide among Inuit are similar to those observed in studies with the general population, and indicate a need for improved access to mental health services. The high rate of mental health problems among control subjects suggests the need for population-level mental health promotion. PMID:26175324

Suicide Among Inuit: Results From a Large, Epidemiologically Representative Follow-Back Study in Nunavut.

Science.gov (United States)

Chachamovich, Eduardo; Kirmayer, Laurence J; Haggarty, John M; Cargo, Margaret; Mccormick, Rod; Turecki, Gustavo

2015-06-01

The Inuit population in Canada's North has suffered from high rates of death by suicide. We report on the first large-scale, controlled, epidemiologically representative study of deaths by suicide in an Indigenous population, which investigates risk factors for suicide among all Inuit across Nunavut who died by suicide during a 4-year period. We identified all suicides by Inuit (n = 120) that occurred between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2006, in Nunavut. For each subject, we selected a community-matched control subject. We used proxy-based procedures and conducted structured interviews with informants to obtain life histories, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Axis I and II diagnoses, and measures of impulsive and (or) aggressive traits. Compared with control subjects, subjects who died by suicide were more likely to have experienced childhood abuse (OR 2.38; 95% CI 1.39 to 4.08), have family histories of major depressive disorder (P = 0.002) and suicide completion (P = 0.02), and have been affected by major depressive disorder (OR 13.00; 95% CI 6.20 to 27.25), alcohol dependence (OR 2.90; 95% CI 1.59 to 5.24), or cannabis dependence (OR 3.96; 95% CI 2.29 to 6.8) in the last 6 months. In addition, subjects who died by suicide were more likely to have been affected with cluster B personality disorders (OR 10.18; 95% CI 3.34 to 30.80) and had higher scores of impulsive and aggressive traits (P Inuit are similar to those observed in studies with the general population, and indicate a need for improved access to mental health services. The high rate of mental health problems among control subjects suggests the need for population-level mental health promotion.

Increased F3-Isoprostanes in the Canadian Inuit Population Could Be Cardioprotective by Limiting F2-Isoprostane Production.

Science.gov (United States)

Alkazemi, Dalal; Jackson, Robert L; Chan, Hing Man; Kubow, Stan

2016-09-01

F3-isoprostanes (F3-IsoPs), derived from peroxidation of eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3), could be cardioprotective by limiting production of F2-isoprostanes (F2-IsoPs), a cardiovascular disease risk factor. The objective of the study was to determine whether the n-3-polyunsaturated (PUFA)-rich Inuit diet is associated with a lower plasma ratio of F2-IsoPs to F3-IsoPs. This was a cross-sectional observational study. The study was conducted in 36 Canadian Arctic Inuit communities. Participants included a random subset (n = 233) of Inuit adults taken from a population-based survey. Plasma F2-IsoPs and F3-IsoPs, cardiometabolic risk factors (blood lipids, C-reactive protein, blood pressure, fasting glucose) and markers of dietary exposure (erythrocyte n-3 and n-6 PUFA, blood levels of Se, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls) were measured. Inuit aged 40 years old and older vs younger Inuit showed higher concentrations of plasma F3-IsoPs and erythrocyte n-3 PUFA and lower plasma F2-IsoPs concentrations despite having higher blood lipids, fasting glucose, systolic blood pressure, and percentage body fat. Plasma F3-IsoPs were not associated with any cardiometabolic measures. When subjects were categorized into tertiles according to total n-3 PUFA erythrocyte concentrations, F3-IsoPs increased with increasing tertiles, whereas the F2-IsoP to F3-IsoP ratio was lowest at the highest n-3 tertile. The F2-IsoP to F3-IsoP ratio was significantly predicted by C20:5n-3 (β= -.365, P = .002); C20:4n-6:C20:5n-3 (β = .056, P = .006), blood mercury (β = -.812, P =.015), blood Se (β = -1.95, P = .015), and smoking (β = .745, P = .025). Plasma F3-IsoPs were not associated with cardiometabolic risk factors previously seen with F2-IsoPs. Higher n-3 fatty acid status was associated with lower plasma F2-IsoPs and higher plasma F3-IsoPs, which provides partial explanation to the cardioprotective effects of the n-3 PUFA-rich Inuit diet.

Associations between vitamin D status and atherosclerosis among Inuit in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gjødesen, Camilla U; Jørgensen, Marit E; Bjerregaard, Peter

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Low levels of vitamin D are suspected to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis among Inuit in Greenland, and to evaluate the association with vitamin D status. We hypo...

Polyunsaturated fatty acids and calcaneal ultrasound parameters among Inuit women from Nuuk (Greenland): a longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Paunescu, Alexandra-Cristina; Ayotte, Pierre; Dewailly, Eric; Dodin, Sylvie; Pedersen, Henning S; Mulvad, Gert; Côté, Suzanne

2013-01-01

The traditional diet of Inuit people comprises large amounts of fish and marine mammals that are rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Results from in vitro studies, laboratory animal experiments and population studies suggest that omega-3 PUFA intake and a high omega-3/omega-6 ratio exert a positive effect on bone health. This longitudinal study was conducted to examine the relationship between omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA status and quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters in Greenlandic Inuit women. The study included 118 Inuit women from Nuuk (Greenland), aged 49-64 years, whose QUS parameters measured at baseline (year 2000), along with PUFA status and covariates, and follow-up QUS measurements 2 years later (year 2002). QUS parameters [speed of sound (SOS); broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA)] were measured at the right calcaneus with a water-bath Lunar Achilles instrument. Omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA contents of erythrocyte membrane phospholipids were measured after transmethylation by gas chromatography coupled with a flame ionization detector. Relationships between QUS parameters and different PUFAs were studied in multiple linear regression models. Increasing values of EPA, DHA and the omega-3/omega-6 PUFA ratio were associated with increased BUA values measured at follow-up (year 2002). These associations were still present in models adjusted for several confounders and covariates. We found little evidence of associations between PUFAs and SOS values. The omega-3 PUFA intake from marine food consumption seems to have a positive effect on bone intrinsic quality and strength, as revealed by higher BUA values in this group of Greenlandic Inuit women.

iNUIT: Internet of Things for Urban Innovation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Carrino

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Internet of Things (IoT seems a viable way to enable the Smart Cities of the future. iNUIT (Internet of Things for Urban Innovation is a multi-year research program that aims to create an ecosystem that exploits the variety of data coming from multiple sensors and connected objects installed on the scale of a city, in order to meet specific needs in terms of development of new services (physical security, resource management, etc.. Among the multiple research activities within iNUIT, we present two projects: SmartCrowd and OpEc. SmartCrowd aims at monitoring the crowd’s movement during large events. It focuses on real-time tracking using sensors available in smartphones and on the use of a crowd simulator to detect possible dangerous scenarios. A proof-of-concept of the application has been tested at the Paléo Festival (Switzerland showing the feasibility of the approach. OpEc (Optimisation de l’Eclairage public aims at using IoT to implement dynamic street light management and control with the goal of reducing street light energy consumption while guaranteeing the same level of security of traditional illumination. The system has been tested during two months in a street in St-Imier (Switzerland without interruption, validating its stability and resulting in an overall energy saving of about 56%.

Dioxin-like compounds are not associated with bone strength measured by ultrasonography in Inuit women from Nunavik (Canada): results of a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Paunescu, Alexandra-Cristina; Ayotte, Pierre; Dewailly, Eric; Dodin, Sylvie

2013-01-01

Bone strength in Inuit people appears lower than that of non-Aboriginals. Inuit are exposed to persistent organic pollutants including dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) through their traditional diet that comprises predatory fish and marine mammal fat. Results from experimental and population studies suggest that some DLCs can alter bone metabolism and increase bone fragility. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted to examine the relationship between the stiffness index (SI) and plasma concentrations of total DLCs or specific dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in Inuit women of Nunavik (Northern Quebec, Canada). SI was determined by ultrasonography at the right calcaneus of 194 Inuit women aged 35-72 years who participated to Qanuippitaa? How Are We? Nunavik Inuit Health Survey in 2004. Plasma total DLC levels were quantified by measuring the aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated transcriptional activity elicited by plasma sample extracts in a cell-based reporter gene assay. Plasma concentrations of DL-PCBs nos. 105, 118, 156, 157, 167 and 189 were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We used multiple linear regression analyses to investigate relations between total DLCs or specific DL-PCBs and SI, taking into consideration several potential confounders. Neither total plasma DLCs nor specific DL-PCBs were associated with SI after adjustment for several confounders and covariates. Our results do not support a relation between exposure to DLCs and bone strength measured by ultrasonography in Inuit women of Nunavik.

Dioxin-like compounds are not associated with bone strength measured by ultrasonography in Inuit women from Nunavik (Canada: results of a cross-sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra-Cristina Paunescu

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Background. Bone strength in Inuit people appears lower than that of non-Aboriginals. Inuit are exposed to persistent organic pollutants including dioxin-like compounds (DLCs through their traditional diet that comprises predatory fish and marine mammal fat. Results from experimental and population studies suggest that some DLCs can alter bone metabolism and increase bone fragility. Objective. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted to examine the relationship between the stiffness index (SI and plasma concentrations of total DLCs or specific dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs in Inuit women of Nunavik (Northern Quebec, Canada. Methods. SI was determined by ultrasonography at the right calcaneus of 194 Inuit women aged 35–72 years who participated to Qanuippitaa? How Are We? Nunavik Inuit Health Survey in 2004. Plasma total DLC levels were quantified by measuring the aryl hydrocarbon receptor–mediated transcriptional activity elicited by plasma sample extracts in a cell-based reporter gene assay. Plasma concentrations of DL-PCBs nos. 105, 118, 156, 157, 167 and 189 were measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. We used multiple linear regression analyses to investigate relations between total DLCs or specific DL-PCBs and SI, taking into consideration several potential confounders. Results. Neither total plasma DLCs nor specific DL-PCBs were associated with SI after adjustment for several confounders and covariates. Conclusion. Our results do not support a relation between exposure to DLCs and bone strength measured by ultrasonography in Inuit women of Nunavik.

A psychological autopsy study of suicide among Inuit in Nunavut: methodological and ethical considerations, feasibility and acceptability.

Science.gov (United States)

Chachamovich, Eduardo; Haggarty, Jack; Cargo, Margaret; Hicks, Jack; Kirmayer, Laurence J; Turecki, Gustavo

2013-01-01

The increasing global prevalence of suicide has made it a major public health concern. Research designed to retrospectively study suicide cases is now being conducted in populations around the world. This field of research is especially crucial in Aboriginal populations, as they often have higher suicide rates than the rest of the country. This article presents the methodological aspects of the first psychological autopsy study on suicide among Inuit in Nunavut. Qaujivallianiq Inuusirijauvalauqtunik (Learning from lives that have been lived) is a large case-control study, including all 120 cases of suicide by Inuit that occurred in Nunavut between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2006. The article describes the research design, ethical considerations and strategies used to adapt the psychological autopsy method to Nunavut Inuit. Specifically, we present local social and cultural issues; data collection procedures; and the acceptability, reliability and validity of the method. A retrospective case-control study using the psychological autopsy approach was carried out in 22 communities in Nunavut. A total of 498 individuals were directly interviewed, and medical and correctional charts were also reviewed. The psychological autopsy method was well received by participants as they appreciated the opportunity to discuss the loss of a family member or friend by suicide. During interviews, informants readily identified symptoms of psychiatric disorders, although culture-specific rather than clinical explanations were sometimes provided. Results suggest that the psychological autopsy method can be effectively used in Inuit populations.

Time trend by region of suicides and suicidal thoughts among Greenland Inuit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard, Peter; Larsen, Christina Viskum Lytken

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Suicides remain a major public health problem in Greenland. Their increase coincides with the modernization since 1950. Serious suicidal thoughts are reported by a significant proportion of participants in countrywide surveys. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the time trend by region of suicides...... and suicidal thoughts among the Inuit in Greenland. DESIGN: Data included the Greenland registry of causes of death for 1970-2011 and 2 cross-sectional health surveys carried out in 1993-1994 and 2005-2010 with 1,580 and 3,102 Inuit participants, respectively. RESULTS: Suicide rates were higher among men than...... women while the prevalence of suicidal thoughts was higher among women. Suicide rates for men and women together increased from 1960 to 1980 and have remained around 100 per 100,000 person-years since then. The regional pattern of time trend for suicide rates varied with an early peak in the capital...

Prevalence of Obesity Among Inuit in Greenland and Temporal Trend by Social Position

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard, Peter; Jørgensen, Marit Eika

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to analyze the temporal trend of obesity among Inuit in Greenland during 1993-2010 according to sex and relative social position. METHODS: Data (N = 5,123) were collected in cross-sectional health surveys among the Inuit in Greenland in 1993-1994, 1999......-2001, and 2005-2010. Sociodemographic information was obtained by interview. Information on obesity (body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference) was obtained by clinical examination and in 1993-1994 by interview. Statistics included multiple linear regression and Univariate General Linear Models. RESULTS......: Among men the prevalence of overweight (BMI 25-29.9) decreased while general obesity (BMI ≥ 30) did not change. Central obesity increased from 16.0% in 1993-1994 to 25.4% in 2005-2010 (P obesity increased. Central obesity increased from 31.3% in 1993-1994 to 54...

Gambling Behavior and Problem Gambling Reflecting Social Transition and Traumatic Childhood Events Among Greenland Inuit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Christina Viskum Lytken; Curtis, Tine; Bjerregaard, Peter

2013-01-01

gambling behavior and problem gambling among Greenland Inuit in relation to the ongoing social transition and traumatic events during childhood. A large representative cross-sectional study was conducted among Greenland Inuit (n = 2,189). Data was collected among adults (18+) in 9 towns and 13 villages...... in Greenland from 2005 to 2010. Problem gambling, gambling behavior and traumatic childhood events were measured through a self-administered questionnaire. The lie/bet screen was used to identify past year and lifetime problem gambling. Social transition was measured as place of residence and a combination...... of residence, education and occupation. The lifetime prevalence of problem gambling was 16 % among men and 10 % among women (p ...

Nutrient intakes, major food sources and dietary inadequacies of Inuit adults living in three remote communities in Nunavut, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, S; Hopping, B N; Roache, C; Sheehy, T

2013-12-01

Inuit in Nunavut, Canada, are currently undergoing a nutritional transition that may contribute to an increased prevalence of chronic disease. Information is lacking about the extent to which contemporary Inuit diets are meeting current dietary recommendations. A culturally appropriate quantitative food frequency questionnaire (QFFQ) developed and validated for Inuit in Nunavut, Canada, was used to assess food and nutrient intake in a cross-sectional sample of adults. Participants included 175 women and 36 men with mean (SD) ages of 42.4 (13.2) and 42.1 (15.0) years, respectively. The response rate for those who completed the study was 79% with 208 QFFQs included for analysis. Reported mean daily energy intakes were: men 15,171 kJ (3626 kcal); women 11,593 kJ (2771 kcal). Dietary inadequacy was expressed as the percentage of participants reporting intakes below the sex- and age-specific estimated average requirements (EARs). For nutrients without EARs, adequate intakes were used. Energy and sodium intakes exceeded the recommendations. Less than 10% of participants met recommendations for dietary fibre intake. Vitamin E intakes were below EARs for ≥97% of participants, whereas >20% reported inadequate vitamin A, folate and magnesium intakes. Among women, >50% reported inadequate calcium and vitamin D intakes. Non-nutrient-dense foods contributed 30% of energy, 73% of sugars and 22% of fat. Traditional foods contributed 56% of protein and 49% of iron. The present study demonstrates a relatively high prevalence of inadequate nutrient intakes among Inuit. The results may be used to monitor the nutrition transition among Inuit, evaluate nutritional interventions, and inform public health policy decision-making. © 2013 The Authors Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics © 2013 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

(13)Carbon and (15)nitrogen isotopes in autopsy liver tissue samples from Greenlandic Inuit and Danes: consumption of marine versus terrestrial food

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Milman, N.; Laursen, J.; Mulvad, G.

2010-01-01

in liver tissue from Greenlandic Inuit and Danes. Subjects/Methods: Normal liver tissue was obtained at autopsy in 1992-1994 from 60 Inuit with a median age of 61 years (range 25-83) and in 1986 from 15 ethnic Danes with a median age of 84 years (range 66-93). By sieving, liver tissue was separated...

First Nations, Metis and Inuit Education Policy Framework. A Progress Report

Science.gov (United States)

Alberta Education, 2004

2004-01-01

The Government of Alberta is committed to enhancing the well-being and educational opportunities of Aboriginal peoples in the province. As part of Ministry commitment to the Government of Alberta's Aboriginal Policy Initiative (API), a key priority is to improve First Nations, Inuit and Metis learner success. In the spring of 1999, a review of the…

First Nations, Metis and Inuit Education Policy Framework: Progress Report, 2008

Science.gov (United States)

Alberta Education, 2008

2008-01-01

This progress report describes the work currently underway toward improving the success of First Nations, Metis and Inuit (FNMI) students in Alberta. It provides an update on the progress made since the release of the Framework in 2002 and the 2004 Progress Report up to December 31, 2007. Since the release of the Framework, a new Ministry of…

Cardiac autonomic activity and blood pressure among Nunavik Inuit adults exposed to environmental mercury: a cross-sectional study

OpenAIRE

Poirier Paul; Dewailly Eric; Valera Beatriz

2008-01-01

Abstract Background Mercury is a contaminant that reaches high levels in Nunavik (North of Quebec). It is transformed into methylmercury (MeHg) and accumulated in marine mammals and predator fish, an important part of the traditional Inuit diet. MeHg has been suggested to affect BP in adults and children while the influence on HRV has only been studied in children. We aimed to assess the impact of MeHg levels on HRV and BP in Inuit adults from Nunavik. Methods In the fall of 2004, the «Qanuip...

Forty Years of Struggle and Still No Right to Inuit Education in Nunavut

Science.gov (United States)

Rasmussen, Derek

2011-01-01

In this article issues related to policy and education in the Canadian Arctic are critically put to question. The focus is on the struggle for Inuit education, language issues, and supporting minority rights, with pragmatic solutions proposed to the problems confronting Nunavut.

The hidden costs: Identification of indirect costs associated with acute gastrointestinal illness in an Inuit community

Science.gov (United States)

Vriezen, Rachael; Edge, Victoria L.; Ford, James; Wood, Michele; Harper, Sherilee

2018-01-01

Background Acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) incidence and per-capita healthcare expenditures are higher in some Inuit communities as compared to elsewhere in Canada. Consequently, there is a demand for strategies that will reduce the individual-level costs of AGI; this will require a comprehensive understanding of the economic costs of AGI. However, given Inuit communities’ unique cultural, economic, and geographic contexts, there is a knowledge gap regarding the context-specific indirect costs of AGI borne by Inuit community members. This study aimed to identify the major indirect costs of AGI, and explore factors associated with these indirect costs, in the Inuit community of Rigolet, Canada, in order to develop a case-based context-specific study framework that can be used to evaluate these costs. Methods A mixed methods study design and community-based methods were used. Qualitative in-depth, group, and case interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify and describe indirect costs of AGI specific to Rigolet. Data from two quantitative cross-sectional retrospective surveys were analyzed using univariable regression models to examine potential associations between predictor variables and the indirect costs. Results/Significance The most notable indirect costs of AGI that should be incorporated into cost-of-illness evaluations were the tangible costs related to missing paid employment and subsistence activities, as well as the intangible costs associated with missing community and cultural events. Seasonal cost variations should also be considered. This study was intended to inform cost-of-illness studies conducted in Rigolet and other similar research settings. These results contribute to a better understanding of the economic impacts of AGI on Rigolet residents, which could be used to help identify priority areas and resource allocation for public health policies and programs. PMID:29768456

Inuit parent perspectives on sexual health communication with adolescent children in Nunavut: "it's kinda hard for me to try to find the words".

Science.gov (United States)

Healey, Gwen

2014-01-01

For Inuit, the family unit has always played a central role in life and in survival. Social changes in Inuit communities have resulted in significant transformations to economic, political and cultural aspects of Inuit society. Where the family unit was once the setting for dialogue on family relations and sexuality, this has largely been replaced by teachings from the medical community and/or the school system. The purpose of this study was to explore Inuit parent perspectives on sharing knowledge with teenage children about sexual health and relationships. A qualitative Indigenous knowledge approach was used for this study with a focus on Inuit ways of knowing as described in the Piliriqattigiinniq Community Health Research Partnership Model. Interviews were conducted with 20 individual parents in 3 Nunavut communities in 2011. Parents were asked about whether and how they talk to their children about sexual health and relationships. An analytical approach building on the concept of Iqqaumaqatigiiniq ("all knowing coming into one"), which is similar to "immersion and crystallization," was used to identify story elements, groupings or themes in the data. The stories shared by parents are honoured, keeping their words intact as often as possible in the presentation of results. Parents shared stories of themselves, family members and observations of the community. Fifteen of 17 mothers in the study reported having experienced sexual abuse as children or adolescents. Parents identified the challenges that they have and continue to experience as a result of forced settlement, family displacement and the transition of Inuit society. They expressed a desire to teach their children about sexual health and relationships and identified the need for emotional support to do this in the wake of the trauma they have experienced. Parents highly valued elders and the knowledge they have about family relationships and childrearing. There are powerful, unresolved healing issues in

Mitochondrial coupling and capacity of oxidative phosphorylation in skeletal muscle of Inuit and Caucasians in the arctic winter.

Science.gov (United States)

Gnaiger, E; Boushel, R; Søndergaard, H; Munch-Andersen, T; Damsgaard, R; Hagen, C; Díez-Sánchez, C; Ara, I; Wright-Paradis, C; Schrauwen, P; Hesselink, M; Calbet, J A L; Christiansen, M; Helge, J W; Saltin, B

2015-12-01

During evolution, mitochondrial DNA haplogroups of arctic populations may have been selected for lower coupling of mitochondrial respiration to ATP production in favor of higher heat production. We show that mitochondrial coupling in skeletal muscle of traditional and westernized Inuit habituating northern Greenland is identical to Danes of western Europe haplogroups. Biochemical coupling efficiency was preserved across variations in diet, muscle fiber type, and uncoupling protein-3 content. Mitochondrial phenotype displayed plasticity in relation to lifestyle and environment. Untrained Inuit and Danes had identical capacities to oxidize fat substrate in arm muscle, which increased in Danes during the 42 days of acclimation to exercise, approaching the higher level of the Inuit hunters. A common pattern emerges of mitochondrial acclimatization and evolutionary adaptation in humans at high latitude and high altitude where economy of locomotion may be optimized by preservation of biochemical coupling efficiency at modest mitochondrial density, when submaximum performance is uncoupled from VO2max and maximum capacities of oxidative phosphorylation. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen as markers of dietary variation among sociocultural subgroups of Inuit in Greenland.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjerregaard, Peter; Larsen, Christina V L; Dahl-Petersen, Inger K; Buchardt, Bjørn

2017-09-10

We assessed the use of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen as biomarkers for traditional versus store-bought food among the Inuit. Furthermore, we compared the isotope patterns among sociocultural population groups. As a part of a country-wide health survey in Greenland during 2005-2010, we analyzed the isotope composition of toenails from 1025 adult Inuit and meat of common species hunted for food. Information on diet and sociocultural variables was collected by interviews. Weighted by sex and place of residence to the total population of Inuit in Greenland, the average δ 13 C value in toenails was -20.2‰ and the δ 15 N value was 12.0‰ which are higher than in a general Danish omnivorous population. Both isotopes were significantly associated with other biomarkers of marine food and with results of a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). The percentage of marine food in the diet was estimated at 21% from the mean δ 13 C value, 25% from the mean δ 15 N value, and 23% from the FFQ. Nail samples for analysis of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were convenient to collect during a large population health survey among the Inuit. Isotope enrichment levels showed statistically significant associations with other biomarkers for consumption of marine food and with results of an FFQ and were used to estimate the percentage of marine food in the diet. Isotope levels were significantly associated with a novel score of sociocultural transition. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen as markers of dietary variation among sociocultural subgroups of Inuit in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard, Peter; Larsen, Christina V L; Dahl-Petersen, Inger K

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the use of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen as biomarkers for traditional versus store-bought food among the Inuit. Furthermore, we compared the isotope patterns among sociocultural population groups. METHODS: As a part of a country-wide health survey in Greenland...... food in the diet was estimated at 21% from the mean δ(13) C value, 25% from the mean δ(15) N value, and 23% from the FFQ. CONCLUSION: Nail samples for analysis of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were convenient to collect during a large population health survey among the Inuit. Isotope...

Inuit parent perspectives on sexual health communication with adolescent children in Nunavut: “It's kinda hard for me to try to find the words”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gwen Healey

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Background: For Inuit, the family unit has always played a central role in life and in survival. Social changes in Inuit communities have resulted in significant transformations to economic, political and cultural aspects of Inuit society. Where the family unit was once the setting for dialogue on family relations and sexuality, this has largely been replaced by teachings from the medical community and/or the school system. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore Inuit parent perspectives on sharing knowledge with teenage children about sexual health and relationships. Method: A qualitative Indigenous knowledge approach was used for this study with a focus on Inuit ways of knowing as described in the Piliriqattigiinniq Community Health Research Partnership Model. Interviews were conducted with 20 individual parents in 3 Nunavut communities in 2011. Parents were asked about whether and how they talk to their children about sexual health and relationships. An analytical approach building on the concept of Iqqaumaqatigiiniq (“all knowing coming into one”, which is similar to “immersion and crystallization,” was used to identify story elements, groupings or themes in the data. The stories shared by parents are honoured, keeping their words intact as often as possible in the presentation of results. Results: Parents shared stories of themselves, family members and observations of the community. Fifteen of 17 mothers in the study reported having experienced sexual abuse as children or adolescents. Parents identified the challenges that they have and continue to experience as a result of forced settlement, family displacement and the transition of Inuit society. They expressed a desire to teach their children about sexual health and relationships and identified the need for emotional support to do this in the wake of the trauma they have experienced. Parents highly valued elders and the knowledge they have about family relationships

Frequent left ventricular hypertrophy independent of blood pressure in 1851 pre-western Inuit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Stig; Kjærgaard, Marie; Jørgensen, Marit Eika

2011-01-01

. METHODS: We evaluated the association between blood pressures and ECG signs of LVH, cardiac auscultation, and symptoms related to heart disease in the recently recovered data from the survey of 1851 Inuit conducted in 1962-1964 in East Greenland. RESULTS: The participation rate was 97%. Among the 812...

Food insecurity, vitamin D insufficiency and respiratory infections among Inuit children.

Science.gov (United States)

Tse, Sze Man; Weiler, Hope; Kovesi, Tom

2016-01-01

Food insecurity, vitamin D deficiency and lower respiratory tract infections are highly prevalent conditions among Inuit children. However, the relationship between these conditions has not been examined in this population. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between food insecurity and severe respiratory infections before age 2 years and health centre visits for a respiratory problem in the past year. We also explored the relationship between serum vitamin D status and respiratory outcomes in this population. We included children aged 3-5 years who participated in a cross-sectional survey of the health of preschool Inuit children in Nunavut, Canada, from 2007 to 2008 (n=388). Parental reports of severe respiratory infections in the first 2 years of life and health care visits in the past 12 months were assessed through a questionnaire. Child and adult food security were assessed separately and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels were measured in a subgroup of participants (n=279). Multivariate logistic regression was performed to assess the association between food security, vitamin D and each of the 2 respiratory outcomes. Child and adult food insecurity measures were not significantly associated with adverse respiratory outcomes. Household crowding [odds ratio (OR)=1.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-2.09, p=0.01 for the child food security model] and higher birth weight (OR=1.21, 95% CI: 1.02-1.43, p=0.03) were associated with reported severe chest infections before age 2 years while increasing age was associated with decreased odds of reported health care visits for a respiratory problem (OR=0.66, 95% CI: 0.48-0.91, p=0.02). Neither vitamin D insufficiency nor deficiency was associated with these respiratory outcomes. Using a large cross-sectional survey of Inuit children, we found that household crowding, but not food security or vitamin D levels, was associated with adverse respiratory outcomes. Further studies are warranted to

Developing and Field Testing a Community Based Youth Initiative to Increase Tuberculosis Awareness in Remote Arctic Inuit Communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez, Gonzalo G; Van Dyk, Deborah D; Colquhoun, Heather; Moreau, Katherine A; Mulpuru, Sunita; Graham, Ian D

2016-01-01

Inuit in Canada have the highest reported tuberculosis (TB) incidence rate in Canada, even higher than other Canadian Indigenous groups. The aim of this study was to increase TB awareness among Inuit youth and their communities by equipping those who can best reach this population with a community based, youth focused, education initiative built on interventions adapted from a previous TB awareness study. The Taima TB Youth Education Initiative was a field test case study of a knowledge translation (KT) strategy aimed at community members who provide health education in these communities. In the first stage of this study, interventions from a larger TB awareness campaign were adapted to focus on youth living in remote Inuit communities. During the second stage of the study, investigators field tested the initiative in two isolated Inuit communities. It was then applied by local implementation teams in two other communities. Evaluation criteria included feasibility, acceptability, knowledge uptake and health behavior change. Implementation of the adapted KT interventions resulted in participation of a total of 41 youth (19 females, 22 males) with an average age of 16 years (range 12-21 years) in four different communities in Nunavut. Community celebration events were attended by 271 community members where TB messaging were presented and discussed. All of the health care workers and community members surveyed reported that the adapted interventions were acceptable and a useful way of learning to some extent. Knowledge uptake measures indicated an average TB knowledge score of 64 out of 100. Local partners in all four communities indicated that they would use the Taima TB Youth Education Initiative again to raise awareness about TB among youth in their communities. The TB awareness interventions adapted for the Taima TB Youth Education Initiative were acceptable to the Inuit communities involved in the study. They resulted in uptake of knowledge among participants

Indoor air quality and risk of severe lower respiratory tract infection in Inuit infants in Baffin Region, Nunavut

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kovesi, T. [Children' s Hospital of Easterrn Ontario, Ottawa, ON (Canada)

2008-07-01

This paper discussed the indoor air quality in the houses of Inuit infants in Nunavut and the health implications. Inuit infants in the Baffin (Qikiqtani) Region of Nunavut have the highest reported rate in the world of severe lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) including bronchiolitis and pneumonia requiring hospitalization. This population also has a high rate of long-term complications after severe LRTI. The houses in the region are small and crowded and tend to be kept warm and humid. Although the homes are heated with low-sulphur Arctic diesel, there is no evidence of leakage from furnaces, as nitrogen dioxide concentrations are low. Houses are generally clean, with very low levels of dust mites and generally low levels of indoor mould. However, indoor smoking is prevalent. According to measured ventilation of indoor carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) concentrations, most houses have ventilation rates below recommended standards. A controlled trial of installing heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) in the homes of the 68 young Inuit children in 3 communities in the Baffin Region has shown that active HRVs can significantly reduce mean indoor CO{sub 2} concentrations and increase occupant comfort. Health outcomes are currently undergoing analysis. 11 refs.

Chronic disease and chronic disease risk factors among First Nations, Inuit and Métis populations of northern Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruce, S G; Riediger, N D; Lix, L M

2014-11-01

Aboriginal populations in northern Canada are experiencing rapid changes in their environments, which may negatively impact on health status. The purpose of our study was to compare chronic conditions and risk factors in northern Aboriginal populations, including First Nations (FN), Inuit and Métis populations, and northern non-Aboriginal populations. Data were from the Canadian Community Health Survey for the period from 2005 to 2008. Weighted multiple logistic regression models tested the association between ethnic groups and health outcomes. Model covariates were age, sex, territory of residence, education and income. Odds ratios (ORs) are reported and a bootstrap method calculated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and p values. Odds of having at least one chronic condition was significantly lower for the Inuit (OR = 0.59; 95% CI: 0.43-0.81) than for non-Aboriginal population, but similar among FN, Métis and non-Aboriginal populations. Prevalence of many risk factors was significantly different for Inuit, FN and Métis populations. Aboriginal populations in Canada's north have heterogeneous health status. Continued chronic disease and risk factor surveillance will be important to monitor changes over time and to evaluate the impact of public health interventions.

Water quality and Inuit health: an examination of drinking water consumption, perceptions, and contamination in Rigolet, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Carlee

2017-01-01

Canadian Inuit have often reported concerns about the quality of their municipal drinking water; research has also shown that some Inuit communities experience some of the highest incidence rates of self-reported acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) in Canada and globally. The goal of this thesis research was to investigate drinking water perceptions and consumption patterns, as well as water contamination and potential associations with AGI in the Inuit community of Rigolet, Canada. Three census cross-sectional surveys captured data on AGI, drinking water, and water storage (2012-2014); additionally, bacterial contamination of household drinking water was assessed alongside the 2014 survey. Concerns regarding the taste, smell, and colour of tap water were associated with lower odds of consuming tap water. The use of transfer devices (i.e. small bowls or measuring cups) was associated with household water contamination; while no water-related risk factors for AGI were identified, incidence of AGI was high compared with southern Canada. This thesis research provides a valuable contribution to the limited literature assessing drinking water and health in the Arctic. Ultimately, this work is intended to inform safe water management practices, as well as contextually appropriate drinking water interventions, risk assessments, and public health messaging in the Canadian Arctic.

Environmental exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and placental CYP1A1 activity in Inuit women from northern Québec.

OpenAIRE

Pereg, Daria; Dewailly, Eric; Poirier, Guy G; Ayotte, Pierre

2002-01-01

Some polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners are CYP1A1 inducers, and induction of this enzyme in the placenta has been linked to adverse effects on fetal development. The objective of this study was to determine if the body burden of PCBs is related to placental CYP1A1 activity in Inuit women from Nunavik (northern Québec), a population highly exposed to organochlorines. Placenta and cord blood samples were obtained from 35 Inuit women and 30 women from a southern Québec community exposed t...

DNA evidence of bowhead whale exploitation by Greenlandic Paleo-Inuit 4,000 years ago

Science.gov (United States)

Seersholm, Frederik Valeur; Pedersen, Mikkel Winther; Søe, Martin Jensen; Shokry, Hussein; Mak, Sarah Siu Tze; Ruter, Anthony; Raghavan, Maanasa; Fitzhugh, William; Kjær, Kurt H.; Willerslev, Eske; Meldgaard, Morten; Kapel, Christian M. O.; Hansen, Anders Johannes

2016-11-01

The demographic history of Greenland is characterized by recurrent migrations and extinctions since the first humans arrived 4,500 years ago. Our current understanding of these extinct cultures relies primarily on preserved fossils found in their archaeological deposits, which hold valuable information on past subsistence practices. However, some exploited taxa, though economically important, comprise only a small fraction of these sub-fossil assemblages. Here we reconstruct a comprehensive record of past subsistence economies in Greenland by sequencing ancient DNA from four well-described midden deposits. Our results confirm that the species found in the fossil record, like harp seal and ringed seal, were a vital part of Inuit subsistence, but also add a new dimension with evidence that caribou, walrus and whale species played a more prominent role for the survival of Paleo-Inuit cultures than previously reported. Most notably, we report evidence of bowhead whale exploitation by the Saqqaq culture 4,000 years ago.

Health professionals working with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis consensus guideline.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Don; de la Ronde, Sandra; Brascoupé, Simon; Apale, Alisha Nicole; Barney, Lucy; Guthrie, Bing; Harrold, Elizabeth; Horn, Ojistoh; Johnson, Robin; Rattray, Darrien; Robinson, Nicole; Alainga-Kango, Natsiq; Becker, Gisela; Senikas, Vyta; Aningmiuq, Annie; Bailey, Geri; Birch, Darlene; Cook, Katsi; Danforth, Jessica; Daoust, Mary; Kitty, Darlene; Koebel, Jaime; Kornelsen, Judith; Tsatsa Kotwas, Ndakaitedzva; Lawrence, Audrey; Mudry, Amanda; Senikas, Vyta; Turner, Gail Theresa; Van Wagner, Vicki; Vides, Eduardo; Wasekeesikaw, Fjola Hart; Wolfe, Sara

2013-06-01

Our aim is to provide health care professionals in Canada with the knowledge and tools to provide culturally safe care to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis women and through them, to their families, in order to improve the health of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. Published literature was retrieved through searches of PubMed, CINAHL, Sociological Abstracts, and The Cochrane Library in 2011 using appropriate controlled vocabulary (e.g.,cultural competency, health services, indigenous, transcultural nursing) and key words (e.g., indigenous health services, transcultural health care, cultural safety). Targeted searches on subtopics (e.g., ceremonial rites and sexual coming of age) were also performed. The PubMed search was restricted to the years 2005 and later because of the large number of records retrieved on this topic. Searches were updated on a regular basis and incorporated in the guideline to May 2012. Grey (unpublished) literature was identified through searching the websites of selected related agencies (e.g., Campbell Collaboration, Social Care Online, Institute for Healthcare Improvement). The quality of evidence in this document was rated using the criteria described in the Report of the Canadian Task force on Preventive Health Care (Table).

Harmful alcohol use and frequent use of marijuana among lifetime problem gamblers and the prevalence of cross-addictive behaviour among Greenland Inuit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Christina Viskum Lytken; Curtis, Tine; Bjerregaard, Peter

2013-01-01

Public health research has pointed to alcohol and substance abuse as the most significant public health challenges in Greenland with the negative impact on families and communities that entail, but few studies have investigated the role of problem gambling as addictive behaviour among Inuit. The ....... The objectives of the present study were to investigate (a) the association between lifetime problem gambling and harmful alcohol use as well as frequent use of marijuana and (b) the prevalence of cross-addictive behaviour among Greenland Inuit....

From Cultural Deprivation to Individual Deficits: A Genealogy of Deficiency in Inuit Adult Education

Science.gov (United States)

McLean, Scott

2016-01-01

Adult education programs are often grounded in problematic assumptions about learners' inadequacies. The purpose of this article is to critique such assumptions through presenting a history of the manner in which representatives of Canadian governments conceptualized the education of Inuit adults from the 1940s through the 1980s. Using…

"Urban-Rural" Dynamics and Indigenous Urbanization: The Case of Inuit Language Use in Ottawa

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick, Donna; Budach, Gabriele

2014-01-01

The establishment of cities in Canada has played a pivotal role in the displacement, dispossession, and marginalization of Indigenous peoples. Yet, more than half of the Indigenous population now resides in cities, and urbanization continues to increase. This paper addresses a specific aspect of Inuit mobility--namely, migration and the dynamic…

Obesity and central fat pattern among Greenland Inuit and a general population of Denmark (Inter99)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, M E; Glümer, C; Bjerregaard, P

2003-01-01

pressure, triglyceride, and higher levels of HDL cholesterol than the Danish participants at any given level of obesity. Fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels within obesity categories were not different in the two populations. Adjustment for physical activity, smoking, school education, and alcohol......OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the obesity observed among the Inuit of Greenland and in a general Danish population was associated with the same degree of metabolic disturbances. DESIGN: Comparison of data from two population-based cross-sectional surveys conducted in 1999-2001. SUBJECTS...... received a standard 75 g OGTT. s-Triglyceride, s-HDL cholesterol, fasting and 2 h p-glucose and s-insulin were analysed. Blood pressure was measured. Information on lifestyle factors was obtained by a questionnaire and interview. RESULTS: The Inuit had lower levels of 2-h glucose and insulin, blood...

Food insecurity, vitamin D insufficiency and respiratory infections among Inuit children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sze Man Tse

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Food insecurity, vitamin D deficiency and lower respiratory tract infections are highly prevalent conditions among Inuit children. However, the relationship between these conditions has not been examined in this population. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between food insecurity and severe respiratory infections before age 2 years and health centre visits for a respiratory problem in the past year. We also explored the relationship between serum vitamin D status and respiratory outcomes in this population. Design: We included children aged 3–5 years who participated in a cross-sectional survey of the health of preschool Inuit children in Nunavut, Canada, from 2007 to 2008 (n=388. Parental reports of severe respiratory infections in the first 2 years of life and health care visits in the past 12 months were assessed through a questionnaire. Child and adult food security were assessed separately and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels were measured in a subgroup of participants (n=279. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to assess the association between food security, vitamin D and each of the 2 respiratory outcomes. Results: Child and adult food insecurity measures were not significantly associated with adverse respiratory outcomes. Household crowding [odds ratio (OR=1.51, 95% confidence interval (CI 1.09–2.09, p=0.01 for the child food security model] and higher birth weight (OR=1.21, 95% CI: 1.02–1.43, p=0.03 were associated with reported severe chest infections before age 2 years while increasing age was associated with decreased odds of reported health care visits for a respiratory problem (OR=0.66, 95% CI: 0.48–0.91, p=0.02. Neither vitamin D insufficiency nor deficiency was associated with these respiratory outcomes. Conclusions: Using a large cross-sectional survey of Inuit children, we found that household crowding, but not food security or vitamin D levels, was

Kivalliq Inuit Centre boarding home and the provision of prenatal education.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawford, Karen M; Giles, Audrey R

2016-01-01

The Kivalliq Inuit Centre (KIC), a boarding home in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is unique in its provision of a pilot prenatal education class and public health nursing services for Nunavummiut who are beneficiaries of the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement. Through a critical review of literature, policies and interviews related to evacuation for birth, we argue that the pilot at the KIC has the potential to play an important role in improving maternal child health for residents of Nunavut.

Human papillomavirus variants among Inuit women in northern Quebec, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Gauthier, Barbara; Coutlée, Francois; Franco, Eduardo L; Brassard, Paul

2015-01-01

Inuit communities in northern Quebec have high rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, cervical cancer and cervical cancer-related mortality as compared to the Canadian population. HPV types can be further classified as intratypic variants based on the extent of homology in their nucleotide sequences. There is limited information on the distribution of intratypic variants in circumpolar areas. Our goal was to describe the HPV intratypic variants and associated baseline characteristics. We collected cervical cell samples in 2002-2006 from 676 Inuit women between the ages of 15 and 69 years in Nunavik. DNA isolates from high-risk HPVs were sequenced to determine the intratypic variant. There were 149 women that were positive for HPVs 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 45, 52, 56 or 58 during follow-up. There were 5 different HPV16 variants, all of European lineage, among the 57 women positive for this type. There were 8 different variants of HPV18 present and all were of European lineage (n=21). The majority of samples of HPV31 (n=52) were of lineage B. The number of isolates and diversity of the other HPV types was low. Age was the only covariate associated with HPV16 variant category. These frequencies are similar to what was seen in another circumpolar region of Canada, although there appears to be less diversity as only European variants were detected. This study shows that most variants were clustered in one lineage for each HPV type.

"Symptoms of something all around us": Mental health, Inuit culture, and criminal justice in Arctic communities in Nunavut, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrazzi, Priscilla; Krupa, Terry

2016-09-01

Rehabilitation-oriented criminal court mental health initiatives to reduce the number of people with mental illness caught in the criminal justice system exist in many North American cities and elsewhere but not in the mainly Inuit Canadian Arctic territory of Nunavut. This study explores whether the therapeutic aims of these resource-intensive, mainly urban initiatives can be achieved in criminal courts in Nunavut's resource constrained, culturally distinct and geographically remote communities. A qualitative multiple-case study in the communities of Iqaluit, Arviat and Qikiqtarjuaq involved 55 semi-structured interviews and three focus groups with participants representing four sectors essential to these initiatives: justice, health, community organizations and community members. These interviews explored whether the therapeutic jurisprudence (TJ) principles that guide criminal court mental health initiatives and the component objectives of these principles could be used to improve the criminal court response to people with mental illness in Nunavut. Interviews revealed 13 themes reflecting perceptions of Inuit culture's influence on the identification of people with mental illness, treatment, and collaboration between the court and others. These themes include cultural differences in defining mental illness, differences in traditional and contemporary treatment models, and the importance of mutual cultural respect. The findings suggest Inuit culture, including its recent history of cultural disruption and change, affects the vulnerability of Nunavut communities to the potential moral and legal pitfalls associated with TJ and criminal court mental health initiatives. These pitfalls include the dominance of biomedical approaches when identifying a target population, the medicalization of behaviour and culture, the risk of "paternalism" in therapeutic interventions, and shortcomings in interdisciplinary collaboration that limit considerations of Inuit culture. The

Common low-density lipoprotein receptor p.G116S variant has a large effect on plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in circumpolar inuit populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Dubé, Joseph B; Wang, Jian; Cao, Henian; McIntyre, Adam D; Johansen, Christopher T; Hopkins, Scarlett E; Stringer, Randa; Hosseinzadeh, Siyavash; Kennedy, Brooke A; Ban, Matthew R; Young, T Kue; Connelly, Philip W; Dewailly, Eric; Bjerregaard, Peter; Boyer, Bert B; Hegele, Robert A

2015-02-01

Inuit are considered to be vulnerable to cardiovascular disease because their lifestyles are becoming more Westernized. During sequence analysis of Inuit individuals at extremes of lipid traits, we identified 2 nonsynonymous variants in low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), namely p.G116S and p.R730W. Genotyping these variants in 3324 Inuit from Alaska, Canada, and Greenland showed they were common, with allele frequencies 10% to 15%. Only p.G116S was associated with dyslipidemia: the increase in LDL cholesterol was 0.54 mmol/L (20.9 mg/dL) per allele (P=5.6×10(-49)), which was >3× larger than the largest effect sizes seen with other common variants in other populations. Carriers of p.G116S had a 3.02-fold increased risk of hypercholesterolemia (95% confidence interval, 2.34-3.90; P=1.7×10(-17)), but did not have classical familial hypercholesterolemia. In vitro, p.G116S showed 60% reduced ligand-binding activity compared with wild-type receptor. In contrast, p.R730W was associated with neither LDL cholesterol level nor altered in vitro activity. LDLR p.G116S is thus unique: a common dysfunctional variant in Inuit whose large effect on LDL cholesterol may have public health implications. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Association between individual-level and community-level socio-economic status and blood pressure among Inuit in Greenland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mylène Riva

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Despite abundant evidence that socio-economic status (SES is a fundamental determinant of health, there is a dearth of research examining association between SES, measured at the individual and community levels, and cardiovascular risk factors and morbidity among indigenous populations. Objectives: To examine the influence of individual-level and community-level SES on systolic and diastolic blood pressure among Greenlandic Inuit. Methods: Multilevel analysis of cross-sectional data from the Inuit Health in Transition – Greenland Survey, to which 3,108 Greenlandic Inuit aged 18 years and older participated. Blood pressure is measured using an automatic device, according to standardized protocol. Individual SES is measured by education. Community socio-economic conditions are measured using combined information on average disposable household income and settlement type. Results: Education was not significantly associated with blood pressure. There was an inverse U-shape association between community socio-economic conditions and blood pressure with significantly lower SBP and DBP among participants living in remote traditional villages characterized by lower average disposable household income and in affluent more urbanized towns. Sex-stratified analyses demonstrate the salience of community conditions for men. Conclusions: The association observed between blood pressure and community-level socio-economic conditions suggests that public health and social policies, programmes and interventions aiming to improve living conditions might improve cardiovascular health in Greenland. Studies are required to further examine social gradients in cardiovascular risk factors and morbidity among indigenous populations using different measures of SES.

Association between individual-level and community-level socio-economic status and blood pressure among Inuit in Greenland.

Science.gov (United States)

Riva, Mylène; Larsen, Christina Viskum Lytken; Bjerregaard, Peter

2016-01-01

Despite abundant evidence that socio-economic status (SES) is a fundamental determinant of health, there is a dearth of research examining association between SES, measured at the individual and community levels, and cardiovascular risk factors and morbidity among indigenous populations. To examine the influence of individual-level and community-level SES on systolic and diastolic blood pressure among Greenlandic Inuit. Multilevel analysis of cross-sectional data from the Inuit Health in Transition - Greenland Survey, to which 3,108 Greenlandic Inuit aged 18 years and older participated. Blood pressure is measured using an automatic device, according to standardized protocol. Individual SES is measured by education. Community socio-economic conditions are measured using combined information on average disposable household income and settlement type. Education was not significantly associated with blood pressure. There was an inverse U-shape association between community socio-economic conditions and blood pressure with significantly lower SBP and DBP among participants living in remote traditional villages characterized by lower average disposable household income and in affluent more urbanized towns. Sex-stratified analyses demonstrate the salience of community conditions for men. The association observed between blood pressure and community-level socio-economic conditions suggests that public health and social policies, programmes and interventions aiming to improve living conditions might improve cardiovascular health in Greenland. Studies are required to further examine social gradients in cardiovascular risk factors and morbidity among indigenous populations using different measures of SES.

Associations between Vitamin D Status and Type 2 Diabetes Measures among Inuit in Greenland May Be Affected by Other Factors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nina O Nielsen

Full Text Available Epidemiological studies have provided evidence of an association between vitamin D insufficiency and type 2 diabetes. Vitamin D levels have decreased among Inuit in Greenland, and type 2 diabetes is increasing. We hypothesized that the decline in vitamin D could have contributed to the increase in type 2 diabetes, and therefore investigated associations between serum 25(OHD3 as a measure of vitamin D status and glucose homeostasis and glucose intolerance in an adult Inuit population.2877 Inuit (≥18 years randomly selected for participation in the Inuit Health in Transition study were included. Fasting- and 2hour plasma glucose and insulin, C-peptide and HbA1c were measured, and associations with serum 25(OHD3 were analysed using linear and logistic regression. A subsample of 330 individuals who also donated a blood sample in 1987, were furthermore included.After adjustment, increasing serum 25(OHD3 (per 10 nmol/L was associated with higher fasting plasma glucose (0.02 mmol/L, p = 0.004, 2hour plasma glucose (0.05 nmol/L, p = 0.002 and HbA1c (0.39%, p<0.001, and with lower beta-cell function (-1.00 mmol/L, p<0.001. Serum 25(OHD3 was positively associated with impaired fasting glycaemia (OR: 1.08, p = 0.001, but not with IGT or type 2 diabetes.Our results did not support an association between low vitamin D levels and risk of type 2 diabetes. Instead, we found weak positive associations between vitamin D levels and fasting- and 2hour plasma glucose levels, HbA1c and impaired fasting glycaemia, and a negative association with beta-cell function, underlining the need for determination of the causal relationship.

Plasma organochlorine concentrations and bone ultrasound measurements: a cross-sectional study in peri-and postmenopausal Inuit women from Greenland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mulvad Gert

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Inuit women are highly exposed through their traditional seafood based diet to organochlorine compounds, some of them displaying endocrine disrupting properties. We hypothesized that this exposure might be related to bone characteristics that are altered in osteoporosis, because hormone deficiency is a known risk factor for the disease. Methods We measured quantitative ultrasound parameters (QUS at the right calcaneum of 153 peri- and postmenopausal Inuit women (49–64 year old from Nuuk, Greenland, and investigated the relation between these parameters and plasma organochlorine concentrations. We used high-resolution gas chromatography with electron capture detection to analyze plasma samples for 14 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB congeners and 11 chlorinated pesticides and metabolites. We analysed morning urine samples for cadmium, a potential confounder, by atomic absorption spectrometry. We used a validated questionnaire to document dietary and lifestyle habits as well as reproductive and medical histories. Results Concentrations of PCB 153, a surrogate of exposure to most organochlorines present in plasma samples, were inversely correlated to QUS parameters in univariate analyses (p 2 = 0.39; p Conclusion Overall we found little evidence that organochlorines exposure is related to osteoporosis in Greenlandic Inuit women, but the hypothesis that exposure to dioxin-like compounds might be linked to decreased bone quality and osteoporosis deserves further attention.

Exposure of Inuit in Greenland to organochlorines through the marine diet

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard, P; Dewailly, E; Ayotte, P

2001-01-01

statistically significant positive associations with age, marine diet, and male sex in multiple linear regression analyses. The exceptionally high plasma concentrations of several organochlorines among the Inuit of Greenland are attributed to a lifelong high intake of seafood, in particular marine mammals....... Concentrations of PCB adjusted for the consumption of marine food increased until approximately 40 yr of age, which is equivalent to the birth cohorts of the early 1950s. The age pattern indicates that bioaccumulation of PCB started in the 1950s, which is a likely date for the introduction of the compounds...

Dioxin-like activities in serum across European and Inuit populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Long, Manhai; Andersen, Birgitte S; Lindh, Christian H

2006-01-01

Background: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated dibenzo--dioxins/furans, polychlorinatedbiphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides can cause a series of adverse effects on e.g. reproduction in animals andhumans, many of which involve the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ah......,p'-DDE).Methods: The study included 338 males from Greenland (Inuit's), Sweden, Warsaw (Poland) and Kharkiv (Ukraine). TheAhR transactivity of serum extracts alone (AhRag) and competitive AhR activity (AhRcomp) upon co-exposure with2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) were determined in the lipophilic serum fraction...

A decade of research in Inuit children, youth, and maternal health in Canada: areas of concentrations and scarcities

Science.gov (United States)

Sheppard, Amanda J.; Hetherington, Ross

2012-01-01

Inuit Canadians are on average about 20 years younger and have a 10-year lower life expectancy than other Canadians. While there have been improvements in Inuit health status over time, significant health disparities still remain. This paper will review the peer-reviewed literature related to Inuit child, youth, and maternal health between 2000 and 2010, investigate which thematic areas were examined, and determine what proportion of the research is related to each group. Establishing areas of research concentrations and scarcities may help direct future research where it is needed. We followed a systematic literature review and employed peer-reviewed research literature on child, youth, and maternal health which were selected from 3 sources, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and the Circumpolar Health Bibliographic Database. The resulting references were read, and summarized according to population group and thematic area. The thematic areas that emerged by frequency were: infectious disease; environment/environmental exposures; nutrition; birth outcomes; tobacco; chronic disease; health care; policy, human resources; interventions/programming; social determinants of health; mental health and wellbeing; genetics; injury; and dental health. The 72 papers that met the inclusion criteria were not mutually exclusive with respect to group studied. Fifty-nine papers (82%) concerned child health, 24 papers (33%) youth health, and 58 papers (81%) maternal health. The review documented high incidences of illness and significant public health problems; however, in the context of these issues, opportunities to develop research that could directly enhance health outcomes are explored. PMID:22868191

Mitochondrial coupling and capacity of oxidative phosphorylation in skeletal muscle of Inuit and Caucasians in the arctic winter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gnaiger, E; Boushel, R; Søndergaard, H

2015-01-01

northern Greenland is identical to Danes of western Europe haplogroups. Biochemical coupling efficiency was preserved across variations in diet, muscle fiber type, and uncoupling protein-3 content. Mitochondrial phenotype displayed plasticity in relation to lifestyle and environment. Untrained Inuit...

Socioeconomic indicators and frequency of traditional food, junk food, and fruit and vegetable consumption amongst Inuit adults in the Canadian Arctic.

Science.gov (United States)

Hopping, B N; Erber, E; Mead, E; Sheehy, T; Roache, C; Sharma, S

2010-10-01

Increasing consumption of non-nutrient-dense foods (NNDF), decreasing consumption of traditional foods (TF) and low consumption of fruit and vegetables (FV) may contribute to increasing chronic disease rates amongst Inuit. The present study aimed to assess the daily frequency and socioeconomic and demographic factors influencing consumption of TF, FV and NNDF amongst Inuit adults in Nunavut, Canada. Using a cross-sectional study design and random household sampling in three communities in Nunavut, a food frequency questionnaire developed for the population was used to assess frequency of NNDF, TF and FV consumption amongst Inuit adults. Socioeconomic status (SES) was assessed by education level, ownership of items in working condition, and whether or not people in the household were employed or on income support. Mean frequencies of daily consumption were compared across gender and age groups, and associations with socioeconomic indicators were analysed using logistic regression. Two hundred and eleven participants (36 men, 175 women; mean (standard deviation) ages 42.1 (15.0) and 42.2 (13.2) years, respectively; response rate 69-93%) completed the study. Mean frequencies of consumption for NNDF, TF and FV were 6.3, 1.9 and 1.6 times per day, respectively. On average, participants ≤50 years consumed NNDF (P=0.003) and FV (P=0.01) more frequently and TF (P=0.01) less frequently than participants >50 years. Education was positively associated with FV consumption and negatively associated with TF consumption. Households on income support were more likely to consume TF and NNDF. These results support the hypothesis that the nutrition transition taking place amongst Inuit in Nunavut results in elevated consumption of NNDF compared with TF and FV. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

A Healing Space: The Experiences of First Nations and Inuit Youth with Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL)

Science.gov (United States)

Dell, Colleen Anne; Chalmers, Darlene; Bresette, Nora; Swain, Sue; Rankin, Deb; Hopkins, Carol

2011-01-01

The Nimkee NupiGawagan Healing Centre (NNHC) in Muncey, ON provides residential treatment to First Nations and Inuit youth who abuse solvents. As a complement to its culture-based programming, in 2008 the centre began offering weekly equine-assisted learning (EAL) curriculum to its clients in partnership with the Keystone Equine Centre and the…

Impacts of decline harvest of country food on nutrient intake among Inuit in Arctic Canada: impact of climate change and possible adaptation plan.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosol, Renata; Powell-Hellyer, Stephanie; Chan, Hing Man

2016-01-01

The pervasive food insecurity and the diet transition away from local, nutrient-rich country foods present a public health challenge among Inuit living in the Canadian Arctic. While environmental factors such as climate change decreased the accessibility and availability of many country food species, new species were introduced into regions where they were previously unavailable. An adaptation such as turning to alternate country food species can be a viable solution to substitute for the nutrients provided by the declined food species. The objective of this study was to estimate the impact on nutrient intake using hypothetical scenarios that current commonly harvested country foods were reduced by 50%, and were replaced with alternate or new species. Data collected during the 2007-2008 Inuit Health Survey from 36 Canadian Arctic communities spanning Nunavut, the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and Nunatsiavut were used. A 50% decline in consumption of fish, whale, ringed seals and birds (the food that was reported to be in decline) resulted in a significant decrease in essential nutrient intake. Possible substitute foods were identified but some nutrients such as zinc and especially vitamin D were most often found lacking in the alternative diet. If the alternative species are not available or feasible, more expensive and less nutritionally dense store-bought foods may be sought. Given the superior quality of country foods and their association with food security, and Inuit cultural health and personal identity, developing skills and awareness for adaptation, promoting regional sharing networks, forming a co-management agency and continuing nutritional monitoring may potentially preserve the nutritional integrity of Inuit diet, and in turn their health and cultural survival.

Impacts of decline harvest of country food on nutrient intake among Inuit in Arctic Canada: impact of climate change and possible adaptation plan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renata Rosol

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Background: The pervasive food insecurity and the diet transition away from local, nutrient-rich country foods present a public health challenge among Inuit living in the Canadian Arctic. While environmental factors such as climate change decreased the accessibility and availability of many country food species, new species were introduced into regions where they were previously unavailable. An adaptation such as turning to alternate country food species can be a viable solution to substitute for the nutrients provided by the declined food species. The objective of this study was to estimate the impact on nutrient intake using hypothetical scenarios that current commonly harvested country foods were reduced by 50%, and were replaced with alternate or new species. Methods: Data collected during the 2007–2008 Inuit Health Survey from 36 Canadian Arctic communities spanning Nunavut, the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and Nunatsiavut were used. Results: A 50% decline in consumption of fish, whale, ringed seals and birds (the food that was reported to be in decline resulted in a significant decrease in essential nutrient intake. Possible substitute foods were identified but some nutrients such as zinc and especially vitamin D were most often found lacking in the alternative diet. Conclusions: If the alternative species are not available or feasible, more expensive and less nutritionally dense store-bought foods may be sought. Given the superior quality of country foods and their association with food security, and Inuit cultural health and personal identity, developing skills and awareness for adaptation, promoting regional sharing networks, forming a co-management agency and continuing nutritional monitoring may potentially preserve the nutritional integrity of Inuit diet, and in turn their health and cultural survival.

Translational research to reduce trans-fat intakes in Northern Québec (Nunavik Inuit communities: a success story?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Émilie Counil

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Following our results, based on population studies conducted in Greenland and Northern Canada, that Nunavik Inuit were thrice as highly exposed to dietary trans-fat as were Greenlandic Inuit, and that the biological levels found in Nunavik were already associated with deleterious blood lipid profiles, we decided to engage in translational activities. Our goal was to support Inuit communities in the practical implementation of a reduction of the trans-fat content of food sold in Nunavik. We carried out a preliminary feasibility study in Kuujjuaq and participated in several meetings. This translational phase involved an Inuk leader, an Inuk student, a southern student, a southern nutritionist and a southern researcher in the framework of a public health project. In the present article, we recount the different phases of the process, from research implementation to results dissemination and institutional commitment to implement a primary prevention program of reduction in trans-fat exposure in Nunavik. This is the occasion to draw broader conclusions on the factors that could either act in favour of or, on the contrary, would likely compromise the implementation of primary prevention interventions dealing with food and nutrition in the Arctic. Finally, we share some reflections on future translational activities dealing with trans-fat as well as other junk food issues. The analytical framework we propose integrates a range of factors, from geo-climatic to socio-economic, ethno-cultural, and even political, that we think should be examined while identifying and building preventive recommendations and strategies related to the Northern diet.

High protein and cholesterol intakes associated with emergence of glucose intolerance in a low-risk Canadian Inuit population.

Science.gov (United States)

Sefidbakht, Saghar; Johnson-Down, Louise; Young, T Kue; Egeland, Grace M

2016-07-01

The rate of type 2 diabetes mellitus among Inuit is 12·2 % in individuals over 50 years of age, similar to the Canadian prevalence. Given marked dietary transitions in the Arctic, we evaluated the dietary and other correlates of not previously diagnosed glucose intolerance, defined as type 2 diabetes mellitus, impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance. Cross-sectional analyses were limited to adults with a completed 2 h oral glucose tolerance test and without pre-existing diabetes. Anthropometric assessments, health and medication usage questionnaires and a 24 h dietary recall were administered. Canadian International Polar Year Inuit Health Survey (2007-2008). Inuit adults (n 777). Glucose intolerance was associated with older age and adiposity. Percentage of energy from protein above the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range of 35 %, compared with intake within the range, was associated with increased odds of glucose intolerance (OR=1·98; 95 % CI 1·09, 3·61) in multivariable analyses. Further, cholesterol intake in the highest three quartiles combined (median exposures of 207, 416 and 778 mg/d, respectively) compared with the lowest quartile (median intake of 81 mg/d) was associated with glucose intolerance (OR=2·15; 95 % CI 1·23, 3·78) in multivariable analyses. Past-day traditional food consumption was borderline protective of glucose intolerance (P=0·054) and high fibre intake was not significantly protective (P=0·08). The results contribute to the existing literature on high protein and cholesterol intakes as they may relate to diabetes risk.

mtDNA from hair and nail clarifies the genetic relationship of the 15th century Qilakitsoq Inuit mummies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gilbert, M Thomas P; Djurhuus, Durita; Melchior, Linea

2007-01-01

The 15th century Inuit mummies excavated at Qilakitsoq in Greenland in 1978 were exceptionally well preserved and represent the largest find of naturally mummified specimens from the Arctic. The estimated ages of the individuals, their distribution between two adjacent graves, the results of tiss...

"She Can Bother Me, and that's because She Cares": What Inuit Students Say about Teaching and Their Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Lewthwaite, Brian; McMillan, Barbara

2010-01-01

In this study, we have investigated, through interviews, conversations, questionnaires, and observations, perceptions of learning success of northern Qikiqtani (Baffin Island) of Nunavut Inuit middle years (grades 5-8) students and the classroom pedagogy influencing their success, in particular their learning in science. Most of the processes…

Mental symptoms and comorbid behaviours among Inuit in Greenland: the role of household crowding and household social structure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Riva, Mylène; Larsen, Christina Viskum Lytken; Bjerregaard, Peter

on 3108 Inuit aged 18 years and older are from the Inuit Health in Transition Survey. Dependent variables considered were: feelings of depression and of anxiety; binge drinking; harmful drinking; and use of marijuana. Household crowding was measured by the number of people in the house, and the social...... with higher risk of reporting feeling anxious (OR: 1.05; 95%CI: 1.00-1.09) or depressed (OR: 1.05; 95%CI: 1.02-1.09), but with lower risks of heavy drinking (OR: 0.89; 95%CI: 0.82-0.98), use of marijuana (OR: 0.85; 95%CI: 0.77-0.94), and marginally (p... marijuana (OR: 1.34; 95%CI: 0.98-1.81), but not of harmful drinking, were significantly higher in households composed only of adults. Although similar patterns of associations are observed, household crowding and the social structure of the household appear to influence women’s mental symptoms and comorbid...

L1 and L2 in the Education of Inuit Children in Northern Quebec: Abilities and Perceptions.

Science.gov (United States)

Spada, Nina; Lightbown, Patsy M.

2002-01-01

Observed primary and secondary classrooms in which students received instruction in their second language (L2), interviewed teachers about students' knowledge and use of the first language and second language, and examined the students' ability to understand and produce written and oral samples in their L2. Students were Inuits in Northern Quebec…

Climate change influences on environment as a determinant of Indigenous health: Relationships to place, sea ice, and health in an Inuit community.

Science.gov (United States)

Durkalec, Agata; Furgal, Chris; Skinner, Mark W; Sheldon, Tom

2015-07-01

This paper contributes to the literature on Indigenous health, human dimensions of climate change, and place-based dimensions of health by examining the role of environment for Inuit health in the context of a changing climate. We investigated the relationship between one key element of the environment - sea ice - and diverse aspects of health in an Inuit community in northern Canada, drawing on population health and health geography approaches. We used a case study design and participatory and collaborative approach with the community of Nain in northern Labrador, Canada. Focus groups (n = 2), interviews (n = 22), and participant observation were conducted in 2010-11. We found that an appreciation of place was critical for understanding the full range of health influences of sea ice use for Inuit. Negative physical health impacts were reported on less frequently than positive health benefits of sea ice use, which were predominantly related to mental/emotional, spiritual, social, and cultural health. We found that sea ice means freedom for sea ice users, which we suggest influences individual and collective health through relationships between sea ice use, culture, knowledge, and autonomy. While sea ice users reported increases in negative physical health impacts such as injuries and stress related to changing environmental conditions, we suggest that less tangible climate change impacts related to losses of health benefits and disruptions to place meanings and place attachment may be even more significant. Our findings indicate that climate change is resulting in and compounding existing environmental dispossession for Inuit. They also demonstrate the necessity of considering place meanings, culture, and socio-historical context to assess the complexity of climate change impacts on Indigenous environmental health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lifesaving pericardiocentesis due to purulent pericarditis with growth of Gram-negative rods in an immune-competent Inuit male

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonÿ, Carl Frederik Brandt; Malham, Mikkel; Kanstrup, Jacob

2014-01-01

by echocardiography but is not the case in rural areas in common. Change in the infectious aetiology indicates broad-spectrum antibiotics. We describe a case of purulent pericarditis causing cardiac tamponade due to haematogenous spread of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Proteus species in an immune-competent Inuit...

CT-scanning of ancient Greenlandic Inuit temporal bones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Homoe, P.; Videbaek, H.

1992-01-01

Additional morphological evidence of former infectious middle ear disease (IMED) was found by CT-scanning in 5 of 6 Greenlandic Inuit crania strongly suspected for former IMED due to earlier examination revealing either bilateral hypocellularity or asymmetry of the pneumatized area of the temporal bones. The CT-scans showed sclerosing and obliteration of the air cells and even destruction of the cellular septae, and a high degree of irregularity of the cells. Sclerosing of the surrounding bone tissue was also found. The findings in one cranium were dubious and could both be regarded as a congenital malformation or an infection in infanthood. CT-scan confirms and even adds to the results of conventional X-ray of temporal bones making hypotheses of paleopathology more reliable. The findings also support the environmental theory of pneumatization of the air cell system in the temporal bones. (13 refs., 10 figs.)

CT-scanning of ancient Greenlandic Inuit temporal bones

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Homoe, P [Copenhagen Univ. (Denmark). Lab. of Biological Anthropology and Dept. of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery; Lynnerup, N [Copenhagen Univ., Lab. of Biological Anthropology and Univ. Inst. of Ferensic Medicine, Copenhagen (Denmark); Videbaek, H [Hvidovre Univ. Hospital, Copenhagen (Denmark). Dept. of Radiology

1992-01-01

Additional morphological evidence of former infectious middle ear disease (IMED) was found by CT-scanning in 5 of 6 Greenlandic Inuit crania strongly suspected for former IMED due to earlier examination revealing either bilateral hypocellularity or asymmetry of the pneumatized area of the temporal bones. The CT-scans showed sclerosing and obliteration of the air cells and even destruction of the cellular septae, and a high degree of irregularity of the cells. Sclerosing of the surrounding bone tissue was also found. The findings in one cranium were dubious and could both be regarded as a congenital malformation or an infection in infanthood. CT-scan confirms and even adds to the results of conventional X-ray of temporal bones making hypotheses of paleopathology more reliable. The findings also support the environmental theory of pneumatization of the air cell system in the temporal bones. (13 refs., 10 figs.).

Influence of n-3 fatty acids on cardiac autonomic activity among Nunavik Inuit adults

OpenAIRE

Valera, Beatriz; Dewailly, Eric; Anassour-Laouan-Sidi, Elhadji; Poirier, Paul

2012-01-01

Objectives. Inuit from Nunavik (northern Quebec) consume large amounts of fish and marine mammals, which are important sources of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs). These substances have a beneficial impact on heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV). However, it is unknown if this beneficial impact remains significant in populations with high mercury exposure. The study assessed the impact of n-3 PUFAs (Docosahexaenoic [DHA] and Eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA]) on resting HR an...

Development of radio dramas for health communication pilot intervention in Canadian Inuit communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Racicot-Matta, Cassandra; Wilcke, Markus; Egeland, Grace M

2016-03-01

A mixed-methods approach was used to develop a culturally appropriate health intervention over radio within the Inuit community of Pangnirtung, Nunavut (NU), Canada. The radio dramas were developed, recorded and tested pre-intervention through the use of Participatory Process and informed by the extended elaboration likelihood model (EELM) for education-communication. The radio messages were tested in two focus groups (n = 4 and n = 5) to determine fidelity of the radio dramas to the EELM theory. Focus group feedback identified that revisions needed to be made to two characteristics required of educational programmes by the EELM theorem: first, the quality of the production was improved by adding Inuit youth recorded music and second, the homophily (relatability of characters) of radio dramas was improved by re-recording the dramas with voices of local youth who had been trained in media communication studies. These adjustments would not have been implemented had pre-intervention testing of the radio dramas not taken place and could have reduced effectiveness of the overall intervention. Therefore, it is highly recommended that media tools for health communication/education be tested with the intended target audience before commencement of programmes. Participatory Process was identified to be a powerful tool in the development and sustainability of culturally appropriate community health programming. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Changing rates of suicide ideation and attempts among Inuit youth: a gender-based analysis of risk and protective factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Fraser, Sarah L; Geoffroy, Dominique; Chachamovich, Eduardo; Kirmayer, Laurence J

2015-04-01

Inuit in Canada currently suffer from one of the highest rates of suicide in the world. The objective of this study was to explore the prevalence of suicide ideations and attempts among 15-24 year olds living in Nunavik, Québec, and to explore risk and protective factors of suicide attempts as a function of gender. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2004 across Nunavik. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted. A total of 22% of young males and 39% of females adults reported past suicidal attempts. Gender differences were observed in relation to associated risk and protective factors as well as degree of exposure to risk factors. Suicide prevention must include alcohol and drug prevention programs and rehabilitation services, interventions to reduce physical and sexual violence and their long-term impacts on Inuit youth, as well as exposure to culturally meaningful activities. © 2014 The American Association of Suicidology.

Associations between omega-3 fatty acids and 25(OH)D and psychological distress among Inuit in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Skogli, Hans-Ragnar; Geoffroy, Dominique; Weiler, Hope A; Tell, Grethe S; Kirmayer, Laurence J; Egeland, Grace M

2017-01-01

Inuit in Canada have experienced dietary changes over recent generations, but how this relates to psychological distress has not been investigated. To evaluate how nutritional biomarkers are related to psychological distress. A total of 36 communities in northern Canada participated in the International Polar Year Inuit Health Survey (2007-2008). Of 2796 households, 1901 (68%) participated; 1699 Inuit adults gave blood samples for biomarker analysis and answered the Kessler 6-item psychological distress questionnaire (K6). Biomarkers included n-3 fatty acids and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). The K6 screens for psychological distress over the last 30 days with six items scored on a 4-point scale. A total score of 13 or more indicates serious psychological distress (SPD). Logistic regression models were used to investigate any associations between SPD and biomarkers while controlling for age, gender, marital status, days spent out on the land, feeling of being alone, income and smoking. The 30-day SPD prevalence was 11.2%, with women below 30 years having the highest and men 50 years and more having the lowest SPD prevalence at 16.1% and 2.6%, respectively. SPD was associated with being female, younger age, not being married or with a common-law partner, spending few days out on the land, feelings of being alone, smoking and low income. Low levels of both 25(OH)D and long-chain n-3 FAs were associated with higher odds for SPD in both unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models. In this cross-sectional analysis, low levels of 25(OH)D and long-chain n-3 FAs were associated with higher odds ratios for SPD, which highlights the potential impact of traditional foods on mental health and wellbeing. Cultural practices are also important for mental health and it may be that the biomarkers serve as proxies for cultural activities related to food collection, sharing and consumption that increase both biomarker levels and psychological well-being. n-3 FAs: omega-3

Stable Isotopes and Oral Tori in Greenlandic Norse and Inuit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baumann, M.; Lynnerup, N.; Scott, G. R.

2017-01-01

Palatine (PT) and mandibular torus (MT) have long been of interest to dental researchers and anthropologists, but their aetiology remains unresolved. Some combination of genetic and environmental factors influences their expression, but the relative role of each remains contentious. Previous...... research has shown that the Greenlandic Norse exhibit exceptionally high frequencies and pronounced expressions of PT and MT. In this regard, they are significantly different from genetically related medieval Scandinavian populations, so environmental factors have to be considered. An earlier study...... that estimated stable carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions for a Greenlandic Norse sample makes it possible to compare directly PT and MT expression with the relative degree of marine protein intake. For comparative purposes, parallel observations were made on a Greenlandic Inuit sample. Some researchers...

"The trauma experienced by generations past having an effect in their descendants": narrative and historical trauma among Inuit in Nunavut, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Crawford, Allison

2014-06-01

"Sivulirijat aksururnaqtukkuurnikugijangat aktuiniqaqsimaninga kinguvaanginnut" translates as "the trauma experienced by generations past having an effect in their descendants." The legacy of the history of colonialism is starting to take narrative shape as Inuit give voice to the past and its manifestations in the present through public commissions such as the federal Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Inuit-led Qikiqtani Truth Commission. However, an examination of other discursive contexts reveals a collective narrative of the colonial past that is at times silent, incomplete or seemingly inconsistent. Reading the political narrative through the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, and the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut since its formation on April 1, 1999, exposes an almost complete silence about this history. Oral histories, an important form for the preservation and transmission of traditional cultural knowledge, do narrate aspects of this experience of contact, but in accounts that can appear highly individual, fragmented, even contradictory. In contrast, one domain that does seem to register and engage with the impacts of this history of colonialism is Inuit art, specifically visual art and film. In some cases these artistic narratives pre-date the historical trauma narratives of the commissions, which began with the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) in the mid-1990s. This paper examines these narrative alternatives for recounting historic trauma in Nunavut, while also considering the implications of understanding historical trauma as narrative. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Blood serum concentrations of perfluorinated compounds in men from Greenlandic Inuit and European populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindh, Christian H; Rylander, Lars; Toft, Gunnar

2012-01-01

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are used in large quantities. They are persistent and found in measurable levels in human serum around the world. They have been associated with developmental, hepatic, and carcinogenic ef...... in Ukraine was rather low. In the Greenlandic Inuit population, intake of seafood, tea, age and area of living were significant determinants of PFOS concentrations and explained about 22% of the variation. For the other populations no strong determinants were found....

Learning by watching Vernacular Iñupiaq-Inuit design learning as inspiration for design education

OpenAIRE

Janne Beate Reitan

2014-01-01

In this article, I explore a single case of vernacular clothing design — the practice and learning of design for contemporary Iñupiaq-Inuit clothing made by women from Kaktovik in Northern Alaska — and I hope to contribute to a better understanding of design practice and learning in general. Design research has many unexplored areas, and one of these omissions is vernacular design, or folk design. In my opinion, professional and academic design may well have something to learn from vernacular...

First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Education: The Alberta Initiative for School Improvement Approach to Improve Indigenous Education in Alberta

Science.gov (United States)

Gunn, Thelma M.; Pomahac, Guy; Striker, Evelyn Good; Tailfeathers, Johnel

2011-01-01

The education of minority students is of considerable interest within the literature. Ensuring that all children receive quality programming and that they successfully graduate from school is of concern for parents, educational stakeholders, and society alike. In Canada, the indigenous populations of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit (FNMI) students…

Physical activity energy expenditure is associated with 2-h insulin independently of obesity among Inuit in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahl-Petersen, Inger Katrine; Bjerregaard, Peter; Brage, Søren

2013-01-01

Indigenous populations throughout the Arctic are experiencing a rapid increase in the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes. The role of physical activity in relation to glucose metabolism in Arctic populations is not well studied. We examined the association between objectively measured...... physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) and glucose metabolism in a population-based study of adult Inuit in Greenland....

Associations between vitamin D status and type 2 diabetes measures among Inuit in Greenland may be affected by other factors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Nina O; Bjerregaard, Peter; Rønn, Pernille F

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Epidemiological studies have provided evidence of an association between vitamin D insufficiency and type 2 diabetes. Vitamin D levels have decreased among Inuit in Greenland, and type 2 diabetes is increasing. We hypothesized that the decline in vitamin D could have contributed to the...

Time trend by region of suicides and suicidal thoughts among Greenland Inuit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Bjerregaard

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Suicides remain a major public health problem in Greenland. Their increase coincides with the modernization since 1950. Serious suicidal thoughts are reported by a significant proportion of participants in countrywide surveys. Objective: To analyze the time trend by region of suicides and suicidal thoughts among the Inuit in Greenland. Design: Data included the Greenland registry of causes of death for 1970–2011 and 2 cross-sectional health surveys carried out in 1993–1994 and 2005–2010 with 1,580 and 3,102 Inuit participants, respectively. Results: Suicide rates were higher among men than women while the prevalence of suicidal thoughts was higher among women. Suicide rates for men and women together increased from 1960 to 1980 and have remained around 100 per 100,000 person-years since then. The regional pattern of time trend for suicide rates varied with an early peak in the capital, a continued increase to very high rates in remote East and North Greenland and a slow increase in villages relative to towns on the West Coast. Suicidal thoughts followed the regional pattern for completed suicides. Especially for women there was a noticeable increasing trend in the villages. The relative risk for suicide was highest among those who reported suicidal thoughts, but most suicides happened outside this high-risk group. Conclusion: Suicide rates and the prevalence of suicidal thoughts remain high in Greenland but different regional trends point towards an increased marginalization between towns on the central West Coast, villages and East and North Greenland. Different temporal patterns call for different regional strategies of prevention.

The association between blood pressure and whole blood methylmercury in a cross-sectional study among Inuit in Greenland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nielsen Anni Brit

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Inuit in Greenland have a high average consumption of marine species and are highly exposed to methylmercury, which in other studies has been related to hypertension. Data on the relation between methylmercury and hypertension is limited, especially in populations subjected to a high exposure of methylmercury. We examined the relation between whole blood mercury and blood pressure (BP in Inuit in Greenland. Methods A cross-sectional population-based study among adult Inuit in Greenland was performed in 2005–2009. Information on socio-demography, lifestyle, BP, blood samples and clinical measurements was obtained – the latter after overnight fasting. BP was measured according to standardized guidelines. Whole blood mercury concentration was used as a marker of exposure. The analyses were restricted to Inuit aged 30–69 years with four Greenlandic grandparents (N = 1,861. Multivariate regression analyses with inclusion of confounders were done separately for men and women with the omission of participants receiving anti-hypertensive drugs, except for logistic regression analyses of the relation between mercury and presence of hypertension (yes/no. Results The mean whole blood mercury level was 20.5 μg/L among men and 14.7 μg/L among women. In multivariate analyses adjusted for confounders, diastolic BP decreased with increasing mercury concentration. In men diastolic BP decreased significantly for each four-fold increase in mercury concentration (Beta = −0.04, standard error = 0.01, p = 0.001, while no relation between mercury and diastolic BP was found among women. For systolic BP, a similar non-statistically significant result was seen only for men (Beta = −0.02, standard error = 0.01, p = 0.06. A relation between mercury and hypertension was only found in men; the odds ratio for hypertension was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.98-0.99. No relation between quintiles of mercury and hypertension

'Changing climate, changing health, changing stories' profile: using an EcoHealth approach to explore impacts of climate change on inuit health.

Science.gov (United States)

Harper, S L; Edge, V L; Cunsolo Willox, A

2012-03-01

Global climate change and its impact on public health exemplify the challenge of managing complexity and uncertainty in health research. The Canadian North is currently experiencing dramatic shifts in climate, resulting in environmental changes which impact Inuit livelihoods, cultural practices, and health. For researchers investigating potential climate change impacts on Inuit health, it has become clear that comprehensive and meaningful research outcomes depend on taking a systemic and transdisciplinary approach that engages local citizens in project design, data collection, and analysis. While it is increasingly recognised that using approaches that embrace complexity is a necessity in public health, mobilizing such approaches from theory into practice can be challenging. In 2009, the Rigolet Inuit Community Government in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, Canada partnered with a transdisciplinary team of researchers, health practitioners, and community storytelling facilitators to create the Changing Climate, Changing Health, Changing Stories project, aimed at developing a multi-media participatory, community-run methodological strategy to gather locally appropriate and meaningful data to explore climate-health relationships. The goal of this profile paper is to describe how an EcoHealth approach guided by principles of transdisciplinarity, community participation, and social equity was used to plan and implement this climate-health research project. An overview of the project, including project development, research methods, project outcomes to date, and challenges encountered, is presented. Though introduced in this one case study, the processes, methods, and lessons learned are broadly applicable to researchers and communities interested in implementing EcoHealth approaches in community-based research.

Mammal Distribution in Nunavut: Inuit Harvest Data and COSEWIC's Species at Risk Assessment Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karen A. Kowalchuk

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC assesses risk potential for a species by evaluating the best available information from all knowledge sources including Aboriginal traditional knowledge (ATK. Effective application of ATK in this process has been challenging. Inuit knowledge (IK of mammal distribution in Nunavut is reflected, in part, in the harvest spatial data from two comprehensive studies: the Use and Occupancy Mapping (UOM Study conducted by the Nunavut Planning Commission (NPC and the Nunavut Wildlife Harvest Study (WHS conducted by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board (NWMB. The geographic range values of extent of occurrence (EO and area of occupancy (AO were derived from the harvest data for a selected group of mammals and applied to Phase I of the COSEWIC assessment process. Values falling below threshold values can trigger a potential risk designation of either endangered (EN or threatened (TH for the species being assessed. The IK values and status designations were compared with available COSEWIC data. There was little congruency between the two sets of data. We conclude that there are major challenges within the risk assessment process and specifically the calculation of AO that contributed to the disparity in results. Nonetheless, this application illustrated that Inuit harvest data in Nunavut represents a unique and substantial source of ATK that should be used to enrich the knowledge base on arctic mammal distribution and enhance wildlife management and conservation planning.

Family support and the child as health promoting agent in the Arctic - "the Inuit way".

Science.gov (United States)

Montgomery-Andersen, Ruth A; Borup, Ina

2012-01-01

In the context of the UN's 1990 'Convention on the Right's of the Child' 1990, and the associated definition of health promotion as a community's ability to recognise, define and make decisions on how to create a healthy society, this article describes and analyses how family support networks are conceived and present themselves in perinatal Inuit families. This literature review conducted an initial and secondary search using the keywords and combinations of the keywords: healthy families, health promoting families, resiliency, Arctic, Inuit, Family support, was executed in PubMed, Popline, CSA and CINAHL. The tertiary literature search was then combined with literature gleaned from literature lists, and other relevant articles were selected. Individual members of the family contribute to the health of the family, but the child is often the catalyst for health promotion within the family, not only the siblings to the unborn child, but also the unborn child. Perinatal entities create their own networks that support and develop concepts of family and support systems. Resiliency, kinship and ecocultural process within the family are concomitant to the health of perinatal family and of the children. More research is needed that moves children from being viewed as the receivers of health towards being seen as the promoters of health and an important actor as health promoting agent within the family.

Information session proceedings of the National First Nations and Inuit Working Group on the Non-Traditional Use of Tobacco for Medical Services Branch, Health Canada

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Dumont-Smith, Claudette

1995-01-01

The publication covers topics ranging from the impact on the non-traditional use of tobacco among First Nations and Inuit Communities, current trends, opportunities and challenges, to current efforts...

The rise and fall of dental therapy in Canada: a policy analysis and assessment of equity of access to oral health care for Inuit and First Nations communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Leck, Victoria; Randall, Glen E

2017-07-20

Inequality between most Canadians and those from Inuit and First Nations communities, in terms of both access to oral health care services and related health outcomes, has been a long-standing problem. Efforts to close this equity gap led to the creation of dental therapy training programs. These programs were designed to produce graduates who would provide services in rural and northern communities. The closure of the last dental therapy program in late 2011 has ended the supply of dental therapists and governments do not appear to have any alternative solutions to the growing gap in access to oral health care services between most Canadians and those from Inuit and First Nations communities. A policy analysis of the rise and fall of the dental therapy profession in Canada was conducted using historical and policy documents. The analysis is framed within Kingdon's agenda-setting framework and considers why dental therapy was originally pursued as an option to ensure equitable access to oral health care for Inuit and First Nations communities and why this policy has now been abandoned with the closure of Canada's last dental therapy training school. The closure of the last dental therapy program in Canada has the potential to further reduce access to dental care in some Inuit and First Nations communities. Overlaps between federal and provincial jurisdiction have contributed to the absence of a coordinated policy approach to address the equity gap in access to dental care which will exacerbate the inequalities in comparison to the general population. The analysis suggests that while a technically feasible policy solution is available there continues to be no politically acceptable solution and thus it remains unlikely that a window of opportunity for policy change will open any time soon. In the absence of federal government leadership, the most viable option forward may be incremental policy change. Provincial governments could expand the scope of practice for

Evaluation of a Leadership Program for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Youth: Stories of Positive Youth Development and Community Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Halsall, Tanya; Forneris, Tanya

2018-01-01

First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) youth experience many health disparities in comparison with their mainstream Canadian peers. Researchers have recommended that interventions developed to enhance health and well-being for FNMI youth apply a strengths-based approach that acknowledges contextual challenges. This article uses a qualitative…

Protective factors for mental health and well-being in a changing climate: Perspectives from Inuit youth in Nunatsiavut, Labrador.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrasek MacDonald, Joanna; Cunsolo Willox, Ashlee; Ford, James D; Shiwak, Inez; Wood, Michele

2015-09-01

The Canadian Arctic is experiencing rapid changes in climatic conditions, with implications for Inuit communities widely documented. Youth have been identified as an at-risk population, with likely impacts on mental health and well-being. This study identifies and characterizes youth-specific protective factors that enhance well-being in light of a rapidly changing climate, and examines how climatic and environmental change challenges these. In-depth conversational interviews were conducted with youth aged 15-25 from the five communities of the Nunatsiavut region of Labrador, Canada: Nain, Hopedale, Postville, Makkovik, and Rigolet. Five key protective factors were identified as enhancing their mental health and well-being: being on the land; connecting to Inuit culture; strong communities; relationships with family and friends; and staying busy. Changing sea ice and weather conditions were widely reported to be compromising these protective factors by reducing access to the land, and increasing the danger of land-based activities. This study contributes to existing work on Northern climate change adaptation by identifying factors that enhance youth resilience and, if incorporated into adaptation strategies, may contribute to creating successful and effective adaptation responses. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among the Inuit in Greenland. A comparison between two proposed definitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, M.E.; Bjerregaard, P.; Gyntelberg, F.

2004-01-01

in Greenland. The examination included a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and blood pressure were measured. Plasma glucose, serum insulin, lipids and urine albumin/creatinine ratio were measured. The metabolic syndrome was diagnosed...... and triglycerides, and lower mean values of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol; among women, triglycerides were higher with the NCEP syndrome. CONCLUSION: The metabolic syndrome is common among Inuit using either the WHO definition or the proposed NCEP definition. The classification disagreement...

Serum levels of environmental pollutants is a risk factor for breast cancer in Inuit: a case control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wielsøe, Maria; Kern, Peder; Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Eva Cecilie

2017-06-13

Environmental Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) can alter the hormone homeostasis by mimicking, interfering or blocking the function of hormones; moreover POPs are hypothesized to modify the risk of breast cancer. The association between POPs and breast cancer has been widely studied but the conclusions are inconsistent. The present study examined the associations between serum levels of POPs and breast cancer with focus on the highly exposed Greenlandic Inuit population. The study design was a case-control study of Inuit women from Greenland. The participants were asked to complete a questionnaire with information on reproductive history and lifestyle and to provide a blood sample. The sampling was carried out in two time periods (2000-2003 and 2011-2014). The serum levels were determined of 14 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 11 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), 16 perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), 1 polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), and 9 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Independent samples t-test was used to compare differences between cases and controls and odds ratios (OR) adjusted for identified confounders were obtained using logistic regression. The study population included 77 breast cancer cases and 84 controls. The majority of the measured compounds declined significantly from 2000 - 2003 to 2011-2014. However, for the perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) an increase was observed. The serum levels were significantly higher in cases compared to controls for the majority of the compounds, and after adjusting for age the difference was maintained for ∑OCP, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE), ∑PFAA, ∑perfluorinated sulfonic acids (PFSA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). For the lipophilic POPs, high serum levels (middel/highest vs. lowest tertile) of ∑PCB, ∑estrgoenicPCB, PCB99, PCB138, PCB153, PCB170, PCB170, and PCB183 was associated with breast cancer risk; for the amphiphilic PFAAs, high

Learning by watching Vernacular Iñupiaq-Inuit design learning as inspiration for design education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janne Beate Reitan

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this article, I explore a single case of vernacular clothing design — the practice and learning of design for contemporary Iñupiaq-Inuit clothing made by women from Kaktovik in Northern Alaska — and I hope to contribute to a better understanding of design practice and learning in general. Design research has many unexplored areas, and one of these omissions is vernacular design, or folk design. In my opinion, professional and academic design may well have something to learn from vernacular design, although this research is about vernacular learning and about what, why and how the‘making’ discipline of clothing design is learned. This study was based on observations of and interviews with seamstresses and research-by-design, which includes authorial participation in designing and sewing in adherence to Iñupiaq tradition. All of this was recorded on digital video film. The investigation of Iñupiaq-Inuit clothing design indicates that watching was the most common way of learning, a phenomenon I have chosen to call learning-by-watching, a concept that can be seen as a development of both Schön and Wenger’s theories of learning, as influenced by John Dewey’s theory of learning-by-doing. This study will be discussed in connection with design education, from kindergarten to professional studies in higher education, in the forthcoming research project, Design Literacy, the purpose of which is to develop theory to improve design education in both compulsory and academic design education. Consequently, to improve design education in general, a thorough focus on learning-by-watching in communities of practice would make for more reflective practitioners and more sustainable design practices in the long run.Keywords: Vernacular design, clothing design, design thinking, learning-by-watching, learning-bydoing.

Water quality and health in northern Canada: stored drinking water and acute gastrointestinal illness in Labrador Inuit.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Carlee J; Sargeant, Jan M; Edge, Victoria L; Ford, James D; Farahbakhsh, Khosrow; Shiwak, Inez; Flowers, Charlie; Harper, Sherilee L

2017-07-12

One of the highest self-reported incidence rates of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) in the global peer-reviewed literature occurs in Inuit communities in the Canadian Arctic. This high incidence of illness could be due, in part, to the consumption of contaminated water, as many northern communities face challenges related to the quality of municipal drinking water. Furthermore, many Inuit store drinking water in containers in the home, which could increase the risk of contamination between source and point-of-use (i.e., water recontamination during storage). To examine this risk, this research characterized drinking water collection and storage practices, identified potential risk factors for water contamination between source and point-of-use, and examined possible associations between drinking water contamination and self-reported AGI in the Inuit community of Rigolet, Canada. The study included a cross-sectional census survey that captured data on types of drinking water used, household practices related to drinking water (e.g., how it was collected and stored), physical characteristics of water storage containers, and self-reported AGI. Additionally, water samples were collected from all identified drinking water containers in homes and analyzed for presence of Escherichia coli and total coliforms. Despite municipally treated tap water being available in all homes, 77.6% of households had alternative sources of drinking water stored in containers, and of these containers, 25.2% tested positive for total coliforms. The use of transfer devices and water dippers (i.e., smaller bowls or measuring cups) for the collection and retrieval of water from containers were both significantly associated with increased odds of total coliform presence in stored water (OR transfer device  = 3.4, 95% CI 1.2-11.7; OR dipper  = 13.4, 95% CI 3.8-47.1). Twenty-eight-day period prevalence of self-reported AGI during the month before the survey was 17.2% (95% CI 13

Terra nullius, Inuit Habitation and Norse Occupation – With Special Emphasis on the 1933 East Greenland Case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Thomas Ørebech

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Sovereignty acquired by occupation entails “recognize[d] title based on discovery,” “a reasonable period [of] … effective occupation of the region claimed to be discovered” and “the continuous and peaceful display of State authority.” Only terra nullius is subject to occupation. A territory inhabited by indigenous groups that sustain social and political organization may impede an occupying power because the terra nullius requirement fails. While sovereignty over thinly populated areas are often lax, case law requires less public involvement in these sparsely inhabited areas. This study reveals that the Dano-Norwegian Kings regarded the Inuit as “our subjects.” The Kings’ pretention of absolutum dominium and jurisdiction involved both the Norse and Inuit ethnic groups and “bygð ok ubygð” (settled and unsettled land. The exodus of the Norse peoples in 1450 AD for 200 years did not undermine the acquired sovereignty of the Dano-Norwegian Crown, which as a result, spoiled the 1931 Norwegian pretentions to legally occupy East-Greenland. Denmark's triumph in the 1933-East Greenland case resulted from a “zero-sum principle.” More than a 100 years earlier, the Danish Kingdom lost a succession of countries and dependencies. The 1814 Kiel Treaty transferred mainland Norway to Sweden, but explicitly states that none of the ancient Norwegian dependencies, Greenland, Iceland and Faroe Islands would follow suit. Thus, these territories remained part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Eating habits of a population undergoing a rapid dietary transition: portion sizes of traditional and non-traditional foods and beverages consumed by Inuit adults in Nunavut, Canada

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background To determine the portion sizes of traditional and non-traditional foods being consumed by Inuit adults in three remote communities in Nunavut, Canada. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out between June and October, 2008. Trained field workers collected dietary data using a culturally appropriate, validated quantitative food frequency questionnaire (QFFQ) developed specifically for the study population. Results Caribou, muktuk (whale blubber and skin) and Arctic char (salmon family), were the most commonly consumed traditional foods; mean portion sizes for traditional foods ranged from 10 g for fermented seal fat to 424 g for fried caribou. Fried bannock and white bread were consumed by >85% of participants; mean portion sizes for these foods were 189 g and 70 g, respectively. Sugar-sweetened beverages and energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods were also widely consumed. Mean portion sizes for regular pop and sweetened juices with added sugar were 663 g and 572 g, respectively. Mean portion sizes for potato chips, pilot biscuits, cakes, chocolate and cookies were 59 g, 59 g, 106 g, 59 g, and 46 g, respectively. Conclusions The present study provides further evidence of the nutrition transition that is occurring among Inuit in the Canadian Arctic. It also highlights a number of foods and beverages that could be targeted in future nutritional intervention programs aimed at obesity and diet-related chronic disease prevention in these and other Inuit communities. PMID:23724920

Gambling behavior and problem gambling reflecting social transition and traumatic childhood events among Greenland Inuit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Christina Viskum Lytken; Curtis, Tine; Bjerregaard, Peter

Aims: An increase in social pathologies is a key feature in indigenous populations undergoing transition. The Greenland Inuit are a large indigenous population constituting a majority in their own country, which makes it possible to investigate differences within the population. This led us to st...... of social pathologies in Greenland. A significant association between lifetime problem gambling, social transition and traumatic childhood events suggests people caught between tradition and modern ways of life are more vulnerable to gambling problems....... was measured as place of residence and a combination of residence, education and occupation. Findings: The lifetime prevalence of problem gambling was 16% among men and 10% among women (p

Staying healthy "under the sheets": Inuit youth experiences of access to sexual and reproductive health and rights in Arviat, Nunavut, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Corosky, Gregory J; Blystad, Astrid

2016-01-01

Inuit youth are reported to experience considerably worse sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) outcomes than Canadian youth in general, as evidenced through public health data on sexually transmitted infections, unintended young pregnancies and rates of sexual violence in Nunavut compared to national averages. Existing literature on Inuit SRHR has identified the impact of westernization and colonialism on health outcomes, though gaps remain in addressing youth- and community-specific experiences of SRHR. This study aims to generate youth-focused evidence on experiences of SRHR relating to access to care in Arviat in order to better inform locally authored interventions geared towards improving youth SRHR. The Piliriqatigiinniq Partnership Community Health Research Model (PRM) developed by the Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre was followed to generate data on youth experiences of SRHR support access in Arviat. In-depth interviews were conducted with 9 male youth (ages 17-22 years), 10 female youth (ages 16-22 years) and 6 community leaders (aged 25+). Snowball sampling was used to engage informants, and data analysis followed an approach similar to conventional content analysis, where emphasis was placed on "immersion and crystallization" of data, corresponding to the Inuit concept of Iqqaumaqatigiinniq in the PRM. Findings were continuously checked with community members in Arviat during the analysis phase, and their feedback was incorporated into the report. Youth in Arviat were found to face significant barriers to SRHR care and support. Three major themes emerged as important factors conditioning youth access to SRHR resources in the community: trust of support workers in the community; stigma/taboos surrounding SRHR topics; and feelings of powerlessness impeding female and lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer youth in particular from accessing care. The locally specific ways these themes emerged revealed important structural factors at play in

Art and artistic processes bridge knowledge systems about social-ecological change: An empirical examination with Inuit artists from Nunavut, Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaitlyn J. Rathwell

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The role of art and artistic processes is one fruitful yet underexplored area of social-ecological resilience. Art and art making can nurture Indigenous knowledge and at the same time bridge knowledge across generations and cultures (e.g., Inuit and scientific. Experiences in two Inuit communities in northern Canada (Cape Dorset and Pangnirtung, Nunavut provide the context in which we empirically examine the mechanisms through which art and art making may bridge knowledge systems about social-ecological change. Art making and artworks create continuity between generations via symbols and skill development (e.g., seal skin stretching for a modern artistic mural and by creating mobile and adaptive boundary objects that function as a shared reference point to connect different social worlds. Our results indicate how art and artistic processes may bridge knowledge systems through six mechanisms, and in so doing contribute to social-ecological resilience during change and uncertainty. These mechanisms are (1 embedding knowledge, practice and belief into art objects; (2 sharing knowledge using the language of art; (3 sharing of art making skills; (4 art as a contributor to monitoring social-ecological change; (5 the role of art in fostering continuity through time; and (6 art as a site of knowledge coproduction.

Higher body mass, older age and higher monounsaturated fatty acids intake reflect better quantitative ultrasound parameters in Inuit preschoolers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessy El Hayek

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Objectives. Investigate the effects of selected factors associated with quantitative ultrasound parameters among Inuit preschoolers living in Arctic communities (56° 32′–72° 40′N. Materials and methods. Children were selected randomly in summer and early fall (n=296. Dietary intake was assessed through the administration of a 24-h dietary recall (24-h recall and a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ. Anthropometry was measured using standardized procedures. Plasma 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OHD and parathyroid hormone (PTH were measured using a chemiluminescent assay (Liaison, Diasorin. Quantitative ultrasound parameters were measured using Sahara Sonometer, (Hologic Inc.. Results. Children divided by speed of sound (SoS and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA quartiles were not different for age (years, sex (M/F, calcium (mg/d and vitamin D intake (µg/d and plasma 25(OHD concentration (nmol/L. However, children in the highest BUA and SoS quartile had higher body mass index (BMI compared to those in quartile 1. Using multivariate linear regression, higher BMI, older age and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA intake were predictors of BUA while only BMI was a predictor of SoS. Conclusions. Further investigation assessing intakes of traditional foods (TF and nutrients affecting bone parameters along with assessment of vitamin D status of Inuit children across seasons is required.

Inter-population variations in concentrations, determinants of and correlations between 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p'-DDE): a cross-sectional study of 3161 men and women from Inuit and European populations

Science.gov (United States)

Jönsson, Bo AG; Rylander, Lars; Lindh, Christian; Rignell-Hydbom, Anna; Giwercman, Aleksander; Toft, Gunnar; Pedersen, Henning S; Ludwicki, Jan K; Góralczyk, Katarzyna; Zvyezday, Valentyna; Spanò, Marcello; Bizzaro, Davide; Bonefeld-Jörgensen, Eva C; Manicardi, Gian Carlo; Bonde, Jens Peter; Hagmar, Lars

2005-01-01

Background The study is part of a collaborative project (Inuendo), aiming to assess the impact of dietary persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs) on human fertility. The aims with the present study are to analyze inter-population variations in serum concentrations of 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p'-DDE), to assess inter-population variations in biomarker correlations, and to evaluate the relative impact of different determinants for the inter-individual variations in POP-biomarkers. Method In study populations of 3161 adults, comprising Greenlandic Inuits, Swedish fishermen and their wives, and inhabitants from Warsaw, Poland and Kharkiv, Ukraine, serum concentrations of CB-153 and p,p'-DDE, were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results The median serum concentrations of CB-153 were for male and female Inuits 200 and 110, for Swedish fishermen 190 and their wives 84, for Kharkiv men and women 44 and 27, and for Warsaw men and women 17 and 11 ng/g lipids, respectively. The median serum concentrations of p,p'-DDE were for Kharkiv men and women 930 and 650, for male and female Inuits 560 and 300, for Warsaw men and women 530 and 380, and for Swedish fishermen 240 and their wives 140 ng/g lipids, respectively. The correlation coefficients between CB-153 and p,p'-DDE varied between 0.19 and 0.92, with the highest correlation among Inuits and the lowest among men from Warsaw. Men had averagely higher serum concentrations of CB-153 and p,p'-DDE, and there were positive associations between age and the POP-biomarkers, whereas the associations with BMI and smoking were inconsistent. Dietary seafood was of importance only in the Inuit and Swedish populations. Conclusion CB-153 concentrations were much higher in Inuits and Swedish fishermen's populations than in the populations from Eastern Europe, whereas the pattern was different for p,p'-DDE showing highest concentrations in the

Early Heritage-Language Education and the Abrupt Shift to a Dominant-Language Classroom: Impact on the Personal and Collective Esteem of Inuit Children in Arctic Quebec

Science.gov (United States)

Bougie, Evelyne; Wright, Stephen C.; Taylor, Donald M.

2003-01-01

This research explored the impact of the abrupt shift from heritage-language to dominant-language education on Inuit children's personal and collective self-esteem. Specifically, the following question was addressed: will early heritage-language education serve as an inoculation against the potential negative impact of being submerged in a…

Caller Characteristics, Call Contents, and Types of Assistance Provided by Caller Sex and Age Group in a Canadian Inuit Crisis Line in Nunavut, 1991-2001

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Josephine C. H.; Maranzan, Kathryn Amanda; Boone, Margaret; Vander Velde, John; Levy, Sheila

2012-01-01

Analysis of calls made to a northern Canadian Inuit crisis line in the territory of Nunavut between 1991 and 2001 revealed that the majority of users were adult females who called to discuss problems primarily related to relationships and loneliness/boredom. Younger callers tended to make prank calls. The volunteer staff used mostly empathetic…

Contemporary programs in support of traditional ways: Inuit perspectives on community freezers as a mechanism to alleviate pressures of wild food access in Nain, Nunatsiavut.

Science.gov (United States)

Organ, Jennifer; Castleden, Heather; Furgal, Chris; Sheldon, Tom; Hart, Catherine

2014-11-01

Rapid socio-cultural, economic, and environmental changes are challenging wild food access and thus food security for Inuit in the Canadian Arctic. In response to the continued value and practice of harvesting wild foods, communities are establishing "wild food support" initiatives. This study evaluated how one such initiative, a community freezer, in Nain, Nunatsiavut supported wild food access for community members. Data were collected through: interviews and focus groups with users, freezer managers, and active harvesters; participant observation; and document analysis. Results indicated that the community freezer supported socio-cultural, economic and local access to wild foods. However, there were issues associated with supply, dependency, social exclusion, and tension between feasibility and traditional values and practices. Communities, governments, and policymakers are urged to consider social and physical location as factors when investing in and monitoring such initiatives. The Nunatsiavut Government and the Nain Inuit Community Government have since worked together to modify this early freezer initiative due, in part, to this study's findings. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Common Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor p.G116S Variant Has a Large Effect on Plasma Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Circumpolar Inuit Populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dube, J. B.; Wang, J.; Cao, H.

2015-01-01

.G116S and p.R730W. METHODS AND RESULTS: Genotyping these variants in 3324 Inuit from Alaska, Canada, and Greenland showed they were common, with allele frequencies 10% to 15%. Only p.G116S was associated with dyslipidemia: the increase in LDL cholesterol was 0.54 mmol/L (20.9 mg/dL) per allele (P=5.6x...

High selenium exposure lowers the odds ratios for hypertension, stroke, and myocardial infarction associated with mercury exposure among Inuit in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xue Feng; Eccles, Kristin M; Chan, Hing Man

2017-05-01

Selenium (Se) has been reported to protect against the neurotoxicity of mercury (Hg). However, the effect of Se against Hg on cardiovascular diseases remains unclear. Inuit living in the Arctic have high exposure to both Se and Hg through their marine mammal and fish rich traditional diet. To characterize the co-exposure of Hg and Se among Inuit in Canada and to assess the associations between Hg, Se and cardiovascular health outcomes, including stroke, hypertension, and myocardial infarction (MI). Data was collected from the International Polar Year Inuit Health Survey (IHS) conducted in 2007 and 2008. Blood Se and Hg were measured, and self-report cardiovascular health outcomes were collected through a questionnaire interview from 2169 adults aged 18 and above. The mean age was 42.4years, and 38.7% of the participants were male. The geometric means (GM) of blood Se and total Hg were 319.5μg/L and 7.0μg/L, respectively. The crude prevalence of heart attack, stroke and hypertension were 3.55%, 2.36%, and 24.47% respectively. Participants were categorized into 4 exposure groups according to blood Hg (high: ≥7.8μg/L; low: <7.8μg/L), and Se (high: ≥280μg/L; low: <280μg/L). The odds ratio (OR) of cardiovascular outcomes were estimated using general linearized models. Results showed the low Se and high Hg group had a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease (OR=1.76 for hypertension, 1.57 for stroke, and 1.26 for MI. However, the prevalence was decreased in both the high Se and low Hg group (OR=0.57 for hypertension, 0.44 for stroke, and 0.27 for MI) and the high Se and high Hg group (OR=1.14 for hypertension, 0.31 for stroke, and 0.80 for MI). The high Se and low Hg group had the lowest prevalence of cardiovascular outcomes, except for stroke. These results provide evidence that Se may exhibit a protective effect against Hg on cardiovascular disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Childhood conditions and education as determinants of adult height and obesity among Greenland Inuit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard, Peter

2011-01-01

Height and obesity are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and other physical and mental health conditions. Their association with childhood socioeconomic position has been demonstrated in studies among European and a few third world populations. In a random sample of adult Greenland Inuit (N...... = 2302) we studied the association between childhood socioeconomic conditions and height as well as prevalence of obesity (BMI > or = 30) in a cross sectional design. In block recursive graphical independence models, height was associated with mother's place of birth, birth cohort, childhood residence......, alcohol problems in childhood home, and education among both men and women. Obesity was associated with mother's place of birth (for men) and with alcohol problems (for women). In General Linear Models, men with an all rural background and no education beyond primary school measured on average 165.1 cm...

Staying healthy “under the sheets”: Inuit youth experiences of access to sexual and reproductive health and rights in Arviat, Nunavut, Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Corosky, Gregory J; Blystad, Astrid

2016-01-01

Background Inuit youth are reported to experience considerably worse sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) outcomes than Canadian youth in general, as evidenced through public health data on sexually transmitted infections, unintended young pregnancies and rates of sexual violence in Nunavut compared to national averages. Existing literature on Inuit SRHR has identified the impact of westernization and colonialism on health outcomes, though gaps remain in addressing youth- and community-specific experiences of SRHR. Objective This study aims to generate youth-focused evidence on experiences of SRHR relating to access to care in Arviat in order to better inform locally authored interventions geared towards improving youth SRHR. Design The Piliriqatigiinniq Partnership Community Health Research Model (PRM) developed by the Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre was followed to generate data on youth experiences of SRHR support access in Arviat. In-depth interviews were conducted with 9 male youth (ages 17–22 years), 10 female youth (ages 16–22 years) and 6 community leaders (aged 25+). Snowball sampling was used to engage informants, and data analysis followed an approach similar to conventional content analysis, where emphasis was placed on “immersion and crystallization” of data, corresponding to the Inuit concept of Iqqaumaqatigiinniq in the PRM. Findings were continuously checked with community members in Arviat during the analysis phase, and their feedback was incorporated into the report. Results Youth in Arviat were found to face significant barriers to SRHR care and support. Three major themes emerged as important factors conditioning youth access to SRHR resources in the community: trust of support workers in the community; stigma/taboos surrounding SRHR topics; and feelings of powerlessness impeding female and lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer youth in particular from accessing care. Conclusions The locally specific ways these themes

Sea-Ice Thickness Monitoring from Sensor Equipped Inuit Sleds

Science.gov (United States)

Rodwell, Shane; Jones, Bryn; Wilkinson, Jeremy

2013-04-01

A novel instrumentation package capable of measuring sea-ice thickness autonomously has been designed for long-term deployment upon the dog drawn sleds of the indigenous peoples of the Arctic. The device features a range of sensors that have been integrated with an electromagnetic induction device. These include a global positioning system, temperature sensor, tilt meter and accelerometer. Taken together, this system is able to provide accurate (+/-5cm) measurements of ice thickness with spatio-temporal resolution ranging from 1m to 5m every second. Autonomous data transmission capability is provided via GSM, inspired by the fact that many of the coastal communities in Greenland possess modern cell-phone infrastructure, enabling an inexpensive means of data-retrieval. Such data is essential in quantifying the sea-ice mass balance; given that existing satellite based systems are unable to measure ice-thickness directly. Field-campaign results from a prototype device, deployed in the North West of Greenland during three consecutive seasons, have demonstrated successful proof-of-concept when compared to data provided by ice mass balance (IMB) stations provided at fixed positions along the route of the sled. This project highlights not only the use of novel polar technology, but how opportunistic deployment using an existing roving platform (Inuit sledges) can provide economical, yet highly valuable, data for instrumentation development.

Associations between prenatal cigarette smoke exposure and externalized behaviors at school age among Inuit children exposed to environmental contaminants.

Science.gov (United States)

Desrosiers, Caroline; Boucher, Olivier; Forget-Dubois, Nadine; Dewailly, Eric; Ayotte, Pierre; Jacobson, Sandra W; Jacobson, Joseph L; Muckle, Gina

2013-01-01

Smoking during pregnancy is common among Inuit women from the Canadian Arctic. Yet prenatal cigarette smoke exposure (PCSE) is seen as a major risk factor for childhood behavior problems. Recent data also suggest that co-exposure to neurotoxic environmental contaminants can exacerbate the effects of PCSE on behavior. This study examined the association between PCSE and behavior at school age in a sample of Inuit children from Nunavik, Québec, where co-exposure to environmental contaminants is also an important issue. Interactions with lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg), two contaminants associated with behavioral problems, were also explored. Participants were 271 children (mean age=11.3years) involved in a prospective birth-cohort study. PCSE was assessed through maternal recall. Assessment of child behavior was obtained from the child's classroom teacher on the Teacher Report Form (TRF) and the Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale (DBD). Exposure to contaminants was assessed from umbilical cord and child blood samples. Other confounders were documented by maternal interview. After control for contaminants and confounders, PCSE was associated with increased externalizing behaviors and attention problems on the TRF and higher prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessed on the DBD. No interactions were found with contaminants. This study extends the existing empirical evidence linking PCSE to behavioral problems in school-aged children by reporting these effects in a population where tobacco use is normative rather than marginal. Co-exposure to Pb and Hg do not appear to exacerbate tobacco effects, suggesting that these substances act independently. © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relation between serum xenobiotic induced receptor activities and sperm DNA damage and sperm apoptotic markers in European and Inuit populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Long, Manhai; Stronati, Alessanda; Bizzaro, Davide

2007-01-01

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can interfere with hormone activities and are suspected as endocrine disrupters involved in disorders, e.g. reproductive disorders. We investigated the possible relation between the actual integrated serum xenoestrogenic, xenoandrogenic and aryl hydrocarbon......, but higher xenoandrogenic activity. In contrast, in the European groups, xenobiotic-induced receptor activities were found to be positively correlated with the DNA damage. Further research must elucidate whether altered receptor activities in concerted action with genetic and/or nutrient factors may have...... protecting effect on sperm DNA damage of the Inuit population....

The use of remote presence for health care delivery in a northern Inuit community: a feasibility study

Science.gov (United States)

Mendez, Ivar; Jong, Michael; Keays-White, Debra; Turner, Gail

2013-01-01

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of remote presence for improving the health of residents in a remote northern Inuit community. Study design A pilot study assessed patient's, nurse's and physician's satisfaction with and the use of the remote presence technology aiding delivery of health care to a remote community. A preliminary cost analysis of this technology was also performed. Methods This study deployed a remote presence RP-7 robot to the isolated Inuit community of Nain, Newfoundland and Labrador for 15 months. The RP-7 is wirelessly controlled by a laptop computer equipped with audiovisual capability and a joystick to maneuver the robot in real time to aid in the assessing and care of patients from a distant location. Qualitative data on physician's, patient's, caregiver's and staff's satisfaction were collected as well as information on its use and characteristics and the number of air transports required to the referral center and associated costs. Results A total of 252 remote presence sessions occurred during the study period, with 89% of the sessions involving direct patient assessment or monitoring. Air transport was required in only 40% of the cases that would have been otherwise transported normally. Patients and their caregivers, nurses and physicians all expressed a high level of satisfaction with the remote presence technology and deemed it beneficial for improved patient care, workloads and job satisfaction. Conclusions These results show the feasibility of deploying a remote presence robot in a distant northern community and a high degree of satisfaction with the technology. Remote presence in the Canadian North has potential for delivering a cost-effective health care solution to underserviced communities reducing the need for the transport of patients and caregivers to distant referral centers. PMID:23984292

Participatory methods for Inuit public health promotion and programme evaluation in Nunatsiavut, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Saini, Manpreet

2017-01-01

Engaging stakeholders is crucial for health promotion and programme evaluations; understanding how to best engage stakeholders is less clear, especially within Indigenous communities. The objectives of this thesis research were to use participatory methods to: (1) co-develop and evaluate a whiteboard video for use as a public health promotion tool in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, and (2) develop and validate a framework for participatory evaluation of Inuit public health initiatives in Nunatsiavut, Labrador. Data collection tools included interactive workshops, community events, interviews, focus-group discussions and surveys. Results indicated the whiteboard video was an engaging and suitable medium for sharing public health messaging due to its contextually relevant elements. Participants identified 4 foundational evaluation framework components necessary to conduct appropriate evaluations, including: (1) community engagement, (2) collaborative evaluation development, (3) tailored evaluation data collection and (4) evaluation scope. This research illustrates stakeholder participation is critical to develop and evaluate contextually relevant public health initiatives in Nunatsiavut, Labrador and should be considered in other Indigenous communities.

Permafrost knowledge to serve as foundation for Inuit community planning

Science.gov (United States)

Gibéryen, T.; Allard, M.

2011-12-01

With the recent announcement of Québec's provincial government's Plan Nord, Nunavik will see a 500 new houses sweep onto it's territory over the next 5 years. The local Inuit communities are confronted with the pressuring need to find suitable land to safely accommodate the new infrastructures in the long term. Additional to human and environmental constraints are those related to warming permafrost. Intensive studies on four Nunavik communities (Inukjuak, Puvirnituq, Akulivik, Kangirsuk) have allowed us to extensively consult local and regional authorities on their planning and management considerations. Recent and archived drilling data have been used to corroborate air photo interpretation, surficial geology and permafrost mapping. All collected information are integrated into aggregated maps that will eventually serve as community master plans. General recommendations on how to best manage and plan for community expansions on warming permafrost are made. Appropriate engineering techniques assuring long-term stable foundations are outlined and additionally mapped, taking into consideration the variable terrain conditions and simulated changes in permafrost temperature and active layer thickness according to climate change scenarios. The final purpose of our results is for them to support local and regional governments in their community planning process towards the best possible climate change adaptation strategies.

An overview of the Ice Nuclei Research Unit Jungfraujoch/Cloud and Aerosol Characterization Experiment 2013 (INUIT-JFJ/CLACE-2013)

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Johannes

2014-05-01

Ice formation in mixed phase tropospheric clouds is an essential prerequisite for the formation of precipitation at mid-latitudes. Ice formation at temperatures warmer than -35°C is only possible via heterogeneous ice nucleation, but up to now the exact pathways of heterogeneous ice formation are not sufficiently well understood. The research unit INUIT (Ice NUcleation research unIT), funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG FOR 1525) has been established in 2012 with the objective to investigate heterogeneous ice nucleation by combination of laboratory studies, model calculation and field experiments. The main field campaign of the INUIT project (INUIT-JFJ) was conducted at the High Alpine Research Station Jungfraujoch (Swiss Alps, 3580 m asl) during January and February 2013, in collaboration with several international partners in the framework of CLACE2013. The instrumentation included a large set of aerosol chemical and physical analysis instruments (particle counters, particle sizers, particle mass spectrometers, cloud condensation nuclei counters, ice nucleus counters etc.), that were operated inside the Sphinx laboratory and sampled in mixed phase clouds through two ice selective inlets (Ice-CVI, ISI) as well as through a total aerosol inlet that was used for out-of-cloud aerosol measurements. Besides the on-line measurements, also samples for off-line analysis (ESEM, STXM) have been taken in and out of clouds. Furthermore, several cloud microphysics instruments were operated outside the Sphinx laboratory. First results indicate that a large fraction of ice residues sampled from mixed phase clouds contain organic material, but also mineral dust. Soot and lead were not found to be enriched in ice residues. The concentration of heterogeneous ice nuclei was found to be variable (ranging between 100 per liter) and to be strongly dependent on the operating conditions of the respective IN counter. The number size distribution of ice residues appears to

A systematic review of the effectiveness of school-based obesity prevention programmes for First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Godin, K; Leatherdale, S T; Elton-Marshall, T

2015-06-01

First Nations, Inuit and Métis (FNIM) youth are disproportionately affected by obesity and represent known a high-risk group in Canada. School-based prevention programmes may have the potential to effectively influence obesity-related health behaviours (i.e. healthy eating and physical activity) among this population. We conducted a systematic review of nine electronic databases (2003-2014) to identify studies that describe school-based programmes that have been developed to improve obesity-related health behaviours and outcomes among FNIM youth in Canada. The objectives of this review were to identify and evaluate the effectiveness of these programmes and assess the strength of the methodologies used to evaluate them. Fifteen studies, representing seven distinct interventions, met our inclusion criteria. The majority of these programmes did not result in significant improvements in outcomes related to obesity, healthy eating, or physical activity among FNIM youth. The studies varied in design rigour and use of evaluation activities. The lack of literature on effective school-based programmes for FNIM youth in Canada that target obesity-related outcomes highlights a priority area for future intervention development, evaluation and dissemination within the peer-reviewed literature. Further research is needed on interventions involving Métis and Inuit youth, secondary school-aged FNIM youth and FNIM youth living in urban settings. © 2015 World Obesity.

Family Violence and the Need for Prevention Research in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Communities1

Science.gov (United States)

Andersson, Neil; Nahwegahbow, Amy

2010-01-01

Existing sources produce widely varying estimates of family violence in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities; taken together, they imply a convincing if poorly quantified higher risk of family violence in Aboriginal communities, with the greater burden borne by women. With the accelerating HIV epidemic in some Aboriginal communities, prevention of domestic violence takes on even greater urgency. Five planks in a prevention research platform include: training emerging researchers from all Aboriginal groups to promote culturally specific research; systematic review of unpublished and published knowledge of interventions that reduce domestic violence; intervention theory development specific to each community; attention to the particular ethical issues; and methods development focused on interventions. PMID:20975851

The value of Inuit participation when conserving the common eider duck in Arctic Canada and Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gilchrist, Grant; Merkel, Flemming Ravn; Sonne, Christian

, Denmark, and northerners. This presentation will review the meaningful involvement and direct participation of Inuit during many aspects of historical and ongoing eider duck conservation efforts. These include studies that examined the sustainability of harvest, the establishment of new harvest......The northern common eider duck nests in the eastern Canadian Arctic and west Greenland, and migrates to winter in Atlantic Canada and southwest Greenland. The eider is harvested for its meat, feather down and eggs and its ongoing conservation is the shared responsibility of Canada, Greenland...... regulations, long term monitoring of breeding colonies in remote coastal locations, reporting on emerging disease epidemics, and ongoing field studies which examine the impacts of polar bear predation under changing sea ice conditions. This presentation will review how working relationships were established...

Overweight and Obesity Prevalence Among School-Aged Nunavik Inuit Children According to Three Body Mass Index Classification Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Medehouenou, Thierry Comlan Marc; Ayotte, Pierre; St-Jean, Audray; Meziou, Salma; Roy, Cynthia; Muckle, Gina; Lucas, Michel

2015-07-01

Little is known about the suitability of three commonly used body mass index (BMI) classification system for Indigenous children. This study aims to estimate overweight and obesity prevalence among school-aged Nunavik Inuit children according to International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and World Health Organization (WHO) BMI classification systems, to measure agreement between those classification systems, and to investigate whether BMI status as defined by these classification systems is associated with levels of metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers. Data were collected on 290 school-aged children (aged 8-14 years; 50.7% girls) from the Nunavik Child Development Study with data collected in 2005-2010. Anthropometric parameters were measured and blood sampled. Participants were classified as normal weight, overweight, and obese according to BMI classification systems. Weighted kappa (κw) statistics assessed agreement between different BMI classification systems, and multivariate analysis of variance ascertained their relationship with metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers. The combined prevalence rate of overweight/obesity was 26.9% (with 6.6% obesity) with IOTF, 24.1% (11.0%) with CDC, and 40.4% (12.8%) with WHO classification systems. Agreement was the highest between IOTF and CDC (κw = .87) classifications, and substantial for IOTF and WHO (κw = .69) and for CDC and WHO (κw = .73). Insulin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein plasma levels were significantly higher from normal weight to obesity, regardless of classification system. Among obese subjects, higher insulin level was observed with IOTF. Compared with other systems, IOTF classification appears to be more specific to identify overweight and obesity in Inuit children. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cardiac autonomic activity and blood pressure among Nunavik Inuit adults exposed to environmental mercury: a cross-sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Poirier Paul

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mercury is a contaminant that reaches high levels in Nunavik (North of Quebec. It is transformed into methylmercury (MeHg and accumulated in marine mammals and predator fish, an important part of the traditional Inuit diet. MeHg has been suggested to affect BP in adults and children while the influence on HRV has only been studied in children. We aimed to assess the impact of MeHg levels on HRV and BP in Inuit adults from Nunavik. Methods In the fall of 2004, the «Qanuippitaa?» Health Survey was conducted in Nunavik (Quebec, Canada and information on HRV was collected among 280 adults aged 40 years and older. Indicators of the time and frequency domains of HRV were derived from a 2-hour Holter recording. BP was measured according to the Canadian Coalition for High Blood Pressure technique. Pulse pressure (PP was the difference between systolic (SBP and diastolic blood pressure (DBP. Blood mercury concentration was used as exposure biomarker. Statistical analysis was conducted through linear regression and multivariable linear regression was used to control for confounders. Results Mercury was negatively correlated with low frequency (LF (r = -0.18; p = 0.02, the standard deviation of RR intervals (SDNN (r = -0.14; p = 0.047 and the coefficient of variation of RR intervals (CVRR (r = -0.18; p = 0.011 while correlations with other HRV parameters did not reach statistical significance. After adjusting for confounders, the association with LF (beta = -0.006; p = 0.93 became non significant. However, the association with SDANN became statistically significant (beta = -0.086; p = 0.026 and CVRR tended to decrease with blood mercury concentrations (beta = -0.057; p = 0.056. Mercury was positively correlated with SBP (r = 0.25; p Conclusion The results of this study suggest a deleterious impact of mercury on BP and HRV in adults. SBP and PP increased with blood mercury concentrations while SDANN decreased with blood mercury

Shifting Perspectives and Practices: Teacher Candidates’ Experiences of a First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Infusion in Mainstream Teacher Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa Marilyn Fern Blimkie

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This exploratory case study shares teacher candidates’ perspectives and experiences of the First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Infusion at ABC University’s Faculty of Education field site in XYZ, Ontario. For this initiative, Aboriginal content and pedagogies were infused throughout placements and courses of the mainstream teacher education program. Teacher candidates shared that the Infusion prepared them to teach Aboriginal content in culturally respectful and meaningful ways by providing them with a foundation to build on and helping them to develop teaching practices inclusive of diverse ways of knowing and being in the world. These findings may be useful to other educators developing and implementing their own infusion initiatives.

Identification of a novel BRCA1 nucleotide 4803delCC/c.4684delCC mutation and a nucleotide 249T>A/c.130T>A (p.Cys44Ser) mutation in two Greenlandic Inuit families

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Thomas van Overeem; Jønson, Lars; Albrechtsen, Anders

2010-01-01

Germ-line mutations in the tumour suppressor proteins BRCA1 and BRCA2 predispose to breast and ovarian cancer. We have recently identified a Greenlandic Inuit BRCA1 nucleotide 234T>G/c.115T>G (p.Cys39Gly) founder mutation, which at that time was the only disease-causing BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation...... identified in this population. Here, we describe the identification of a novel disease-causing BRCA1 nucleotide 4803delCC/c.4684delCC mutation in a Greenlandic Inuit with ovarian cancer. The mutation introduces a frameshift and a premature stop at codon 1572. We have also identified a BRCA1 nucleotide 249T......>A/c.130T>A (p.Cys44Ser) mutation in another Greenlandic individual with ovarian cancer. This patient share a 1-2 Mb genomic fragment, containing the BRCA1 gene, with four Danish families harbouring the same mutation, suggesting that the 249T>A/c.130T>A (p.Cys44Ser) mutation originates from a Danish...

Using Soluble Transferrin Receptor and Taking Inflammation into Account When Defining Serum Ferritin Cutoffs Improved the Diagnosis of Iron Deficiency in a Group of Canadian Preschool Inuit Children from Nunavik

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huguette Turgeon O’Brien

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The prevalence of iron depletion, iron deficient erythropoiesis (IDE, and iron deficiency anemia (IDA was assessed in preschool Inuit children using soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR and traditional indicators of iron status while disregarding or taking inflammation into account when defining SF cutoffs. Iron depletion was defined as follows: (1 SF 5 mg/L, respectively. IDE corresponded to iron depletion combined with total iron binding capacity > 72 μmol/L and/or transferrin saturation < 16%. Iron depletion and IDE affected almost half of the children when accounting for inflammation, compared to one-third when the SF cutoff was defined regardless of CRP level (P<0.0001. The prevalence of IDE adjusted for inflammation (45.1% was very similar to the prevalence observed when sTfR was used as a sole marker of IDE (47.4%. The prevalence of anemia was 15%. The prevalence of IDA (IDE + hemoglobin < 110 g/L was higher when accounting for than when disregarding inflammation (8.0% versus 6.2%, P=0.083. Using sTfR and different SF cutoffs for children with versus without inflammation improved the diagnosis of iron depletion and IDE. Our results confirm that Inuit children are at particularly high risk for iron deficiency.

Serum levels of perfluorinated compounds and sperm Y:X chromosome ratio in two European populations and in Inuit from Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kvist, Linus; Giwercman, Yvonne Lundberg; Jönsson, Bo A G

2012-01-01

and PFOS were measured in 607 men from Greenland, Poland and Ukraine using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Data was analyzed by linear and nonlinear regression. We observed no associations between PFOA and Y:X ratio (p=0.845 in a linear model, p=0.296 in a nonlinear model). A positive......This study investigated whether perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), which exhibit reproductive toxicity in experimental animals, affect sperm sex chromosome ratio. The Y:X ratio was determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Serum concentrations of PFOA...... nonlinear association between PFOS and Y:X ratio was observed (p=0.016), with no association in a linear model (p=0.118). Analyzing the populations separately, a negative trend between categorized PFOS exposure and Y:X ratio was observed for the Inuit (B=-0.002, p=0.044). In conclusion, there was a negative...

Arctic Operations: Don’t Forget Cultural Intelligence

Science.gov (United States)

2014-05-15

26 Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, “The Inuit Way: A Guide to Inuit Culture,” 2006: 4. Accessed 18 April 2014, http://www.uqar.ca/files/boreas...Russia." Accessed 27 April 2014. http://www.iwgia.org/regions/arctic/russia. Inuit Circumpolar Council. "ICC Charter." Accessed 30 March 2014...28/Documents/2014 NC SASC Posture Statement.pdf. Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada. “The Inuit Way: A Guide to Inuit Culture.” last modified

Comparative Eskimo Dictionary with Aleut Cognates.

Science.gov (United States)

Fortescue, Michael, Ed.; And Others

This dictionary covers 10 Eskimo dialects (Alutiiq, Central Alaskan Yupik, Naukan, Central Siberian Yupik, Sirenik, Seward Peninsula Inuit, North Alaskan Inuit, Western Canadian Inuit, Eastern Canadian Inuit, Greenlandic Inuit). An introductory section details the classification of languages and dialects and their phonologies, and discusses the…

Relationships between sperm DNA fragmentation, sperm apoptotic markers and serum levels of CB-153 and p,p'-DDE in European and Inuit populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stronati, A; Manicardi, G C; Cecati, M

2006-01-01

Persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs) are suspected to interfere with hormone activity and the normal homeostasis of spermatogenesis. We investigated the relationships between sperm DNA fragmentation, apoptotic markers identified on ejaculated spermatozoa and POP levels in the blood of 652...... adult males (200 Inuits from Greenland, 166 Swedish, 134 Polish and 152 Ukrainian). Serum levels of 2, 2', 4, 4', 5, 5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153), as a proxy of the total POP burden, and of 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p'-DDE), as a proxy of the total DDT exposure were determined...... neither sperm DNA fragmentation nor apoptotic sperm parameters and the large variations in POPs exposure was observed for the separate study groups. However, considering the European populations taken together, we showed that both %TUNEL positivity and Bcl-xL were related to CB-153 serum levels, whereas...

Inuit women's attitudes and experiences towards cervical cancer and prevention strategies in Nunavik, Quebec

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helen Cerigo

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To describe the attitudes about and experiences with cervical cancer, Pap smear screenings and the HPV vaccine among a sample of Inuit women from Nunavik, Quebec, Canada. We also evaluated demographic and social predictors of maternal interest in HPV vaccination. Study design: A mixed method design was used with a cross-sectional survey and focus group interviews. Methods: Women were recruited through convenience sampling at 2 recruitment sites in Nunavik from March 2008 to June 2009. Differences in women's responses by age, education, and marital status were assessed. Unconditional logistic regression was used to determine predictors of women's interest in HPV vaccination for their children. Results: Questionnaires were completed by 175 women aged 18–63, and of these women a total of 6 women aged 31–55 participated in 2 focus groups. Almost half the survey participants had heard of cervical cancer. Women often reported feelings of embarrassment and pain during the Pap smear and older women were more likely to feel embarrassed than younger women. Only 27% of women had heard of the HPV vaccine, and 72% of these women were interested in vaccinating their child for HPV. No statistically significant predictors of maternal interest in HPV vaccination were found. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that health service planners and providers in Nunavik should be aware of potential barriers to Pap smear attendance, especially in the older age groups. Given the low awareness of cervical cancer, the Pap smear and the HPV vaccine, education on cervical cancer and prevention strategies may be beneficial.

“There’s No Book and There’s No Guide”: The Expressed Needs of Qallunaat Educators in Nunavut

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junita Ross Epp

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Non-Inuit educators in five communities in Nunavut expressed frustration with: a the lack of culturally relevant curriculum and resources, b the unsuitability of the materials for students whose first language is Inuktitut, and c their own lack of preparation for culturally appropriate teaching of Inuit students. Although these are symptomatic of larger problems, the creation of culturally relevant, ESL-sensitive curriculum and resources, an orientation to Inuit culture and teaching in Nunavut, and increased inservicing would help non-Inuit teachers teach Inuit students.

“There’s No Book and There’s No Guide”: The Expressed Needs of Qallunaat Educators in Nunavut

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Berger

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Non-Inuit educators in five communities in Nunavut expressed frustration about the lack of culturally relevant curriculum and resources, the unsuitability of these materials for students whose first language is Inuktitut, and their own lack of ability to teach Inuit students effectively. Although these are symptomatic of larger problems, we recommend that the Nunavut Department of Education prioritize the creation of culturally relevant, ESL-sensitive curriculum and resources, institute an orientation to Inuit culture for all non-Inuit teachers, and provide regular inservicing to help them teach Inuit students effectively.

Physical activity patterns in Greenland: A country in transition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahl-Petersen, Inger; Jørgensen, Marit E; Bjerregaard, Peter

2011-01-01

To examine differences in physical activity patterns among Inuit in Greenland in relation to social transition. The Inuit in Greenland are an indigenous population in the circumpolar north who are experiencing rapid social transition.......To examine differences in physical activity patterns among Inuit in Greenland in relation to social transition. The Inuit in Greenland are an indigenous population in the circumpolar north who are experiencing rapid social transition....

Consumption of traditional food and adherence to nutrition recommendations in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jeppesen, Charlotte; Bjerregaard, Peter

2012-01-01

The purpose was to study the composition of the Inuit diet, to assess the adherence to nutritional recommendations among the Inuit in Greenland, and to discuss the potential role of traditional food in improving dietary quality.......The purpose was to study the composition of the Inuit diet, to assess the adherence to nutritional recommendations among the Inuit in Greenland, and to discuss the potential role of traditional food in improving dietary quality....

In-situ single particle composition analysis of free tropospheric ice nuclei and ice residues in mixed-phase clouds during INUIT-JFJ 2013

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Susan; Schneider, Johannes; Thomas, Klimach; Stephan, Mertes; Ludwig, Schenk; Udo, Kästner; Frank, Stratmann; Joachim, Curtius; Piotr, Kupiszewski; Ernest, Weingartner; Emanuel, Hammer; Paul, Vochezer; Martin, Schnaiter; Stephan, Borrmann

2014-05-01

In the framework of the DFG (deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)-funded research unit INUIT (Ice Nuclei research UnIT) a field campaign at the High Alpine Research Station Jungfraujoch (JFJ, Swiss Alps, Sphinx Laboratory, 3580 m asl; 7°59'2''E, 46°32'53''N) took place in January/February 2013 (INUIT-JFJ 2013). The goal of the measurements was to investigate the chemical composition of ice particle residues (IPR) in ambient air as well as the background aerosol particles. Previous investigations conducted at the JFJ showed that particles consisting of mineral components dominate the ice particle residue number (Kamphus et al., 2008) but also particles consisting of black carbon were found to be enriched in IPR (Mertes et al., 2007; Cozic et al., 2008). Cziczo et al. find out that lead as well is a good ice nucleus and was measured in IPR at previous measurements at the JFJ. During INUIT-JFJ 2013, the IPR were sampled out of mixed-phase clouds by an Ice-CVI (Ice Counterflow Virtual Impactor, Mertes et al., 2007) and an ISI (Ice Selective Inlet, Kupiszewski et al., 2013) and analyzed by the single particle mass spectrometer ALABAMA (Aircraft-based Laser Ablation Aerosol Mass Spectrometer; Brands et al., 2011). Additionally, the ALABAMA was connected to a total aerosol-inlet to investigate the chemical composition of background aerosol particles. During 217 hours of background aerosol measurements we analyzed more than 27000 aerosol particles, which consisted mainly of pure organic components or organics mixed with ammonium, metals or mineral components. During six cloud events with approximately 63 h measurement time we detected 162 IPR sampled by the Ice-CVI. The main part of these IPR were also composed of organic material mixed with other chemical compounds. Additionally, we found particles which consisted of mineral components (approximately 23 %). Sampling mixed-phase cloud through the ISI we measured during four cloud events 34 ice residues in approximately 30 h

Tailoring and field-testing the use of a knowledge translation peer support shared decision making strategy with First Nations, Inuit and Métis people making decisions about their cancer care: a study protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Jull, Janet; Mazereeuw, Maegan; Sheppard, Amanada; Kewayosh, Alethea; Steiner, Richard; Graham, Ian D

2018-01-01

Tailoring and testing a peer support decision making strategy with First Nations, Inuit and Métis people making decisions about their cancer care: A study protocol.First Nations, Inuit and Métis (FNIM) people face higher risks for cancer compared to non-FNIM populations. They also face cultural barriers to health service use. Within non-FNIM populations an approach to health decision making, called shared decision making (SDM), has been found to improve the participation of people in their healthcare. Peer support with SDM further improves these benefits. The purpose of this study is to tailor and test a peer support SDM strategy with community support workers to increase FNIM people's participation in their cancer care.This project has two phases that will be designed and conducted with a Steering Committee that includes members of the FNIM and cancer care communities. First, a peer support SDM strategy will be tailored to meet the needs of cancer system users who are receiving care in urban settings, and training in the SDM strategy developed for community support workers. Three communities will be supported for participation in the study and community support workers who are peers from each community will be trained to use the SDM strategy.Next, each community support worker will work with a community member who has a diagnosis of cancer or who has supported a family member with cancer. Each community support worker and community member pair will use the SDM strategy. The participation and experience of the community support worker and community member will be evaluated.The research will be used to develop strategies to support people who are making decisions about their health. Tailoring and field-testing the use of a knowledge translation peer support shared decision making strategy with First Nations, Inuit and Métis people making decisions about their cancer care: A study protocol Background First Nations, Inuit and Métis ("FNIM") people face increased

Adolescence and changing family relations in the Central Canadian Arctic.

Science.gov (United States)

Condon, R G

1990-04-01

This paper reports on a ten-year longitudinal study of adolescent development and socialization conducted in the Copper Inuit community of Holman. This research has documented how demographic, social, and economic changes have dramatically altered the patterning and sequencing of traditional Inuit life stages, thus giving rise to a prolonged adolescent life stage which was non-existent in the precontact period. At the same time, Inuit family relations have undergone drastic changes as a result of population increase, population concentration, access to government housing, introduction of formal schooling, and the availability of social subsides. Today, the Copper Inuit family has lost its focus as the primary agent of socialization and learning, and many young Inuit now spend most of their time within the context of a greatly expanded peer group which has gradually acquired the values and aspirations of the southern adolescent sub-culture. This paper will discuss the impact of these changing attitudes upon parent-child relations as well as the social adjustment problems experienced by young Inuit as they strive to find a place in the North's changing social landscape.

Dietary exposure to persistent organic pollutants and metals among Inuit and Chukchi in Russian Arctic Chukotka

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexey A. Dudarev

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Objectives. The general aim was to assess dietary exposure to selected persistent organic pollutants (POPs and metals among Eskimo (Inuit and Chukchi of the Chukotka Peninsula of the Russian Arctic, and to establish recommendations for exposure risk reduction. Study design. A cross-sectional evaluation of nutritional patterns of coastal and inland indigenous peoples of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (in 2001–2003; assessment of the levels of persistent toxic substances (PTSs in traditional foods and their comparison to Russian food safety limits; the identification of local sources of food contamination; and the recommendation and implementation of risk management measures. Methods. Community-based dietary survey of self reported food frequencies (453 persons, chemical analyses (POPs and metals of local foods and indoor matters (397 samples, substantiation of recommendations for daily (weekly, monthly intakes of traditional food. Results. POPs in traditional food items are generally below the Russian food safety limits except marine mammal fat, while Hg and Cd are high mainly in mammal viscera. Lead is relatively low in tissues of all animals studied. For the Chukotka coastal communities, seals constitute the principal source of the whole suite of PTSs considered. Consumption restrictions are recommended for marine and freshwater fish, some wild meats (waterfowl and seal, fats (whale and seal, liver (most animals and kidney (reindeer, walrus and seal. Evidence is presented that contamination of foodstuffs may be significantly increased during storing/processing/cooking of food due to indoor and outdoor environmental conditions. Conclusions. Based on the analytical findings and the local PTSs sources identified, guidelines on food safety are suggested, as well as measures to reduce food contamination and domestic and local sources. Important and urgent remedial actions are recommended to minimize PTSs environmental and domestic contamination

Traditional food consumption is associated with higher nutrient intakes in Inuit children attending childcare centres in Nunavik

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doris Gagné

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Objectives. To describe traditional food (TF consumption and to evaluate its impact on nutrient intakes of preschool Inuit children from Nunavik. Design. A cross-sectional study. Methods. Dietary intakes of children were assessed with a single 24-hour recall (n=217. TF consumption at home and at the childcare centres was compared. Differences in children's nutrient intakes when consuming or not consuming at least 1 TF item were examined using ANCOVA. Results. A total of 245 children attending childcare centres in 10 communities of Nunavik were recruited between 2006 and 2010. The children's mean age was 25.0±9.6 months (11–54 months. Thirty-six percent of children had consumed at least 1 TF item on the day of the recall. TF contributed to 2.6% of total energy intake. Caribou and Arctic char were the most reported TF species. Land animals and fish/shellfish were the main contributors to energy intake from TF (38 and 33%, respectively. In spite of a low TF intake, children who consumed TF had significantly (p<0.05 higher intakes of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, phosphorus, zinc, copper, selenium, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, and vitamin B12, and lower intakes of energy and carbohydrate compared with non-consumers. There was no significant difference in any of the socio-economic variables between children who consumed TF and those who did not. Conclusion. Although TF was not eaten much, it contributed significantly to the nutrient intakes of children. Consumption of TF should be encouraged as it provides many nutritional, economic, and sociocultural benefits.

Arctic Planning Scenarios: Scenario #1: Defence Scenario

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-01

Strategy by the following observers: Inuit Circumpolar Conference, Nordic Saami Council, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR...on the American continent not hitherto annexed to any colony” by the United Kingdom in 1880; and the “presence of Inuit and other indigenous...Ottawa and New York on the plight of Canada’s Inuit . Scenes of First Nations diaspora protesting outside of Canada against the government in Ottawa

The effect of an extreme and prolonged population bottleneck on patterns of deleterious variation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Casper-Emil Tingskov; Lohmueller, Kirk E.; Grarup, Niels

2017-01-01

The genetic consequences of population bottlenecks on patterns of deleterious genetic variation in human populations are of tremendous interest. Based on exome sequencing of 18 Greenlandic Inuit we show that the Inuit have undergone a severe ∼20,000-year-long bottleneck. This has led to a markedly...... more extreme distribution of allele frequencies than seen for any other human population tested to date, making the Inuit the perfect population for investigating the effect of a bottleneck on patterns of deleterious variation. When comparing proxies for genetic load that assume an additive effect...... of deleterious alleles, the Inuit show, at most, a slight increase in load compared to European, East Asian, and African populations. Specifically, we observe

Water systems, sanitation, and public health risks in remote communities: Inuit resident perspectives from the Canadian Arctic.

Science.gov (United States)

Daley, Kiley; Castleden, Heather; Jamieson, Rob; Furgal, Chris; Ell, Lorna

2015-06-01

Safe drinking water and wastewater sanitation are universally recognized as critical components of public health. It is well documented that a lack of access to these basic services results in millions of preventable deaths each year among vulnerable populations. Water and wastewater technologies and management practices are frequently tailored to local environmental conditions. Also important, but often overlooked in water management planning, are the social, cultural and economic contexts in which services are provided. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify and understand residents' perceptions of the functionality of current water and wastewater sanitation systems in one vulnerable context, that of a remote Arctic Aboriginal community (Coral Harbour, Nunavut), and to identify potential future water related health risks. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 Inuit residents and 9 key informants in 2011 and 2012. Findings indicate that the population's rapid transition from a semi-nomadic hunting and gathering lifestyle to permanent settlements with municipally provided utilities is influencing present-day water usage patterns, public health perceptions, and the level of priority decision-makers place on water and wastewater management issues. Simultaneously environmental, social and cultural conditions conducive to increased human exposure to waterborne health risks were also found to exist and may be increasing in the settlements. While water and wastewater system design decisions are often based on best practices proven suitable in similar environmental conditions, this study reinforces the argument for inclusion of social, cultural, and economic variables in such decisions, particularly in remote and economically challenged contexts in Canada or elsewhere around the world. The results also indicate that the addition of qualitative data about water and wastewater systems users' behaviours to technical knowledge of systems and

Canada’s 2009 Northern Strategy: Cold War Policy in a Warming Arctic

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-19

more harm than benefit to Northern peoples like the Inuit , the people most directly affected by Arctic activities. They argue there is no immediate...waterways of the Arctic Archipelago, the Canadian government re-settled eight native Inuit families from northern Quebec to Resolute Bay and Grise Ford...76 Initially the re-location was claimed to be a humanitarian effort intended to save the lives of starving Inuit by providing them with new

Impact of the Healthy Foods North nutrition intervention program on Inuit and Inuvialuit food consumption and preparation methods in Canadian Arctic communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolahdooz, Fariba; Pakseresht, Mohammadreza; Mead, Erin; Beck, Lindsay; Corriveau, André; Sharma, Sangita

2014-07-04

The 12-month Healthy Foods North intervention program was developed to improve diet among Inuit and Inuvialuit living in Arctic Canada and assess the impact of the intervention established for the communities. A quasi-experimental study randomly selected men and women (≥19 years of age) in six remote communities in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. Validated quantitative food frequency and adult impact questionnaires were used. Four communities received the intervention and two communities served as delayed intervention controls. Pre- and post-intervention changes in frequency of/total intake of de-promoted food groups and healthiness of cooking methods were determined. The impact of the intervention was assessed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Post-intervention data were analysed in the intervention (n = 221) and control (n = 111) communities, with participant retention rates of 91% for Nunavut and 83% for the Northwest Territories. There was a significant decrease in de-promoted foods, such as high fat meats (-27.9 g) and high fat dairy products (-19.8 g) among intervention communities (all p ≤ 0.05). The use of healthier preparation methods significantly increased (14.7%) in intervention communities relative to control communities. This study highlights the importance of using a community-based, multi-institutional nutrition intervention program to decrease the consumption of unhealthy foods and the use of unhealthy food preparation methods.

Community-based Participatory Process – Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program for Northern First Nations and Inuit in Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diane McClymont Peace

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Health Canada's Program for Climate Change and Health Adaptation in Northern First Nation and Inuit Communities is unique among Canadian federal programs in that it enables community-based participatory research by northern communities. Study design: The program was designed to build capacity by funding communities to conduct their own research in cooperation with Aboriginal associations, academics, and governments; that way, communities could develop health-related adaptation plans and communication materials that would help in adaptation decision-making at the community, regional, national and circumpolar levels with respect to human health and a changing environment. Methods: Community visits and workshops were held to familiarize northerners with the impacts of climate change on their health, as well as methods to develop research proposals and budgets to meet program requirements. Results: Since the launch of the Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program in 2008, Health Canada has funded 36 community projects across Canada's North that focus on relevant health issues caused by climate change. In addition, the program supported capacity-building workshops for northerners, as well as a Pan-Arctic Results Workshop to bring communities together to showcase the results of their research. Results include: numerous films and photo-voice products that engage youth and elders and are available on the web; community-based ice monitoring, surveillance and communication networks; and information products on land, water and ice safety, drinking water, food security and safety, and traditional medicine. Conclusions: Through these efforts, communities have increased their knowledge and understanding of the health effects related to climate change and have begun to develop local adaptation strategies.

Community-based Participatory Process – Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program for Northern First Nations and Inuit in Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Peace, Diane McClymont; Myers, Erin

2012-01-01

Objectives Health Canada's Program for Climate Change and Health Adaptation in Northern First Nation and Inuit Communities is unique among Canadian federal programs in that it enables community-based participatory research by northern communities. Study design The program was designed to build capacity by funding communities to conduct their own research in cooperation with Aboriginal associations, academics, and governments; that way, communities could develop health-related adaptation plans and communication materials that would help in adaptation decision-making at the community, regional, national and circumpolar levels with respect to human health and a changing environment. Methods Community visits and workshops were held to familiarize northerners with the impacts of climate change on their health, as well as methods to develop research proposals and budgets to meet program requirements. Results Since the launch of the Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program in 2008, Health Canada has funded 36 community projects across Canada's North that focus on relevant health issues caused by climate change. In addition, the program supported capacity-building workshops for northerners, as well as a Pan-Arctic Results Workshop to bring communities together to showcase the results of their research. Results include: numerous films and photo-voice products that engage youth and elders and are available on the web; community-based ice monitoring, surveillance and communication networks; and information products on land, water and ice safety, drinking water, food security and safety, and traditional medicine. Conclusions Through these efforts, communities have increased their knowledge and understanding of the health effects related to climate change and have begun to develop local adaptation strategies. PMID:22584509

Assessment of consumption of marine food in Greenland by a food frequency questionnaire and biomarkers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jeppesen, Charlotte; Jørgensen, Marit Eika; Bjerregaard, Peter

2012-01-01

We studied the association and agreement between questionnaire data and biomarkers of marine food among Greenland Inuit.......We studied the association and agreement between questionnaire data and biomarkers of marine food among Greenland Inuit....

Genetics Home Reference: carnitine palmitoyltransferase I deficiency

Science.gov (United States)

... may be more common in the Hutterite and Inuit populations. Related Information What information about a genetic ... palmitoyltransferase IA polymorphism P479L is common in Greenland Inuit and is associated with elevated plasma apolipoprotein A- ...

Qanuqtuurniq—finding the balance: an IPY television series using community engagement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine L. Carry

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The three-part television broadcast Qanuqtuurniq—finding the balance was an International Polar Year communications and outreach project concerning Inuit health and wellness. The goal of this project was to engage the Inuit public and others in “real-time” dialogue about health and wellness issues and health research, and to deliver key messages. It was aired live in the Inuit language (with English captions/sub-titles from Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada, in May 2009 and simultaneously webcast. Qanuqtuurniq—finding the balance used an Inuit communications model for remote communities that was developed in the Arctic in 1994 by the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation/Inuit Communications. In Qanuqtuurniq—finding the balance more than 250 people were engaged through the use of a diverse range of methods, including content working groups, stakeholder input, music recordings, pre-recorded community programme videos, live and public screening of the broadcasts, live panels, live audiences, public phone-ins, Skype video-conferencing and real-time online chat, focus groups and e-mail. This article examines the project in light of the principles of “community engagement”, demonstrating that Qanuqtuurniq—finding the balance exemplifies community engagement in a number of significant ways, including heavily involving community members in the selection of the health theme content of the televised programmes and through the formation of focus groups. Based on challenges encountered during the Qanuqtuurniq—finding the balance project, the article offers recommendations for future projects.

Choix langagiers dans la capitale du Nunavut

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Louis-Jacques Dorais

2003-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract This article describes some elements of the linguistic behaviour of Inuit living in Iqaluit, the capital of the new territory of Nunavut. By observing linguistic interaction in 45 households and interviewing 50 Inuit adults from Iqaluit, we elucidate the nature of language choice (between Inuktitut and English with regards to various categories of interlocutors: parents, children, spouse, brothers and sisters, friends, co-workers. These choices showthe prevalence of bilingualism among speakers under 50 years of age as well as the importance of Inuktitut, which is the language of preference for addressing young children and elders and for discussing specially valued topics. It may be concluded that the Inuit in Iqaluit live in a situation of diglossia, but that this diglossia is moderated by the high value attributed to Inuktitut as a basic element and marker of Inuit identity.

Science, politics, and identity in northern research ethics licensing.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Scott, Lisa-Jo K

2012-02-01

The Nunavut Research Institute (NRI) is the ethics board that licenses all research conducted in Nunavut, Canada. The NRI is a gate-keeping institution that mediates the interaction of Inuit knowledge systems (presented as experientially based and orally communicated) and researchers (perceived as practicing harsh rationality communicated through inscription). The NRI works to discipline Southern ways of knowing into something more culturally appropriate for the Inuit, but at the same time also disciplines Inuit ways of knowing, creating a paradox even as the Inuit struggle to protect their cultural identity, which has been subject to a history of judgment and cultural appropriation. This article identifies three effects of this paradox on the NRI; the NRI takes on, first, a rigorousness in licensing; second, an emphasis on maximizing benefits to the community; and third, the role of defender of local knowledge.

Statistical model estimating the occurrence of otitis media from temporal bone pneumatization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Homøe, P; Lynnerup, N; Rasmussen, N

1994-01-01

In order to investigate the relationship between the pneumatization of temporal bones and the occurrence of otitis media in Greenlandic Inuit, 36 Greenlandic Inuit were examined by radiography of the temporal bones. The pneumatized cell area was measured planimetrically. All subjects answered...

Questions of Identity and Self Determination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dybbroe, Susanne

1996-01-01

This essay on Inuit identity seeks to describe identity in terms of individual experience and of collective processes. These two elements are subsequently put into relation with the political situation of contemporary Inuit, particularly with their quest for self-determination. The author conclud...

Concentration of organochlorines in human brain, liver, and adipose tissue autopsy samples from Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dewailly, Éric; Mulvad, Gert; Pedersen, Henning S.

1999-01-01

Organochlorines are persistent lipophilic compounds that accumulate in Inuit people living in circumpolar countries. Organochlorines accumulate as a result of the Inuits' large consumption of sea mammal fat; however, available data are limited to blood lipids, milk fat, and adipose tissue. We rep...

Shared decision-making and health for First Nations, Métis and Inuit women: a study protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jull Janet

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Little is known about shared decision-making (SDM with Métis, First Nations and Inuit women (“Aboriginal women”. SDM is a collaborative process that engages health care professional(s and the client in making health decisions and is fundamental for informed consent and patient-centred care. The objective of this study is to explore Aboriginal women’s health and social decision-making needs and to engage Aboriginal women in culturally adapting an SDM approach. Methods Using participatory research principles and guided by a postcolonial theoretical lens, the proposed mixed methods research will involve three phases. Phase I is an international systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions for Aboriginal peoples’ health decision-making. Developed following dialogue with key stakeholders, proposed methods are guided by the Cochrane handbook and include a comprehensive search, screening by two independent researchers, and synthesis of findings. Phases II and III will be conducted in collaboration with Minwaashin Lodge and engage an urban Aboriginal community of women in an interpretive descriptive qualitative study. In Phase II, 10 to 13 Aboriginal women will be interviewed to explore their health/social decision-making experiences. The interview guide is based on the Ottawa Decision Support Framework and previous decisional needs assessments, and as appropriate may be adapted to findings from the systematic review. Digitally-recorded interviews will be transcribed verbatim and analyzed inductively to identify participant decision-making approaches and needs when making health/social decisions. In Phase III, there will be cultural adaptation of an SDM facilitation tool, the Ottawa Personal Decision Guide, by two focus groups consisting of five to seven Aboriginal women. The culturally adapted guide will undergo usability testing through individual interviews with five to six women who are about to make a health

Search Results | Page 66 | IDRC - International Development ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2012-04-01

Results 651 - 660 of 8531 ... Inuit food security : vulnerability of the traditional food system to climatic extremes during winter 2010/2011 in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Broader social determinants such as poverty have a greater influence on Inuit food security. Published date. April 1, 2012. Studies.

One Sings...the Other Doesn't: The Role of Ritual in Stories about Native Americans.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Georgia

1995-01-01

Explores two popular novels about Inuit culture, "Julie of the Wolves," and "Dogsong," written by outsiders to the culture. Focuses on the concept of coming-of-age as a culturally specific concept. Notes that the two texts represent contradictory images of Inuit beliefs and practices. (RS)

Vulnerability to climate change in the Arctic: a case study from Arctic Bay, Canada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ford, J.D.; Smit, B.; Wandel, J. [University of Guelph, Ontario (Canada). Department of Geography

2006-05-15

This paper develops a vulnerability-based approach to characterize the human implications of climate change in Arctic Bay, Canada. It focuses on community vulnerabilities associated with resource harvesting and the processes through which people adapt to them in the context of livelihood assets, constraints, and outside influences. Inuit in Arctic Bay have demonstrated significant adaptability in the face of changing climate-related exposures. This adaptability is facilitated by traditional Inuit knowledge, strong social networks, flexibility in seasonal hunting cycles, some modern technologies, and economic support. Changing Inuit livelihoods, however, have undermined certain aspects of adaptive capacity, and have resulted in emerging vulnerabilities in certain sections of the community. (author)

Underwater Sensor System 2009 Field Trial Report

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-01

31 Jul Milne, Wile, O’Grady, Clark, Tremblay travel to Ottawa and begin work at First Air who are loading a chartered Inuit Air 737. 1 Aug Hutt...Clark, and Tremblay board the chartered Inuit Air 737 for Resolute. 3 Aug Taylor, Hutt, Rouleau, Pelavas, Durling, Heard, Wile, O’Grady, Clark, and

Coast Guard Proceedings. Volume 70, Number 2, Summer 2013

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

and well-being. Most Inuit are coastal people who rely heavily on resources from the ocean for nutritional and cultural survival. The Inuit are a...defend a soccer ball from a crewmember of the Russian vessel Vorovsky at the Coast Guard gym at Base Kodiak, Alaska. U.S. Coast Guard photo by

"Strange Things Happen to Non-Christian People": Human-Animal Transformation among the Inupiat of Arctic Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Cassady, Joslyn

2008-01-01

Inuit myths, folklore, and material culture are filled with examples of people who turn into animals. Margaret Lantis, a well-known Eskimologist of the mid-twentieth century, once commented that human-animal transformation in Inuit mythology had an "immediacy and a reality" that was unknown in other parts of the world. It is hard to…

On thin ice: the fight over health and safety concerns, Inuit birthright quotas and allegations of a cover-up at the Arctic's most toxic waste site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vitello, C.

2000-01-01

An account is given of working conditions and occupational safety hazards in decontaminating the most toxic waste site in the Canadian Arctic at Resolution Island in Nunavut which was the site of a former American military base. Its peacetime legacy is a mix of hazardous chemicals and contaminated soil, including the highest polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) levels in the north of the 69th Parallel - up to 8,000 parts per million. The US military abandoned the site and left behind huge diesel tanks, residential buildings, equipment, furniture, electrical capacitors and transformers. The plans for decontamination were to remove the contaminants that are leaching into the soil and water, especially those that contain PCBs. The island contains approximately 4,000 cubic m of soil contaminated with PCBs at concentrations above the federal limit of 50 ppm. There was an emphasis on hiring native Inuit staff and disagreements occurred about numerous health and safety violations as well as questions concerning the qualifications of management personnel to oversee the cleanup. Examples of such violations are cited in relation to charges about inadequate employee qualifications. A critical safety report stated that the on-site communications methods were not sufficiently systematic, effective or understood, and that improvements were needed. Incidents of safety accidents and hazards are cited, as well as allegations of a federal government report as an attempt to cover up the problems.

Dietary adequacy of vitamin D and calcium among Inuit and Inuvialuit women of child-bearing age in Arctic Canada: a growing concern.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fariba Kolahdooz

Full Text Available Arctic populations are at an increased risk of vitamin D inadequacy due to geographic latitude and a nutrition transition. This study aimed to assess the adequacy of dietary vitamin D and calcium among women of child-bearing age in Arctic Canada.This study collected data from 203 randomly selected women of child-bearing age (19-44 years in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories of Arctic Canada. Cross-sectional surveys using a validated quantitative food frequency questionnaire were analysed to determine the dietary adequacy of vitamin D and calcium and summarize the top foods contributing to vitamin D and calcium intake among traditional food eaters (TFE and non-traditional food eaters (NTFE.The response rate was between 69-93% depending on the community sampled. Mean BMIs for both TFE and NTFE were above the normal range. Traditional food eaters had a significantly higher median vitamin D intake compared with non-traditional eaters (TFE=5.13 ± 5.34 µg/day; NTFE=3.5 ± 3.22 µg/day, p=0·004. The majority of women (87% were below the Estimated Average Requirements (EAR for vitamin D. Despite adequate median daily calcium intake in both TFE (1,299 ± 798 mg/day and NTFE (992 ± 704 mg/day; p=0.0005, 27% of the study population fell below the EAR for calcium. Dairy products contributed the most to intake of vitamin D (TFE=30.7%; NTFE=39.1% and calcium (TFE=25.5%; NTFE=34.5%.Inadequate dietary vitamin D intake is evident among Inuit and Inuvialuit women of child-bearing age in Arctic Canada. Promotion of nutrient-rich sources of traditional foods, supplementation protocols and/or expanded food fortification should be considered to address this nutrition concern.

Indigenous Knowledge - A Holistic View Through a Food Security Lens

Science.gov (United States)

Angnaboogok, V.; Behe, C.; Daniel, R. G.

2017-12-01

Rapid changes occurring within the Arctic heighten the need to understand the multiple drivers pushing change and their cumulative impacts. Most importantly to better understand Arctic change a holistic view is needed that can only be achieved through bringing together multiple knowledge systems and scientific disciplines. Inuit have called the Arctic home from time immemorial acquiring a knowledge system. The Inuit knowledge system continues to grow, and holds methodologies and assessment processes that provide a pathway for holistically understanding the Arctic. This holistic view is largely attributed to a focus on relationships between system components, close attention to food webs, and a unique understanding of interconnecting systems. The Alaskan Inuit understanding of food security represents an Indigenous way of viewing the world - where food security encompasses complex and interlinked cultural and environmental systems. These systems are comprised of connections among the health of people, animals, and plants; the different states of land, sea, and air; and the cultural fabric held together by language, cultural expression, and social integrity. Within the Inuit knowledge system, it is impossible to disentangle some of these relationships; when we discuss an Inuit food security perspective, it is this interconnectivity and these relationships that we refer to. This presentation will offer an introduction to what it means to adopt a food security lens approach - a view needed to build our knowledge of the changes that are occurring and further our understanding of cumulative impacts while illuminating the nexus between all pieces that make up Arctic ecosystems.

Serological Evidence of Hepatitis E Virus Infection in an Indigenous North American Population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GY Minuk

2007-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Hepatitis E virus (HEV infections are thought to be uncommon in North America. Recently, HEV transmission has been reported following the consumption of deer meat. Because deer are closely related to caribou and caribou meat is a staple of the Canadian Inuit and the American Eskimo diet, the present study explored the seroprevalence of HEV infection in an isolated Canadian Inuit community.

Coastal environments around Thule settlements in Northeast Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kroon, Aart; Jakobsen, Bjarne Holm; Pedersen, Jørn Bjarke Torp

2010-01-01

Inuit have travelled to and settled in the coastal landscapes of Northeast Greenland for several longer periods during the latest ca. 4500 years. Most recently the Thule culture Inuit lived in the region from around 1400 until 1850 AD. The access to partly and periodically ice covered near coastal...... waters has been crucial to the primarily marine based subsistence strategy of the Thule Inuit culture, and their settlements are therefore found immediately at the coast. Changing geological and geomorphologic settings strongly influence the coastal morphodynamics, and only specific locations offer...... stable and protected conditions needed for proper winter settlements. The comprehensive study of coastal environments and Thule culture winter settlements in the Young Sound region show an accumulation of winter settlements, nearly all located either in protected pocket beaches or on stable basalt capes...

Cancer among circumpolar populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Young, T Kue; Kelly, Janet J; Friborg, Jeppe

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To determine and compare the incidence of cancer among the 8 Arctic States and their northern regions, with special focus on 3 cross-national indigenous groups--Inuit, Athabaskan Indians and Sami. METHODS: Data were extracted from national and regional statistical agencies and cancer...... registries, with direct age-standardization of rates to the world standard population. For comparison, the "world average" rates as reported in the GLOBOCAN database were used. FINDINGS: Age-standardized incidence rates by cancer sites were computed for the 8 Arctic States and 20 of their northern regions......, averaged over the decade 2000-2009. Cancer of the lung and colon/rectum in both sexes are the commonest in most populations. We combined the Inuit from Alaska, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Greenland into a "Circumpolar Inuit" group and tracked cancer trends over four 5-year periods from 1989 to 2008...

A homozygous nonsense mutation (c.214C->A) in the biliverdin reductase alpha gene (BLVRA) results in accumulation of biliverdin during episodes of cholestasis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nytofte, Nikolaj S; Serrano, Maria A; Monte, Maria J

2011-01-01

Green jaundice is a rare finding usually associated with end-stage liver disease. OBJECTIVE The authors investigated two unrelated Inuit women from different geographical areas in Greenland who had episodes of green jaundice associated with biliary obstruction.......Green jaundice is a rare finding usually associated with end-stage liver disease. OBJECTIVE The authors investigated two unrelated Inuit women from different geographical areas in Greenland who had episodes of green jaundice associated with biliary obstruction....

The need to be cold : cold warriors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gregoire, L.

2008-10-15

This article discussed the changing climate of Ellesmere Island and the adaptation of the Inuit in response to the climate change, with particular reference to Canada's most northern community of Grise Fiord. Because of the changing climate, the vast northern landscape that the Inuit navigated for centuries by reading its subtle signs is becoming warmer, softer, and unpredictable. The geographic history and demographics of Grise Fiord were described. The community's main water supply comes from a glacier which is sinking. The negative impacts of ice shrinkage on this northern community and on the environment were presented. These included more international shipping through the Arctic, more resource exploration, a greater risk of environmental contamination, and reduced habitat for the polar bears and seals that eat, mate, and reproduce on the ice. Climate change impacts on the sea and sea ice were also discussed. Several photographs illustrating the changing climate were presented. The article noted that climate change could destroy the Inuit culture, making climate change an issue of human rights, notably the right to live connected to the land and the right to be cold. It was concluded that in one generation, Inuit were swept up by both a social and an economic upheaval. In one more generation, they will undergo an environmental shift. 13 figs.

Particle-size dependence of immersion freezing: Investigation of INUIT test aerosol particles with freely suspended water drops.

Science.gov (United States)

Diehl, Karoline; Debertshäuser, Michael; Eppers, Oliver; Jantsch, Evelyn; Mitra, Subir K.

2014-05-01

One goal of the research group INUIT (Ice Nuclei research UnIT) is to investigate the efficiencies of several test ice nuclei under comparable conditions but with different experimental techniques. In the present studies, two methods are used: the Mainz vertical wind tunnel and an acoustic levitator placed inside a cold chamber. In both cases drops are freely levitated, either at their terminal velocity in the wind tunnel updraft or around the nodes of a standing ultrasonic wave in the acoustic levitator. Thus, heat transfer conditions are well approximated, and wall contact effects on freezing as well as electrical charges of the drops are avoided. Drop radii are 370 μm and 1 mm, respectively. In the wind tunnel, drops are investigated at constant temperatures within a certain time period and the onset of freezing is observed directly. In the acoustic levitator, the drop temperature decreases during the experiments and is measured by an in-situ calibrated Infrared thermometer. The onset of freezing is indicated by a rapid rise of the drop surface temperature because of the release of latent heat. Investigated test ice nuclei are Snomax® as a proxy of biological particles and illite NX as well as K-feldspar as represents of mineral dust. The particle concentrations are 1 × 10-12 to 3 × 10-6 g Snomax® per drop and 5 × 10-9 to 5 × 10-5 g mineral dust per drop. Freezing temperatures are between -2 and -18° C in case of Snomax® and between -14 and -26° C in case of mineral dust. The lower the particle masses per drop the lower are the freezing temperatures. For similar particle concentrations in the drops, the median freezing temperatures determined by the two techniques agree well within the measurement errors. With the knowledge of the specific particle surface area of the mineral dusts, the results are interpreted also in terms of particle surface area per drop. Results from the wind tunnel experiments which are performed at constant temperatures indicate

Three lifestyle-related issues of major significance for public health among the Inuit in contemporary Greenland: a review of adverse childhood conditions, obesity, and smoking in a period of social transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjerregaard, Peter; Larsen, Christina V L

2018-01-01

Greenland is a country in transition from a colonial past with subsistence hunting and fishing to an urban Nordic welfare state. Epidemiological transition from infectious to chronic diseases has been evident since the 1950s. Ninety percent of the population is Inuit. We studied three public health issues based on published literature, namely adverse childhood experiences, addictive behavior, and suicide; diet and obesity; and smoking. Alcohol consumption was high in the 1970s and 1980s with accompanying family and social disruption. This is still a cause of poor mental health and suicides in the generations most affected. The diet is changing from a traditional diet of fish and marine mammals to imported food including food items rich in sugar and fat from domestic animals, and the level of physical activity is decreasing with an ensuing epidemic rise in obesity. The prevalence of smoking is high at around 60% among both men and women and is only slowly decreasing. Smoking shows large social variation, and tobacco-related diseases are widespread. The diseases and conditions outlined above all contribute towards a low life expectancy at birth-69 years for men and 74 years for women in 2011-2015-compared with 78 and 84 years for men and women, respectively, on average in the European countries. The translation of government public health programs into local activities needs strengthening, and it must be realized that the improvement of public health is a long-term process.

Physical activity patterns in Greenland: a country in transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahl-Petersen, Inger K; Jørgensen, Marit E; Bjerregaard, Peter

2011-11-01

To examine differences in physical activity patterns among Inuit in Greenland in relation to social transition. The Inuit in Greenland are an indigenous population in the circumpolar north who are experiencing rapid social transition. Physical activity patterns were assessed by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (long version). The population was divided into six groups according to different stages of social change, measured on the basis of education, current residence and occupation. Data were collected in a country-wide cross-sectional population survey among adult Inuit in Greenland from 2005 to 2009. Men with long vocational or academic education living in towns (latest stage of social change) spent significantly less time on occupational physical activity (p = 0.001) compared with hunters and fishermen in villages (earliest stage of social change) (trend test p = 0.01). Women in the latest stage of change spent significantly less time on domestic physical activity (p physical activity during transportation (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01 for men and women, respectively). No significant difference was found for leisure time physical activity. Men and women in the latest stage of social change spent more time on sedentary activity (p physical activity patterns among Inuit in Greenland included decreasing time spent on domestic and occupational physical activity and increasing time spent on sedentary activities along with social change. Knowledge of changes in physical activity patterns in relation to social transition is important in prevention of obesity, type 2 diabetes and lifestyle diseases.

Smoking as a Determinant of High Organochlorine Levels in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deutch, Bente; Pedersen, Henning Sloth; Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Eva Cecilie

2003-01-01

diet, and smoking or plasma cotinine in multiple linear-regression models (p smoking status. These findings confirm that the source of POPs among the Inuit in Greenland is diet, but smoking......The authors investigated the accumulation of organochlorines among smoking and nonsmoking Inuit hunters (n = 48) in Uummanaq, Greenland, a population with high dietary exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Human plasma organochlorine levels were positively correlated with age, marine...... is an important determinant of POP bioaccumulation. Smoking cessation may provide a means to lower the body burden of POPs....

Alaska and offshore hydrocarbon extraction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Canuel, Edward Thomas

2017-01-01

, it is relevant to assess and appraise the at once historical, but moreover, enduring relationships that continue to grow and inform local Inuit community conceptions of land, coastal and sea tenure. Being located at the uneasy junction between the interests of local communities, oil and mining operators...... on the lessons gained from an appraisal of the historical case evidence relating these, where relevant, to contemporary in-situ fieldwork on locally rooted Inuit conceptions of ownership as collective appropriations of local lands and coastal environments this article discusses some of the cultural differences...

Uncovering the genetic history of the present-day greenlandic population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moltke, Ida; Fumagalli, Matteo; Korneliussen, Thorfinn Sand

2015-01-01

Because of past limitations in samples and genotyping technologies, important questions about the history of the present-day Greenlandic population remain unanswered. In an effort to answer these questions and in general investigate the genetic history of the Greenlandic population, we analyzed...... between the Norse Vikings who lived in Greenland for a limited period ∼600-1,000 years ago and the Inuit, we found no evidence supporting this hypothesis. Similarly, we found no evidence supporting a previously hypothesized admixture event between the Inuit in East Greenland and the Dorset people, who...

Cadmium concentrations in tissues of willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) and rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) in Nunavik, Northern Quebec

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodrigue, Jean [Environment Canada, Service canadien de la faune, 1141 route de l' Eglise, Sainte-Foy, Quebec, G1V 4H5 (Canada)]. E-mail: jean.rodrigue@ec.gc.ca; Champoux, Louise [Environment Canada, Service canadien de la faune, 1141 route de l' Eglise, Sainte-Foy, Quebec, G1V 4H5 (Canada); Leclair, Daniel [Centre de recherche du Nunavik, Societe Makivik, C.P. 179, Kuujjuaq, Quebec, J0M 1C0 (Canada); Duchesne, Jean-Francois [Unite de recherche en sante publique du CHUQ, 945, avenue Wolfe, Sainte-Foy, Quebec, G1V 5B3 (Canada)

2007-06-15

Willow and rock ptarmigan were obtained from Northern Quebec. Willow ptarmigan were found to have mean cadmium concentrations of 179.7 {mu}g/g (dw) in the kidneys and 25.8 {mu}g/g (dw) in the liver; these levels were three times higher than those found in the rock ptarmigan. The cadmium levels in the ptarmigan were below the threshold above which adverse effects can be observed in birds. The difference between the two ptarmigan species in cadmium content is explained by the diet. A comparison of their diet showed that willow, which stores cadmium, is an important food resource for willow ptarmigan but not for rock ptarmigan. Because there is limited information available on the consumption of ptarmigan kidneys and liver by the Inuit, and the fact that this is a traditional way of life and provides nutritional benefits to the Inuit population, no consumption guidelines are proposed. - High levels of cadmium were found in ptarmigan in Northern Quebec. No consumption guidelines are proposed for the Inuit people.

Cadmium concentrations in tissues of willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) and rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) in Nunavik, Northern Quebec

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodrigue, Jean; Champoux, Louise; Leclair, Daniel; Duchesne, Jean-Francois

2007-01-01

Willow and rock ptarmigan were obtained from Northern Quebec. Willow ptarmigan were found to have mean cadmium concentrations of 179.7 μg/g (dw) in the kidneys and 25.8 μg/g (dw) in the liver; these levels were three times higher than those found in the rock ptarmigan. The cadmium levels in the ptarmigan were below the threshold above which adverse effects can be observed in birds. The difference between the two ptarmigan species in cadmium content is explained by the diet. A comparison of their diet showed that willow, which stores cadmium, is an important food resource for willow ptarmigan but not for rock ptarmigan. Because there is limited information available on the consumption of ptarmigan kidneys and liver by the Inuit, and the fact that this is a traditional way of life and provides nutritional benefits to the Inuit population, no consumption guidelines are proposed. - High levels of cadmium were found in ptarmigan in Northern Quebec. No consumption guidelines are proposed for the Inuit people

Cancer among circumpolar populations: an emerging public health concern

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Kue Young

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To determine and compare the incidence of cancer among the 8 Arctic States and their northern regions, with special focus on 3 cross-national indigenous groups – Inuit, Athabaskan Indians and Sami. Methods: Data were extracted from national and regional statistical agencies and cancer registries, with direct age-standardization of rates to the world standard population. For comparison, the “world average” rates as reported in the GLOBOCAN database were used. Findings: Age-standardized incidence rates by cancer sites were computed for the 8 Arctic States and 20 of their northern regions, averaged over the decade 2000–2009. Cancer of the lung and colon/rectum in both sexes are the commonest in most populations. We combined the Inuit from Alaska, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Greenland into a “Circumpolar Inuit” group and tracked cancer trends over four 5-year periods from 1989 to 2008. There has been marked increase in lung, colorectal and female breast cancers, while cervical cancer has declined. Compared to the GLOBOCAN world average, Inuit are at extreme high risk for lung and colorectal cancer, and also certain rare cancers such as nasopharyngeal cancer. Athabaskans (from Alaska and Northwest Territories share some similarities with the Inuit but they are at higher risk for prostate and breast cancer relative to the world average. Among the Sami, published data from 3 cohorts in Norway, Sweden and Finland show generally lower risk of cancer than non-Sami. Conclusions: Cancer among certain indigenous people in the Arctic is an increasing public health concern, especially lung and colorectal cancer.

The association between content of the elements S, Cl, K, Fe, Cu, Zn and Br in normal and cirrhotic liver tissue from Danes and Greenlandic Inuit examined by dual hierarchical clustering analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Laursen, Jens; Milman, Nils; Pind, Niels; Pedersen, Henrik; Mulvad, Gert

2014-01-01

Meta-analysis of previous studies evaluating associations between content of elements sulphur (S), chlorine (Cl), potassium (K), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and bromine (Br) in normal and cirrhotic autopsy liver tissue samples. Normal liver samples from 45 Greenlandic Inuit, median age 60 years and from 71 Danes, median age 61 years. Cirrhotic liver samples from 27 Danes, median age 71 years. Element content was measured using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Dual hierarchical clustering analysis, creating a dual dendrogram, one clustering element contents according to calculated similarities, one clustering elements according to correlation coefficients between the element contents, both using Euclidian distance and Ward Procedure. One dendrogram separated subjects in 7 clusters showing no differences in ethnicity, gender or age. The analysis discriminated between elements in normal and cirrhotic livers. The other dendrogram clustered elements in four clusters: sulphur and chlorine; copper and bromine; potassium and zinc; iron. There were significant correlations between the elements in normal liver samples: S was associated with Cl, K, Br and Zn; Cl with S and Br; K with S, Br and Zn; Cu with Br. Zn with S and K. Br with S, Cl, K and Cu. Fe did not show significant associations with any other element. In contrast to simple statistical methods, which analyses content of elements separately one by one, dual hierarchical clustering analysis incorporates all elements at the same time and can be used to examine the linkage and interplay between multiple elements in tissue samples. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Re-evaluation of blood mercury, lead and cadmium concentrations in the Inuit population of Nunavik (Québec): a cross-sectional study

Science.gov (United States)

Fontaine, Julie; Dewailly, Éric; Benedetti, Jean-Louis; Pereg, Daria; Ayotte, Pierre; Déry, Serge

2008-01-01

Background Arctic populations are exposed to mercury, lead and cadmium through their traditional diet. Studies have however shown that cadmium exposure is most often attributable to tobacco smoking. The aim of this study is to examine the trends in mercury, lead and cadmium exposure between 1992 and 2004 in the Inuit population of Nunavik (Northern Québec, Canada) using the data obtained from two broad scale health surveys, and to identify sources of exposure in 2004. Methods In 2004, 917 adults aged between 18 and 74 were recruited in the 14 communities of Nunavik to participate to a broad scale health survey. Blood samples were collected and analysed for metals by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and dietary and life-style characteristics were documented by questionnaires. Results were compared with data obtained in 1992, where 492 people were recruited for a similar survey in the same population. Results Mean blood concentration of mercury was 51.2 nmol/L, which represent a 32% decrease (p < 0.001) between 1992 and 2004. Mercury blood concentrations were mainly explained by age (partial r2 = 0.20; p < 0.0001), and the most important source of exposure to mercury was marine mammal meat consumption (partial r2 = 0.04; p < 0.0001). In 2004, mean blood concentration of lead was 0.19 μmol/L and showed a 55% decrease since 1992. No strong associations were observed with any dietary source, and lead concentrations were mainly explained by age (partial r2 = 0.20.; p < 0.001). Blood cadmium concentrations showed a 22% decrease (p < 0.001) between 1992 and 2004. Once stratified according to tobacco use, means varied between 5.3 nmol/L in never-smokers and 40.4 nmol/L in smokers. Blood cadmium concentrations were mainly associated with tobacco smoking (partial r2 = 0.56; p < 0.0001), while consumption of caribou liver and kidney remain a minor source of cadmium exposure among never-smokers. Conclusion Important decreases in mercury, lead and cadmium exposure

 Climate Change and the Arctic Discourses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjørst, Lill Rastad

2009-01-01

  It is now a fact that global warming and climate change are on the public agenda and will remain there for a long time to come. The Arctic has been portrayed as a thermometer for the world mostly because it is very vulnerable to the climatic changes and the subsequent consequences. Inuit are used...... as an example and included as the first witnesses to ‘the big catastrophe'. My hypothesis is that the newly emerging climate debate can establish an unexpected and unique political platform where Inuit can get influence on local as well as global questions. My investigating focus concerning these matters...

Exposure to persistent organic pollutants and sperm sex chromosome ratio in men from the Faroe Islands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kvist, L; Giwercman, A; Weihe, P

2014-01-01

People in the Arctic as well as fishermen on the polluted Swedish east coast are highly exposed to persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These compounds have been shown to affect the sperm Y:X chromosome ratio. In present study, the aim was to investigate whether polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB......,p'-DDE and ΣPCB correlated significantly (r=0.927, pboth Inuit and Swedish fishermen (0.512 for both......). In conclusion, Faroese men presented with lower Y:X ratio than Greenland Inuit and Swedish fishermen. Although no direct health effects are expected due to the lower Faroese Y:X ratio, it could be indicative of adverse effects on the reproductive system....

What do we know about health-related knowledge translation in the Circumpolar North? Results from a scoping review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Ellen McDonald

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Health research knowledge translation (KT is important to improve population health outcomes. Considering social, geographical and cultural contexts, KT in Inuit communities often requires different methods than those commonly used in non-Inuit populations. Objectives: To examine the extent, range and nature of literature about health-related KT in Inuit communities. Design: A scoping review was conducted. A search string was used to search 2 English aggregator databases, ProQuest and EBSCOhost, on 12 March 2015. Study selection was conducted by 2 independent reviewers using inclusion and exclusion criteria. To be included, studies had to explicitly state that KT approaches were used to share human health research results in Inuit communities in the Circumpolar North. Articles that evaluated or assessed KT approaches were thematically analysed to identify and characterize elements that contributed to KT success or challenges. Results: From 680 unique records identified in the initial search, 39 met the inclusion criteria and were retained for analysis. Of these 39 articles, 17 evaluated the KT approach used; thematic analysis identified 3 themes within these 17 articles: the value of community stakeholders as active members in the research process; the importance of local context in tailoring KT strategies and messaging; and the challenges with varying and contradictory health messaging in KT. A crosscutting gap in the literature, however, included a lack of critical assessment of community involvement in research. The review also identified a gap in assessments of KT in the literature. Research primarily focused on whether KT methods reflected the local culture and needs of the community. Assessments rarely focused on whether KT had successfully elicited its intended action. Conclusions: This review synthesized a small but burgeoning area of research. Community engagement was important for successful KT; however, more discussion and

What do we know about health-related knowledge translation in the Circumpolar North? Results from a scoping review

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, M. Ellen; Papadopoulos, Andrew; Edge, Victoria L.; Ford, James; Sumner, Alison; Harper, Sherilee L.

2016-01-01

Background Health research knowledge translation (KT) is important to improve population health outcomes. Considering social, geographical and cultural contexts, KT in Inuit communities often requires different methods than those commonly used in non-Inuit populations. Objectives To examine the extent, range and nature of literature about health-related KT in Inuit communities. Design A scoping review was conducted. A search string was used to search 2 English aggregator databases, ProQuest and EBSCOhost, on 12 March 2015. Study selection was conducted by 2 independent reviewers using inclusion and exclusion criteria. To be included, studies had to explicitly state that KT approaches were used to share human health research results in Inuit communities in the Circumpolar North. Articles that evaluated or assessed KT approaches were thematically analysed to identify and characterize elements that contributed to KT success or challenges. Results From 680 unique records identified in the initial search, 39 met the inclusion criteria and were retained for analysis. Of these 39 articles, 17 evaluated the KT approach used; thematic analysis identified 3 themes within these 17 articles: the value of community stakeholders as active members in the research process; the importance of local context in tailoring KT strategies and messaging; and the challenges with varying and contradictory health messaging in KT. A crosscutting gap in the literature, however, included a lack of critical assessment of community involvement in research. The review also identified a gap in assessments of KT in the literature. Research primarily focused on whether KT methods reflected the local culture and needs of the community. Assessments rarely focused on whether KT had successfully elicited its intended action. Conclusions This review synthesized a small but burgeoning area of research. Community engagement was important for successful KT; however, more discussion and discourse on the

Cultural change and mental health in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard, Peter; Curtis, Tine; Greenland, Population Study

2002-01-01

In Greenland, the rapid sociocultural change of the last 50 years has been paralleled by an epidemiological transition characterized by a reduction in infectious diseases, an increase in cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and an increased prevalence of mental health problems. During 1993......-94 and 1997-98, two health interview surveys were conducted among Inuit in Greenland and Inuit migrants in Denmark. The response rates were 71 and 55%. Information on mental health was obtained from 1388 and 1769 adults. As indicators of mental health, the prevalence of potential psychiatric cases according...... of poor mental health: as a result of successful integration into the modern Greenlandic society, some population groups have better mental health compared to other groups....

Canadian Eskimo permanent tooth emergence timing.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayhall, J T; Belier, P L; Mayhall, M F

1978-08-01

To identify the times of emergence of the permanent teeth of Canadian Eskimos (Inuit), 368 children and adolescents were examined. The presence or absence of all permanent teeth except the third molars was recorded and these data subjected to probit analysis. Female emergence times were advanced over males. Generally, the Inuit of both sexes showed statistically significant earlier emergence times than Montreal children, except for the incisors. The present results do not support hypotheses indicating that premature extraction of the deciduous teeth advances the emergence of their succedaneous counterparts. There is some indication the controls of deciduous tooth emergence continue to play some part in emergence of the permanent dentition, especially the first permanent teeth that emerge.

Dorset and Thule divergence from East Central Asian roots.

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, E D; Jones, G

1998-06-01

The history of the immigration of East Asians to America during the last glacial period remains controversial. In an attempt to add critical data to this problem, a large sample of whole teeth derived from Southeast Asian, Mongolian, Thule, Western Inuit, and pre-Inca (Huari) people was quantified (N = 4,507 teeth from 495 individuals; approximately 30 variables per tooth). Multivariate analysis helped establish that all Native Americans were likely derived from one ancient, extinct population that resided in the region of Mongolia (east Central Asia), and that Mongolians and Southeast Asians are two independent groups. A controversial and enigmatic Central Canadian Arctic "Thule culture Inuit" group on Southampton Island that survived until 1902 was identified as a relic, mainly Paleoeskimo Dorset community. Surprisingly, there was little, or no, indication of Dorset-to-Thule gene flow. Cumulatively, the data suggest that a small population of Paleoindian founders remained resident in Beringia, may have blocked further immigration, and were the antecedents to the Thule/Inuit. With the confluence of the Arctic and Pacific oceans at the breakup of Beringia, the resulting increased availability of marine animal food sources allowed this population to increase in size and expand throughout the eastern Arctic.

Student research in Canada's north

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Admas, P [ed.; Johnson, P G [ed.

1988-01-01

A conference was organized in Canada to allow a large number of students with northern interests to meet together to present the results of their work and to discuss many other matters of mutual interset. In addition, this conference allowed students from many disciplines in the natural and social sciences to advance northern scholarship, and to foster a multidisciplinary approach to northern studies. A wide range of topics from the physical, biological, and social sciences were covered, including Inuit music, traditional medicine, mammoth bones, fossil trees, icebreaker design, archaeology, caves, naturally acid and other lakes, glaciers, bogs, Inuit clothing, education, northern parks, river ice jams, geology, marine science including large marine mammals, and global strategy. Separate abstracts have been prepared for twelve papers from this conference.

Food can make the difference

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1985-01-01

A 12 minute videotape presentation on changes in the traditional life of Indian and Inuit people and the value of traditional foods and lifestyle to health, some successful community-based nutrition...

Investigating Environmental Determinants of Injury and Trauma in the Canadian North

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agata Durkalec

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Unintentional injury and trauma rates are disproportionately high in Inuit regions, and environmental changes are predicted to exacerbate injury rates. However, there is a major gap in our understanding of the risk factors contributing to land-based injury and trauma in the Arctic. We investigated the role of environmental and other factors in search and rescue (SAR incidents in a remote Inuit community in northern Canada using a collaborative mixed methods approach. We analyzed SAR records from 1995 to 2010 and conducted key consultant interviews in 2010 and 2011. Data showed an estimated annual SAR incidence rate of 19 individuals per 1,000. Weather and ice conditions were the most frequent contributing factor for cases. In contrast with other studies, intoxication was the least common factor associated with SAR incidents. The incidence rate was six times higher for males than females, while land-users aged 26–35 had the highest incidence rate among age groups. Thirty-four percent of individuals sustained physical health impacts. Results demonstrate that environmental conditions are critical factors contributing to physical health risk in Inuit communities, particularly related to travel on sea ice during winter. Age and gender are important risk factors. This knowledge is vital for informing management of land-based physical health risk given rapidly changing environmental conditions in the Arctic.

Peopling of the North Circumpolar Region--insights from Y chromosome STR and SNP typing of Greenlanders.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jill Katharina Olofsson

Full Text Available The human population in Greenland is characterized by migration events of Paleo- and Neo-Eskimos, as well as admixture with Europeans. In this study, the Y-chromosomal variation in male Greenlanders was investigated in detail by typing 73 Y-chromosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms (Y-SNPs and 17 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (Y-STRs. Approximately 40% of the analyzed Greenlandic Y chromosomes were of European origin (I-M170, R1a-M513 and R1b-M343. Y chromosomes of European origin were mainly found in individuals from the west and south coasts of Greenland, which is in agreement with the historic records of the geographic placements of European settlements in Greenland. Two Inuit Y-chromosomal lineages, Q-M3 (xM19, M194, L663, SA01 and L766 and Q-NWT01 (xM265 were found in 23% and 31% of the male Greenlanders, respectively. The time to the most recent common ancestor (TMRCA of the Q-M3 lineage of the Greenlanders was estimated to be between 4,400 and 10,900 years ago (y. a. using two different methods. This is in agreement with the theory that the North Circumpolar Region was populated via a second expansion of humans in the North American continent. The TMRCA of the Q-NWT01 (xM265 lineage in Greenland was estimated to be between 7,000 and 14,300 y. a. using two different methods, which is older than the previously reported TMRCA of this lineage in other Inuit populations. Our results indicate that Inuit individuals carrying the Q-NWT01 (xM265 lineage may have their origin in the northeastern parts of North America and could be descendants of the Dorset culture. This in turn points to the possibility that the current Inuit population in Greenland is comprised of individuals of both Thule and Dorset descent.

Lifestyle modifies obesity-associated risk of cardiovascular disease in a genetically homogeneous population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Marit E; Borch-Johnsen, Knut; Bjerregaard, Peter

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND: The association between obesity and cardiovascular disease risk differs across populations. Whether such differences in obesity-related risk factors exist within population groups of the same genetic origin but with differences in lifestyle remains to be determined. OBJECTIVE: The aim...... was to analyze whether obesity was associated with the same degree of metabolic disturbances in 2 groups of genetically homogeneous Inuit who were exposed to considerable differences in lifestyle. DESIGN: We studied obesity and cardiovascular disease risk factors in a cross-sectional population survey of 2311...... Inuit living in Denmark (n = 995) or Greenland (n = 1316). The participants received an oral-glucose-tolerance test. Blood tests were supplemented by structured interviews and anthropometric and blood pressure measurements. RESULTS: The trend in the association between obesity and metabolic effects...

Physical Activity and Abdominal Fat Distribution in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahl-Petersen, Inger Katrine; Brage, Søren; Bjerregaard, Peter

2017-01-01

with overall and abdominal fat distribution. CONCLUSION: Physical activity energy expenditure is associated with lower BMI, WC, and abdominal fat among Greenland Inuit. The importance of promoting an upward shift of the whole PA intensity distribution and to spur even short bouts of MVPA to limit excessive......PURPOSE: We examined how total volume of physical activity and reallocation of time spent at various objectively measured intensities of physical activity (PA) were associated with overall and abdominal fat distribution in adult Inuit in Greenland. METHODS: Data were collected as part...... of a countrywide cross-sectional health survey in Greenland. A combined accelerometer and HR monitor measured total physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) and intensities of PA (N = 1536). Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were assessed by ultrasonography. Isotemporal...

Search Results | Page 31 | IDRC - International Development ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Results 301 - 310 of 1130 ... Inuit food security : vulnerability of the traditional food system to climatic ... This project will develop and test novel, creative, and bold business models that ... As agriculture becomes more strategically important in the ...

Violence, sexual abuse and health in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Curtis, Tine; Larsen, Finn B; Helweg-Larsen, Karin

2002-01-01

The purposes of the study were to analyse the lifetime prevalence of violence and sexual abuse among the Inuit in Greenland and to study the associations between health and having been the victim of violence or sexual abuse. Associations were studied with specific attention to possible differences...... between women and men. Further, response rates were analysed specifically in order to understand consequences of including questions on violence and sexual abuse in the questionnaire survey. The analyses were based on material from a cross-sectional health interview survey conducted during 1993......-94 with participation from a random sample of the Inuit population in Greenland (N = 1393). The prevalence of ever having been a victim of violence was 47% among women and 48% among men. Women had more often than men been sexually abused (25% and 6%) (p sexually abused in childhood (8...

Archaic adaptive introgression in TBX15/WARS2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Racimo, Fernando; Gokhman, David; Fumagalli, Matteo

2017-01-01

A recent study conducted the first genome-wide scan for selection in Inuit from Greenland using SNP chip data. Here, we report that selection in the region with the second most extreme signal of positive selection in Greenlandic Inuit favored a deeply divergent haplotype that is closely related...... to the sequence in the Denisovan genome, and was likely introgressed from an archaic population. The region contains two genes, WARS2 and TBX15, and has previously been associated with adipose tissue differentiation and body-fat distribution in humans. We show that the adaptively introgressed allele has been...... under selection in a much larger geographic region than just Greenland. Furthermore, it is associated with changes in expression of WARS2 and TBX15 in multiple tissues including the adrenal gland and subcutaneous adipose tissue, and with regional DNA methylation changes in TBX15....

Violence, sexual abuse and health in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Curtis, Tine; Larsen, Finn B; Helweg-Larsen, Karin

2002-01-01

The purposes of the study were to analyse the lifetime prevalence of violence and sexual abuse among the Inuit in Greenland and to study the associations between health and having been the victim of violence or sexual abuse. Associations were studied with specific attention to possible differences...... between women and men. Further, response rates were analysed specifically in order to understand consequences of including questions on violence and sexual abuse in the questionnaire survey. The analyses were based on material from a cross-sectional health interview survey conducted during 1993......-94 with participation from a random sample of the Inuit population in Greenland (N = 1393). The prevalence of ever having been a victim of violence was 47% among women and 48% among men. Women had more often than men been sexually abused (25% and 6%) (p abused in childhood (8...

Future markers of the West Greenlandic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trondhjem, Naja Blytmann

2010-01-01

Abstract West Greenlandic, a polysynthetic language, belongs to Inuit languages. In Inuktitut (Canada) and West Greenlandic (Inuit languages) tense is marked by optional tense suffixes and in both languages the temporal systems are based on a future/ non-future opposition. In Inuktitut the tense...... suffixes have developed a complicated remoteness system. In West Greenlandic the future tense suffixes have a distinction between vague and inevitable future, and the past time suffixes have developed different perfect meanings. In Iñupiaq (Alaska), the temporal system is based on an opposition between...... past, present and future, where tense is marked in the flectional morpheme, but only in the indicative mood. There are only a few tense suffixes. The meanings of these tense suffixes are the same as those of the West Greenlandic tense suffixes. My current work is a typological investigation about...

Northern Youth Abroad Finding a place at home, halfway around the ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2011-03-09

Mar 9, 2011 ... Northern Youth Abroad Finding a place at home, halfway around the ... Past volunteer sites have included game reserves, an orphan care ... The Government of Nunavut has a mandate to employ 80% Inuit in its public service.

Kahwà:tsire : Indigenous Families in a Family Therapy Practice with the Indigenous Worldview as the Foundation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Derrick, J.M.

2017-01-01

This study creates new knowledge regarding the impact of European colonization on Indigenous (Aboriginal, First Nations, Inuit, Metis) families in Canada. It particularly focuses on the issues in families whose children were forcibly removed by the government to institutions called residential

Investigating the effects of arctic dietary intake on lung health

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baines, K J; Backer, V; Gibson, P G

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Preservation of lung health requires understanding the modifiable risk factors of airflow limitation. This study investigates the association between diet and lung function in a population of Greenland Inuit residing in the Arctic (Greenland) or Western Europe (Denmark). SUB...

Suicide in Canada

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Leenaars, Antoon A

1998-01-01

... provides long-awaited information that focuses specifically on Canada. It addresses suicide as a multidimensional problem with biological, psychological, cultural, sociological, personal, and philosophical aspects. The contributions integrate both critical analysis and personal experience. There are accounts from Inuit elders, fr...

High blood levels of persistent organic pollutants are statistically correlated with smoking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deutch, Bente; Hansen, Jens C.

1999-01-01

, smoking and intake of traditional Inuit food. Multiple linear regression analyses showed highly significant positive associations between the mothers' smoking status (never, previous, present) and plasma concentrations of all the studied organic pollutants both in maternal blood and umbilical cord blood...

Tables Summarizing Awards Supported by IDRC

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Carole Labrie

2013-04-04

International Development Research Centre (IDRC). A. Awards Granted Through Competitions. Updated April 4, 2013. Award Type. University Level. Who can apply. Description. Frequency & ... Explore a problem common to First Nations or Inuit. Communities of Canada ... reporting in one or more developing countries.

A study of the peopling of Greenland using next generation sequencing of complete mitochondrial genomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lopopolo, Maria; Børsting, Claus; Pereira, Vania

2016-01-01

the migration patterns in the Greenlandic population from a female inheritance demographic perspective. Methods We investigated the maternal genetic variation in the Greenlandic population by sequencing the whole mtDNA genome in 127 Greenlandic individuals using the Illumina MiSeq® platform. Results All......Objectives The Greenlandic population history is characterized by a number of migrations of people of various ethnicities. In this work, the analysis of the complete mtDNA genome aimed to contribute to the ongoing debate on the origin of current Greenlanders and, at the same time, to address...... Greenlandic individuals belonged to the Inuit mtDNA lineages A2a, A2b1, and D4b1a2a1. No European haplogroup was found. Discussion The mtDNA lineages seem to support the hypothesis that the Inuit in Greenland are descendants from the Thule migration. The results also reinforce the importance of isolation...

THE CROWN’S FIDUCIARY DUTIES TO ABORIGINAL PEOPLES AS AN ASPECT OF CLIMATE JUSTICE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erika Chamberlain

2012-10-01

Le présent article examine si l’obligation fiduciale de l’État envers les peuples autochtones du Canada pourrait constituer un cadre juridique utile pour traiter des changements climatiques dans l’Arctique. Bien que cette obligation soit systématiquement reconnue dans les situations concernant des terres autochtones ou des pratiques culturelles distinctives, il est permis de penser qu’elle pourrait être invoquée pour protéger le mode de subsistance traditionnelle des Inuits. Tant les obligations fiduciales que l’honneur de la Couronne requièrent un degré minimal de consultation et d’accommodement lorsque des intérêts autochtones significatifs sont menacés. Cela pourrait se traduire par une obligation minimale d’aider les Inuits à s’adapter à l’environnement arctique changeant et à préserver leurs pratiques culturelles dans la mesure du possible.

The genetic prehistory of the New World Arctic.

Science.gov (United States)

Raghavan, Maanasa; DeGiorgio, Michael; Albrechtsen, Anders; Moltke, Ida; Skoglund, Pontus; Korneliussen, Thorfinn S; Grønnow, Bjarne; Appelt, Martin; Gulløv, Hans Christian; Friesen, T Max; Fitzhugh, William; Malmström, Helena; Rasmussen, Simon; Olsen, Jesper; Melchior, Linea; Fuller, Benjamin T; Fahrni, Simon M; Stafford, Thomas; Grimes, Vaughan; Renouf, M A Priscilla; Cybulski, Jerome; Lynnerup, Niels; Lahr, Marta Mirazon; Britton, Kate; Knecht, Rick; Arneborg, Jette; Metspalu, Mait; Cornejo, Omar E; Malaspinas, Anna-Sapfo; Wang, Yong; Rasmussen, Morten; Raghavan, Vibha; Hansen, Thomas V O; Khusnutdinova, Elza; Pierre, Tracey; Dneprovsky, Kirill; Andreasen, Claus; Lange, Hans; Hayes, M Geoffrey; Coltrain, Joan; Spitsyn, Victor A; Götherström, Anders; Orlando, Ludovic; Kivisild, Toomas; Villems, Richard; Crawford, Michael H; Nielsen, Finn C; Dissing, Jørgen; Heinemeier, Jan; Meldgaard, Morten; Bustamante, Carlos; O'Rourke, Dennis H; Jakobsson, Mattias; Gilbert, M Thomas P; Nielsen, Rasmus; Willerslev, Eske

2014-08-29

The New World Arctic, the last region of the Americas to be populated by humans, has a relatively well-researched archaeology, but an understanding of its genetic history is lacking. We present genome-wide sequence data from ancient and present-day humans from Greenland, Arctic Canada, Alaska, Aleutian Islands, and Siberia. We show that Paleo-Eskimos (~3000 BCE to 1300 CE) represent a migration pulse into the Americas independent of both Native American and Inuit expansions. Furthermore, the genetic continuity characterizing the Paleo-Eskimo period was interrupted by the arrival of a new population, representing the ancestors of present-day Inuit, with evidence of past gene flow between these lineages. Despite periodic abandonment of major Arctic regions, a single Paleo-Eskimo metapopulation likely survived in near-isolation for more than 4000 years, only to vanish around 700 years ago. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Conflict Resolution Practices of Arctic Aboriginal Peoples

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gendron, R.; Hille, C.

2013-01-01

This article presents an overview of the conflict resolution practices of indigenous populations in the Arctic. Among the aboriginal groups discussed are the Inuit, the Aleut, and the Saami. Having presented the conflict resolution methods, the authors discuss the types of conflicts that are

Introduction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Kristian S.; Rahbek-Clemmensen, Jon

2018-01-01

Council 2009; Steinberg et al. 2014). Indigenous and postcolonial identity was thus a paradiplomatic resource for Greenland, which had implications for the high politics of the region, but it remained contested as other actors challenged Greenland’s right to speak on behalf of the Inuit....

Kanada inuitid nõuavad endale õigust külmetada / Marje Aksli

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Aksli, Marje

2007-01-01

Kanada poliitik ja ühiskonnategelane Sheila Watt-Cloutier, kes on ema poolt lääneeskimo ehk inuit, kavatseb kirjutada raamatu sellest, kuidas globaalse soojenemise tõttu sulab üles tema lapsepõlvemaa ja kasvuhoonegaaside mõju ähvardab hävitada inuiti kultuuri

Chronic suppurative otitis media in a birth cohort of children in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koch, Anders; Homøe, Preben; Pipper, Christian Bressen

2011-01-01

Inuits of the Arctic experience very high rates of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), yet world-wide, very little is known about the epidemiology of CSOM. The study aims were to determine incidence, median age at debut, risk factors, and associated population attributable risks for CSOM...

Chronic suppurative otitis media in a birth cohort of children in Greenland: population-based study of incidence and risk factors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koch, Anders; Homøe, Preben; Pipper, Christian Bressen

2011-01-01

Inuits of the Arctic experience very high rates of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), yet world-wide, very little is known about the epidemiology of CSOM. The study aims were to determine incidence, median age at debut, risk factors, and associated population attributable risks for CSOM...

CPT1A Missense Mutation Associated with Fatty Acid Metabolism and Reduced Height in Greenlanders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skotte, Line; Koch, Anders; Yakimov, Victor

2017-01-01

Background - Inuit have lived for thousands of years in an extremely cold environment on a diet dominated by marine-derived fat. To investigate how this selective pressure has affected the genetic regulation of fatty acid metabolism, we assessed 233 serum metabolic phenotypes in a population-base...

Indigenous health in the Arctic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard, Peter; Young, T Kue; Dewailly, Eric

2004-01-01

of infectious diseases has declined considerably but is still high compared with Western societies. Chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease are on the increase, while accidents, suicides, violence, and substance abuse are of major importance for the pattern of ill health in most Inuit...

Polymorphisms in phase I and phase II genes and breast cancer risk and relations to persistent organic pollutant exposure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ghisari, Mandana; Eiberg, Hans; Long, Manhai

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: We have previously reported that chemicals belonging to the persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as perfluorinated compounds (PFAS) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are risk factors in Breast Cancer (BC) development in Greenlandic Inuit women. The present case-control study...... on BC risk in Greenlandic Inuit women. METHODS: The study population consisted of 31 BC cases and 115 matched controls, with information on serum levels of POPs. Genotyping was conducted for CYP1A1 (Ile462Val; rs1048943), CYP1B1 (Leu432Val; rs1056836), COMT (Val158Met; rs4680), CYP17A1 (A1> A2; rs743572...... aimed to investigate the main effect of polymorphisms in genes involved in xenobiotic metabolism and estrogen biosynthesis, CYP1A1, CYP1B1, COMT and CYP17, CYP19 and the BRCA1 founder mutation in relation to BC risk and to explore possible interactions between the gene polymorphisms and serum POP levels...

Preventing Obesity in Canada’s Aboriginal Children: Not Just a Matter of Eating Right and Getting Active

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melanie A. Ferris

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Obesity is a growing issue for all children. Many experts say that preventing obesity is largely a matter of eating the right foods and getting enough physical activity. This advice doesn’t recognize the fact that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children face unique barriers to growing up healthy and strong simply because of theiridentity. This paper discusses how the social determinants of health impact the ability of Aboriginal children to grow up free of obesity. The paper highlights results from a community-based research project conducted amongst Aboriginal parents and service providers in Ontario who wish to prevent obesity amongst their ownyoung children and clients. Research was carried out over two years to help develop a “toolkit” and training program to help service provides increase efforts to prevent obesity amongst First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children from the ages of 2 to 6 in Ontario.

Communication and Control in the Canadian North: The Role of Interactive Satellites.

Science.gov (United States)

Valaskakis, Gail G.

In 1972 the Canadian government launched its first domestic communications satellite, Anik A, which relays direct broadcast television and telephone messages to northern communities. The impact of television on Inuit life has raised issues and concerns pertaining to native language broadcasting, media access and control, and cultural identity…

Hunting and fishing settlements in Upernavik district of Northern Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hendriksen, Kåre; Jørgensen, Ulrik

2015-01-01

Inuit in the Upernavik district of Northern Greenland has in generations used the winter sea ice as the basis for the essential hunting of seals, white- and narwhales. Since the late 1980’ies hunting has been combined with increasing fishery of Greenland halibut during summer from dinghies and in...

Identifying Challenges and Opportunities for Residents in Upernavik as Oil Companies are Making a First Entrance into Baffin Bay

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Merrild, Anne; Tejsner, Pelle

2016-01-01

The oil industry is making its first entrance offshore in Baffin Bay in a time where Inuit residents on the northwest coast of Greenland are struggling to uphold a traditional way of living. The operating oil companies are encouraged by the Government of Greenland to promote a high degree of loca...

Ketogenic diets and physical performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Phinney SD

2004-08-01

Full Text Available Impaired physical performance is a common but not obligate result of a low carbohydrate diet. Lessons from traditional Inuit culture indicate that time for adaptation, optimized sodium and potassium nutriture, and constraint of protein to 15-25 % of daily energy expenditure allow unimpaired endurance performance despite nutritional ketosis.

The Indigenous World, 1994-95 = El Mundo Indigena, 1994-95.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Marianne, Comp.; Sjorslev, Inger, Comp.

1995-01-01

This annual publication examines political, legal, social, and educational issues concerning indigenous peoples in various countries around the world during 1994-95. Part I highlights news events and ongoing situations in specific countries. In the United States and Canada, these include: (1) the arrest of three Canadian Inuit hunters for the…

Obesity studies in the circumpolar Inuit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Galloway, Tracey; Blackett, Hilary; Chatwood, Susan

2012-01-01

Among circumpolar populations, recent research has documented a significant increase in risk factors which are commonly associated with chronic disease, notably obesity.......Among circumpolar populations, recent research has documented a significant increase in risk factors which are commonly associated with chronic disease, notably obesity....

Ketogenic diets and physical performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Phinney Stephen D

2004-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Impaired physical performance is a common but not obligate result of a low carbohydrate diet. Lessons from traditional Inuit culture indicate that time for adaptation, optimized sodium and potassium nutriture, and constraint of protein to 15–25 % of daily energy expenditure allow unimpaired endurance performance despite nutritional ketosis.

Seasonal prevalence and determinants of food insecurity in Iqaluit, Nunavut

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Guo

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Food insecurity is an ongoing problem in the Canadian Arctic. Although most studies have focused on smaller communities, little is known about food insecurity in larger centres. Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of food insecurity during 2 different seasons in Iqaluit, the territorial capital of Nunavut, as well as identify associated risk factors. Designs: A modified United States Department of Agriculture Food Security Survey was applied to 532 randomly selected households in September 2012 and 523 in May 2013. Chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression were used to examine potential associations between food security and 9 risk factors identified in the literature. Results: In September 2012, 28.7% of surveyed households in Iqaluit were food insecure, a rate 3 times higher than the national average, but lower than smaller Inuit communities in Nunavut. Prevalence of food insecurity in September 2012 was not significantly different in May 2013 (27.2%. When aggregating results from Inuit households from both seasons (May and September, food insecurity was associated with poor quality housing and reliance on income support (p<0.01. Unemployment and younger age of the person in charge of food preparation were also significantly associated with food insecurity. In contrast to previous research among Arctic communities, gender and consumption of country food were not positively associated with food security. These results are consistent with research describing high food insecurity across the Canadian Arctic. Conclusion: The factors associated with food insecurity in Iqaluit differed from those identified in smaller communities, suggesting that experiences with, and processes of, food insecurity may differ between small communities and larger commercial centres. These results suggest that country food consumption, traditional knowledge and sharing networks may play a less important role in larger Inuit

Ethnic dependent differences in diagnostic accuracy of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in Canadian adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Booth, Ronald A; Jiang, Ying; Morrison, Howard; Orpana, Heather; Rogers Van Katwyk, Susan; Lemieux, Chantal

2018-02-01

Previous studies have shown varying sensitivity and specificity of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) to identify diabetes and prediabetes, compared to 2-h oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG), in different ethnic groups. Within the Canadian population, the ability of HbA1c to identify prediabetes and diabetes in First Nations, Métis and Inuit, East and South Asian ethnic groups has yet to be determined. We collected demographic, lifestyle information, biochemical results of glycemic status (FPG, OGTT, and HbA1c) from an ethnically diverse Canadian population sample, which included a purposeful sampling of First Nations, Métis, Inuit, South Asian and East Asian participants. Sensitivity and specificity using Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) recommended cut-points varied between ethnic groups, with greater variability for identification of prediabetes than diabetes. Dysglycemia (prediabetes and diabetes) was identified with a sensitivity and specificity ranging from 47.1% to 87.5%, respectively in Caucasians to 24.1% and 88.8% in Inuit. Optimal HbA1c ethnic-specific cut-points for dysglycemia and diabetes were determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Our sample showed broad differences in the ability of HbA1c to identify dysglycemia or diabetes in different ethnic groups. Optimal cut-points for dysglycemia or diabetes in all ethnic groups were substantially lower than CDA recommendations. Utilization of HbA1c as the sole biochemical diagnostic marker may produce varying degrees of false negative results depending on the ethnicity of screened individuals. Further research is necessary to identify and validate optimal ethnic specific cut-points used for diabetic screening in the Canadian population. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bæredygtig pædagogik og fælles læring som community resiliens

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berliner, Peter

2012-01-01

resultater med andre undersøgelser af læring, livskvalitet og resiliens i inuit samfund. Derefter diskuteres dette i forhold til teorier om social økologi og undervisning i bæredygtig udvikling. Metoden er en form for dokument-collage, hvor der bruges både interviews og dokumenter til at belyse den...

Serum concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and a polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) in men from Greenland, Poland and Ukraine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lenters, Virissa; Thomsen, Cathrine; Smit, Lidwien A M

2013-01-01

in Inuit men from across Greenland, and in men from Warsaw, Poland and Kharkiv, Ukraine. Serum was sampled between 2002 and 2004 from men 19 to 50years of age. 299 samples were analyzed for BDE-28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154 and 183 and the brominated biphenyl BB-153 using gas chromatography-high resolution...

The value of a polar bear: evaluating the role of a multiple-use resource in the Nunavut mixed economy.

Science.gov (United States)

Dowsley, Martha

2010-01-01

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a common pool resource that contributes to both the subsistence and monetary aspects of the Nunavut mixed economy through its use as food, the sale of hides in the fur trade, and sport hunt outfitting. Sport hunting is more financially profitable than subsistence hunting; however, the proportion of the polar bear quota devoted to the sport hunt has become relatively stable at approximately 20% across Nunavut. This ratio suggests local Inuit organizations are not using a neoclassical economic model based on profit maximization. This paper examines local-level hunting organizations and their institutions (as sets of rules) governing the sport and Inuit subsistence hunts from both formalist and substantivist economic perspectives. It concludes that profit maximization is used within the sport hunting sphere, which fits a neoclassical model of economic rationality. A second and parallel system, better viewed through the substantivist perspective, demonstrates that the communities focus on longer-term goals to maintain and reproduce the socio-economic system of the subsistence economy, which is predicated on maintaining social, human-environment, and human-polar bear relations.

Vitamin D deficiency among northern Native Peoples: a real or apparent problem?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Frost

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Vitamin D deficiency seems to be common among northern Native peoples, notably Inuit and Amerindians. It has usually been attributed to: (1 higher latitudes that prevent vitamin D synthesis most of the year; (2 darker skin that blocks solar UVB; and (3 fewer dietary sources of vitamin D. Although vitamin D levels are clearly lower among northern Natives, it is less clear that these lower levels indicate a deficiency. The above factors predate European contact, yet pre-Columbian skeletons show few signs of rickets—the most visible sign of vitamin D deficiency. Furthermore, because northern Natives have long inhabited high latitudes, natural selection should have progressively reduced their vitamin D requirements. There is in fact evidence that the Inuit have compensated for decreased production of vitamin D through increased conversion to its most active form and through receptors that bind more effectively. Thus, when diagnosing vitamin D deficiency in these populations, we should not use norms that were originally developed for European-descended populations who produce this vitamin more easily and have adapted accordingly.

Exploring Material Culture in the Barrenlands

Science.gov (United States)

MacEachren, Zabe

2012-01-01

Although the author loves winter camping and holds the Inuit culture in great regard, thinking about material culture in a northern landscape referred to as barren constitutes a daunting lesson. She wondered, when a landscape is barren is it possible at all for someone to find material, make useful items and survive? So it was she joined the Mara…

Native Cultures and Language: Challenges for Land Managers in Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas J. Gallagher

1992-01-01

Many of the Aleuts, Inuits, and Indians of Alaska continue to live a traditional lifestyle. Eighty-eight percent of the land they use for subsistence activities, however, is managed by federal or state agencies. Clear communication across cultures is essential if Native people are to be represented in agency land management decisions. Problems in communication relate...

Seasons by the Sun

Science.gov (United States)

Stark, Meri-Lyn

2005-01-01

Understanding the Sun has challenged people since ancient times. Mythology from the Greek, Inuit, and Inca cultures attempted to explain the daily appearance and nightly disappearance of the Sun by relating it to a chariot being chased across the sky. While people no longer believe the Sun is a chariot racing across the sky, teachers are still…

Education and Social Innovation: The Youth Uncensored Project--A Case Study of Youth Participatory Research and Cultural Democracy in Action

Science.gov (United States)

Conrad, Diane H.

2015-01-01

This article discusses social innovation in education informed by arts-based and Indigenous ways of knowing. I use the term Indigenous to refer to First Peoples' and their wisdom traditions from places around the world and the term Aboriginal to refer to the diverse First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples of Canada. The article looks at the…

A study of the HIV/AIDS-related conditions and risk behaviors of sex

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2016-09-11

Sep 11, 2016 ... 24.4. Separated, divorced, widowed, or other. 13.8. Cultural status. Caucasian. 9.4. Aboriginal (First Nations, Métis or Inuit). 89.7. Other. 0.9. Highest level of school completed. Eight grade or less. 18.5. Grade 9-12 but no high school graduation. 60.0. Completed high school. 13.4. Trade or technical training.

Maternal and umbilical cord blood levels of mercury, lead, cadmium, and essential trace elements in Arctic Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butler Walker, Jody; Houseman, Jan; Seddon, Laura; McMullen, Ed; Tofflemire, Karen; Mills, Carole; Corriveau, Andre; Weber, Jean-Philippe; LeBlanc, Alain; Walker, Mike; Donaldson, Shawn G.; Van Oostdam, Jay

2006-01-01

Maternal and umbilical cord blood levels of mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and the trace elements copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and selenium (Se) are reported for Inuit, Dene/Metis, Caucasian, and Other nonaboriginal participants from Arctic Canada. This is the first human tissue monitoring program covering the entire Northwest Territories and Nunavut for multiple contaminants and establishes a baseline upon which future comparisons can be made. Results for chlorinated organic pesticides and PCBs for these participants have been reported elsewhere. Between May 1994 and June 1999, 523 women volunteered to participate by giving their written informed consent, resulting in the collection of 386 maternal blood samples, 407 cord samples, and 351 cord:maternal paired samples. Geometric mean (GM) maternal total mercury (THg) concentrations ranged from 0.87μg/L (SD=1.95) in the Caucasian group of participants (n=134) to 3.51μg/L (SD=8.30) in the Inuit group (n=146). The GM of the Inuit group was 2.6-fold higher than that of the Dene/Metis group (1.35μg/L, SD=1.60, n=92) and significantly higher than those of all other groups (P 8 cigarettes/day) was 7.4-fold higher and 12.5-fold higher, respectively, than in nonsmokers. The high percentage of smokers among Inuit (77%) and Dene/Metis (48%) participants highlights the need for ongoing public health action directed at tobacco prevention, reduction, and cessation for women of reproductive age. Pb and THg were detected in more than 95% of all cord blood samples, with GMs of 21 μg/L and 2.7μg/L, respectively, and Cd was detected in 26% of all cord samples, with a GM of 0.08μg/L. Cord:maternal ratios from paired samples ranged from 0.44 to 4.5 for THg, from 0.5 to 10.3 for MeHg, and 0.1 to 9.0 for Pb. On average, levels of THg, MeHg, and Zn were significantly higher in cord blood than in maternal blood (P<0.0001), whereas maternal Cd, Pb, Se, and Cu levels were significantly higher than those in cord blood (P<0

UNPUBLISHED TEXTS / INEDITI

African Journals Online (AJOL)

gelida. Non ho più nulla da offrire. Sono veramente solo. Nudo. Pronto a riceverli. Al grido sfrecciano verso di me tre lunghe canoe. Li vedo bene mentre avanzano. Sembrano per lo più muti e tesi, questi. Inuit della costa orientale. Sono tutti uomini, tranne una donna, ritta sulla prua. Mi grida: “Dicci il tuo nome! Dicci chi sei!

Variability of IN measured with the Fast Ice Nucleus Chamber (FINCH) at the high altitude research station Jungfraujoch during wintertime 2013

Science.gov (United States)

Frank, Fabian; Nillius, Björn; Bundke, Ulrich; Curtius, Joachim

2014-05-01

Ice nuclei (IN) are an important component of the atmospheric aerosol. Despite their low concentrations in the atmosphere, they have an influence on the formation of ice crystals in mixed-phase clouds and therefore on precipitation. The Fast Ice Nucleus CHamber (FINCH)1, a counter for ice nucleating particles developed at the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main allows long-term measurements of the IN number concentration. In FINCH the ice activation of the aerosol particles is achieved by mixing air flows with different temperature and humidity. The IN number concentration measurements at different meteorological conditions during the INUIT-JFJ campaign at the high altitude research station Jungfraujoch in Switzerland are presented and its variability are discussed. The good operational performance of the instrument allowed up to 10 hours of continuous measurements. Acknowledgment: This work was supported by the German Research Foundation, DFG Grant: BU 1432/3-2 BU 1432/4-1 in the framework of INUIT (FOR 1525) and SPP 1294 HALO. 1- Bundke, U., Nillius, B., Jaenicke, R., Wetter, T., Klein, H., and Bingemer, H. (2008). The fast ice nucleus chamber finch. Atmospheric Research, 90:180-186.

Inuit Health in Transition: the Nuka study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard, Peter

biological samples. The studies in Nunavik and Greenland are not identical but share protocols on diabetes, heart disease, diet, smoking, social capital, self rated health, gambling and many other topics. The study is being geographically expanded to cover also Nunavut, Labrador and East Greenland......, and comparable studies have yielded data from Alaska Natives and Norwegian Sami. A number of researchers will present results from the study at this meeting and we shall hear a lot about the link between diet and health. I will take one step back and look at the social determinants of dietary patterns...... in Greenland in a life course perspective. First different ways to determine dietary patterns will be examined; then the association of parents' background, childhood conditions, education, place of residence, job and wealth with diet will be analysed. Finally, the association of diet with other determinants...

Organochlorines and heavy metals in pregnant women from the Disko Bay area in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard, P; Hansen, J C

2000-01-01

Recent studies from Greenland and the Canadian Arctic have shown high concentrations of heavy metals, such as mercury, and organochlorines in the blood and fatty tissue of the Inuit. This is attributed in particular to their high consumption of the meat and blubber of marine mammals. In the present...... systems but the high concentrations of pollutants have so far not been shown to influence health in Greenland....

Cogestion des ressources naturelles en dépit de différences ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Si le projet proposé vise les collectivités Yshiro du Paraguay, un volet sera mené au Labrador en collaboration avec la nation innue et le gouvernement des Inuits du Nunatsiavut. Les trois cas combinés permettront de généraliser et de faire passer à grande échelle les résultats de la recherche sous forme de techniques et ...

Northern Youth Abroad Trouver sa place à l'autre bout du monde ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

10 mars 2011 ... Le gouvernement du Nunavut est tenu de constituer une fonction publique composée à 80 % d'Inuits. Le programme permet aux participants d'acquérir des compétences concrètes qui, selon NYA, sont cruciales si l'on espère que les jeunes jouent un plus grand rôle dans le processus décisionnel au ...

Assessing determinants of maternal blood concentrations for persistent organic pollutants and metals in the eastern and western Canadian Arctic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curren, Meredith S.; Liang, Chun Lei; Davis, Karelyn; Kandola, Kami; Brewster, Janet; Potyrala, Mary; Chan, Hing Man

2015-01-01

Aboriginal peoples in the Canadian Arctic are exposed to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and metals mainly through their consumption of a traditional diet of wildlife items. Recent studies indicate that many human chemical levels have decreased in the north, likely due to a combination of reduced global chemical emissions, dietary shifts, and risk mitigation efforts by local health authorities. Body burdens for chemicals in mothers can be further offset by breastfeeding, parity, and other maternal characteristics. We have assessed the impact of several dietary and maternal covariates following a decade of awareness of the contaminant issue in northern Canada, by performing multiple stepwise linear regression analyses from blood concentrations and demographic variables for 176 mothers recruited from Nunavut and the Northwest Territories during the period 2005–2007. A significant aboriginal group effect was observed for the modeled chemicals, except for lead and cadmium, after adjusting for covariates. Further, blood concentrations for POPs and metals were significantly associated with at least one covariate of older age, fewer months spent breastfeeding, more frequent eating of traditional foods, or smoking during pregnancy. Cadmium had the highest explained variance (72.5%) from just two significant covariates (current smoking status and parity). Although Inuit participants from the Northwest Territories consumed more traditional foods in general, Inuit participants from coastal communities in Nunavut continued to demonstrate higher adjusted blood concentrations for POPs and metals examined here. While this is due in part to a higher prevalence of marine mammals in the eastern Arctic diet, it is possible that other aboriginal group effects unrelated to diet may also contribute to elevated chemical body burdens in Canadian Arctic populations. - Highlights: • In 2005–07, younger age was related to lower levels of chemicals in northern Canada. • Eastern

Assessing determinants of maternal blood concentrations for persistent organic pollutants and metals in the eastern and western Canadian Arctic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Curren, Meredith S., E-mail: meredith.curren@hc-sc.gc.ca [Chemicals Surveillance Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Liang, Chun Lei, E-mail: chun.lei.liang@hc-sc.gc.ca [Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, 50 Columbine Driveway, Tunney' s Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Davis, Karelyn, E-mail: karelyn.davis@hc-sc.gc.ca [Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, 50 Columbine Driveway, Tunney' s Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Kandola, Kami, E-mail: Kami_Kandola@gov.nt.ca [Government of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (Canada); Brewster, Janet, E-mail: jbrewster@gov.nu.ca [Government of Nunavut, Iqaluit, Nunavut (Canada); Potyrala, Mary, E-mail: mary_potyrala@yahoo.ca [Government of Nunavut, Iqaluit, Nunavut (Canada); Chan, Hing Man, E-mail: laurie.chan@uottawa.ca [Center for Advanced Research in Environmental Genomics, University of Ottawa, 20 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)

2015-09-15

Aboriginal peoples in the Canadian Arctic are exposed to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and metals mainly through their consumption of a traditional diet of wildlife items. Recent studies indicate that many human chemical levels have decreased in the north, likely due to a combination of reduced global chemical emissions, dietary shifts, and risk mitigation efforts by local health authorities. Body burdens for chemicals in mothers can be further offset by breastfeeding, parity, and other maternal characteristics. We have assessed the impact of several dietary and maternal covariates following a decade of awareness of the contaminant issue in northern Canada, by performing multiple stepwise linear regression analyses from blood concentrations and demographic variables for 176 mothers recruited from Nunavut and the Northwest Territories during the period 2005–2007. A significant aboriginal group effect was observed for the modeled chemicals, except for lead and cadmium, after adjusting for covariates. Further, blood concentrations for POPs and metals were significantly associated with at least one covariate of older age, fewer months spent breastfeeding, more frequent eating of traditional foods, or smoking during pregnancy. Cadmium had the highest explained variance (72.5%) from just two significant covariates (current smoking status and parity). Although Inuit participants from the Northwest Territories consumed more traditional foods in general, Inuit participants from coastal communities in Nunavut continued to demonstrate higher adjusted blood concentrations for POPs and metals examined here. While this is due in part to a higher prevalence of marine mammals in the eastern Arctic diet, it is possible that other aboriginal group effects unrelated to diet may also contribute to elevated chemical body burdens in Canadian Arctic populations. - Highlights: • In 2005–07, younger age was related to lower levels of chemicals in northern Canada. • Eastern

In-situ measurements of ice nucleating particles with FINCH (Fast Ice Nucleus Chamber)

Science.gov (United States)

Kohl, Rebecca; Frank, Fabian; Curtius, Joachim; Rose, Diana

2017-04-01

Ice nucleating particles (INPs), which are a small fraction of the total aerosol population, are capable of triggering ice formation under atmospheric conditions. Since INPs play an important role for the radiative properties of clouds as well as for the formation of precipitation it is important to get quantitative information on the ice activity of various atmospheric aerosol species. With the Fast Ice Nucleus Chamber (FINCH; Bundke et al., 2008) the number concentration of INP is determined at different freezing temperatures and supersaturations. In contrast to other commonly used INP counters, i.e., continuous flow diffusion chambers (CFDCs, DeMott et al., 2011), in FINCH the supersaturation is reached by mixing the sample flow of ambient aerosol with a warm moist as well as a cold dry airflow. By changing the flow rates and temperatures of the individual airflows the freezing temperature (down to -50°C) and supersaturation (up to above water saturation) can be varied relatively quickly. Particles that are ice active at the prescribed freezing temperature and supersaturation grow to crystals and are counted by a home-built optical particle counter (OPC) mounted below the chamber (Bundke et al., 2010). FINCH was operated during the four-week INUIT-BACCHUS-ACTRIS field campaign in Cyprus in April 2016. The measuring site was the location of the Cyprus Atmospheric Observatory (CAO) at Agia Marina Xyliatou, which is typically influenced by dust from the Sahara and the Middle East, an aerosol that is known to have relatively good ice nucleating ability. First results from this campaign will be presented. Acknowledgements: The authors thank the entire INUIT-BACCHUS-ACTRIS campaign team for their cooperation and support. The INUIT-2 project is financed by the German Research Foundation DFG (FOR 1525). The INUIT-Cyprus campaign is a cooperation with the EU-funded project BACCHUS and is also funded by ACTRIS-TNA. References: Bundke, U., Nillius, B., Jaenicke, R

Kahwà:tsire: Indigenous Families in a Family Therapy Practice with the Indigenous Worldview as the Foundation

OpenAIRE

Derrick, J.M.

2017-01-01

This study creates new knowledge regarding the impact of European colonization on Indigenous (Aboriginal, First Nations, Inuit, Metis) families in Canada. It particularly focuses on the issues in families whose children were forcibly removed by the government to institutions called residential schools. Members of Indigenous families voluntarily attended a family therapy practice which utilized a family systems approach and was uniquely based in the Indigenous worldview. This worldview is spir...

Eskimos Enlightenment: Archeology of a clumsy view

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giulia Bogliolo Bruna

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The present paper retraces, in an ethno-historical perspective, the genesis of the oriented, elliptic, simplistic and reductive representation of the Eskimos in the Diderot & d’Alembert’s Encyclopaedia. Adopting an inter-disciplinary approach (historical, anthropological and textual, as well, the paper wonders upon the mechanisms which have governed the construction of the Eskimos’ image, and deciphers them considering the philosophical challenges and the ideological conditioning of the Century of Lights. The Eskimos’ image conveyed by the Encyclopaedia emphasizes their bestiality and primitivism, to stick them as the prototype of the savagery, the personification of a degenerated and shy humanity of the borders. The image of the Inuit - stereotyped, preformed and caricatured - is built through bias, omissions, and generalizations. It is intended to present them as fully antonymic to civilisation. In the Diderot and Chevalier de Jaucourt’s writing, the fierce and anthropophagic Inuit are the archetypal symbol of an extreme and terrifying anthropological difference which is the outcome of a geographical and climatic determinism. Far away the highly idealized and aesthetically-oriented image of the Good Savage, the Eskimos show-up in the writing of the Century of Lights‟ scholars a borderline humanity, deprived of any culture mark, but, nevertheless belonging to the human family.

Catch history of ringed seals (Phoca hispida in Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Randall R Reeves

1998-06-01

Full Text Available The ringed seal (Phoca hispida has always been a staple in the diet and household economy of Inuit in Canada. The present paper was prepared at the request of the NAMMCO Scientific Committee to support their assessment of ringed seal stocks in the North Atlantic Basin and adjacent arctic and subarctic waters. Specifically, our objective was to evaluate recent and current levels of use of ringed seals by Canadian Inuit. Annual removals probably were highest (possibly greater than 100,000 in the 1960s and 1970s, a period when sealskin prices were particularly strong. Catches declined substantially in the 1980s following a collapse in sealskin prices, presumably related to the European trade ban on skins from newborn harp and hooded seals (Phoca groenlandica and Cystophora cristata, respectively. Recent catch levels throughout Canada (1980s and early 1990s are believed to be in the order of 50,000 to 65,000 ringed seals, with a total average annual kill (including hunting loss in the high tens of thousands. No reliable system is in place to monitor catches of ringed seals, so any estimate must be derived from a heterogeneous array of sources.

Lexical polysynthesis : Should we treat lexical bases and their affixes as a continuum ?

OpenAIRE

Tersis , Nicole

2006-01-01

International audience; Polysynthesis in Inuit appears at both lexical and sentence levels. The analysis of a sampling of 3000 lexical entries and 300 affixes collected in Eastern Greenland (Tunumiisut) shows how polysynthesis works in lexical morphology and how phonetic wastage helps to obscure the motivation for some lexical forms and favors the development of homophones. Furthermore, the analysis of the full set of affixes reveals a number of formal and semantic similarities which relate a...

Human whole body cold adaptation.

OpenAIRE

Daanen, Hein A.M.; Van Marken Lichtenbelt, Wouter D.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Reviews on whole body human cold adaptation generally do not distinguish between population studies and dedicated acclimation studies, leading to confusing results. Population studies show that indigenous black Africans have reduced shivering thermogenesis in the cold and poor cold induced vasodilation in fingers and toes compared to Caucasians and Inuit. About 40,000?y after humans left Africa, natives in cold terrestrial areas seems to have developed not only behavioral adaptations...

Évaluation du risque de dysglycémie dans la région de Kitikmeot (Nunavut au moyen de l'outil CANRISK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying Jiang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction : L'Agence de la santé publique du Canada a adapté un outil finlandais de dépistage du diabète (FINDRISC dans le but de créer un outil, CANRISK, conçu sur mesure pour la population multiethnique du Canada. Cet outil a été élaboré à partir de données recueillies dans sept provinces canadiennes. Dans le but d'élargir son applicabilité aux populations des territoires nordiques, nous avons réalisé une étude auprès de la population majoritairement inuite de la région de Kitikmeot (Nunavut. Méthodologie : Nous avons recueilli des questionnaires CANRISK, des mesures physiques et des échantillons de sang auprès de participants vivant dans cinq collectivités de la région de Kitikmeot. Nous avons utilisé une régression logistique pour évaluer l'ajustement du modèle à l'aide des facteurs de risque de l'outil CANRISK d'origine associés à la dysglycémie (prédiabète et diabète. La dysglycémie a été évaluée au moyen d'un test de glycémie plasmatique à jeun (GPJ administré seul ou avec une épreuve d'hyperglycémie provoquée par voie orale. Nous avons mis au point les scores CANRISK des participants pour tester le fonctionnement de cet outil au sein d'une population inuite. Résultats : Au total, 303 personnes ont participé à l'étude. La moitié d'entre elles avaient moins de 45 ans, les deux tiers étaient des femmes et 84 % étaient inuites. Sur les 303 participants, 18 % étaient atteints de prédiabète et 4 % avaient un diabète non diagnostiqué. La probabilité de présenter un état dysglycémique augmentait de façon exponentielle avec l'âge et la relation avec l'indice de masse corporelle (IMC suivait une courbe en U. Par rapport aux résultats d'analyse en laboratoire, l'outil CANRISK avec un seuil de 32 points a présenté une sensibilité de 61 %, une spécificité de 66 %, une valeur prédictive positive de 34 % et un taux d'exactitude de 65 %. Conclusion : L'outil CANRISK a permis de d

The use of Photovoice to document and characterize the food security of users of community food programs in Iqaluit, Nunavut.

Science.gov (United States)

Lardeau, M-P; Healey, G; Ford, J

2011-01-01

Food insecurity is a chronic problem affecting Inuit communities. The most comprehensive assessment of Inuit food security to-date, the Inuit Health Survey, reported that 70% of Inuit pre-school children lived in 'food insecure' households. Food banks and soup kitchens are relatively new in the Arctic but the number of users is increasing. Little is known about the experience and determinants of food insecurity among food program users who are often among the most marginalized (socially and economically) in communities. The use of participatory research methods when working in the north of Canada can promote meaningful knowledge exchange with community members and this approach was used in the present 'Photovoice' research. Photovoice uses photography to develop a baseline understanding of an issue, in this case the experience and determinants of food insecurity among users of community food programs in Iqaluit, Nunavut. The target population includes those who face significant social and economic marginalization, an often neglected group in Arctic food systems research. Eight regular users of food programs were recruited and engaged in a Photovoice research project to document factors determining their daily food consumption. The research method was introduced in workshops and discussion included the ethical concerns related to photography and how to take pictures. Participants were supplied with digital cameras, and asked to answer the following question using photography: 'What aspects of your everyday life affect what you eat and how much you have to eat?'. In the final workshop, photographs were discussed among the group and participants identified key themes in the photographs, offering an understanding of food insecurity from their perspectives. The group then discussed what should be done with the knowledge gained. Factors improving food security were the customary systems for sharing 'country food', and the presence of social support networks in the

La prise en charge à long terme de l’asthme chez les enfants inuits et des Premières nations : un outil de transfert du savoir fondé sur les lignes directrices canadiennes pour l’asthme pédiatrique, conçu pour être utilisé par les professionnels de la santé de première ligne qui travaillent dans des communautés isolées

Science.gov (United States)

Kovesi, Tom; Giles, Brenda Louise; Pasterkamp, Hans

L’asthme est un grave problème de santé pour les enfants inuits et des Premières nations. Chez les enfants de moins d’un an, il faut distinguer l’asthme de la bronchiolite virale, anormalement fréquente chez les enfants autochtones du Canada. Chez les enfants de moins de six ans, le diagnostic dépend de la présence de symptômes classiques, de l’absence de caractéristiques atypiques et de la consignation de la réponse au traitement, notamment la réponse rapide et transitoire aux bronchodilatateurs. Chez les enfants plus âgés, il faut, dans la mesure du possible, déterminer la présence d’une obstruction réversible des voies aériennes par spirométrie afin de confirmer le diagnostic, ainsi qu’évaluer et corriger les déclencheurs environnementaux. L’utilisation régulière de corticoïdes en aérosol est la principale mesure à prendre pour maintenir un bon contrôle de l’asthme chez les enfants asthmatiques. Les clients et leur famille devraient recevoir une formation sur l’asthme. Il faut réévaluer régulièrement le contrôle aux visites de suivi dans des centres de santé et rajuster le traitement à la dose la plus basse possible pour le maintien de ce contrôle.

Association between methylmercury and cardiovascular risk factors in a native population of Quebec (Canada): a retrospective evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Valera, Beatriz; Dewailly, Eric; Poirier, Paul

2013-01-01

Epidemiological evidence suggests a negative impact of methylmercury (MeHg) on cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). This issue is of concern in Arctic populations such as in the Inuit of Nunavik since this contaminant is accumulated in fish and marine mammals, which still represent the subsistence diet of this population. We examined the associations between MeHg and BP and resting HR among Inuit adults. The "Santé Quebec" health survey was conducted in 1992 in the 14 villages of Nunavik and a complete set of data was obtained for 313 Inuit adults≥18 years. Blood samples were collected in order to determine total mercury, lead, total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), fasting glucose and lipid profile while socio-demographic variables were obtained through questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements as well as BP and resting HR were obtained using standardised protocols. Pulse pressure (PP: systolic BP minus diastolic BP) was also calculated. Multiple linear regression was used in order to determine the change in the dependent variables associated with the quartiles of MeHg concentration, taking the quartile 1 as reference. The mean age of the participants was 38±14 years and the sample was composed of 132 men (42.2%) and 181 women (57.8%). MeHg geometric mean was 15.4 μg/L (95%CI: 13.9-17.0) and levels ranged from 0.8 to 112.0 μg/L. Resting HR increased linearly across quartiles of blood MeHg concentration after adjusting for confounders (p for trend=0.02). An increase of 6.9 beats per minute (bpm) between the 4th and 1st quartile was observed after adjusting for confounders. No significant association was observed between blood MeHg and systolic BP, diastolic BP or PP. MeHg was associated with increasing resting HR after considering traditional risk factors as well as other contaminants (lead and total PCBs) and n-3 PUFAs. In contrast, no significant association with blood

Dietary patterns in Greenland and their relationship with type 2 diabetes mellitus and glucose intolerance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jeppesen, Charlotte; Bjerregaard, Peter; Jørgensen, Marit Eika

2013-01-01

into normal glucose tolerance, IGT, IFG or T2DM. HOMA-IR (homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance index) and HOMA-β (homeostatic model assessment of β-cell function) were calculated. SUBJECTS: Data included 2374 Inuit, aged 18+ years. RESULTS: Participants with a traditional dietary pattern had higher...... fasting plasma glucose (mean 5·73 (95 % CI 5·68, 5·78) mmol/l, P HOMA-β (48·66 (95 % CI 46·86, 50·40), P

Endocarditis in Greenland with special reference to endocarditis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Rasmus Gaarde; Ladefoged, Karin; Kjaergaard, Jens Jørgen

2009-01-01

in studies on Caucasian populations, where pneumococcal infection was seen in 1-3% of endocarditis cases. The overall mortality rate was 12%. Pneumococcal endocarditis (PE) had the clinical characteristics of fulminant disease with frequent heart failure, complications and need for surgery. Among cases...... with PE, 67% needed acute valve replacement and the mortality rate was 33%. CONCLUSIONS: The high incidence rate, clinical characteristics and grave prognosis of PE are consistent with another study of an Inuit population in Alaska....

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, calcium and parathyroid hormone levels in Native and European populations in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Stig; Noahsen, Paneeraq; Rex, Karsten F

2018-01-01

Ca homoeostasis is important to human health and tightly controlled by powerful hormonal mechanisms that display ethnic variation. Ethnic variations could occur also in Arctic populations where the traditional Inuit diet is low in Ca and sun exposure is limited. We aimed to assess factors important....... Recommendations are to evaluate mechanisms underlying the ethnic influence on Ca homoeostasis and to assess the impact of transition in dietary habits on Ca homoeostasis and skeletal health in Arctic populations....

Policy Writing as Dialogue: Drafting an Aboriginal Chapter for Canada's Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeff Reading

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Writing policy that applies to First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada has become more interactive as communities and their representative organizations press for practical recognition of an Aboriginal right of self-determination. When the policy in development is aimed at supporting “respect for human dignity” as it is in the case of ethics of research involving humans, the necessity of engaging the affected population becomes central to the undertaking.

Physical Activity and Abdominal Fat Distribution in Greenland.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahl-Petersen, Inger Katrine; Brage, Søren; Bjerregaard, Peter; Tolstrup, Janne Schurmann; Jørgensen, Marit Eika

2017-10-01

We examined how total volume of physical activity and reallocation of time spent at various objectively measured intensities of physical activity (PA) were associated with overall and abdominal fat distribution in adult Inuit in Greenland. Data were collected as part of a countrywide cross-sectional health survey in Greenland. A combined accelerometer and HR monitor measured total physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) and intensities of PA (N = 1536). Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were assessed by ultrasonography. Isotemporal substitution modeling was used to analyze the association between substitution of 1 h of sedentary time to light- or moderate-intensity PA and 1 h light-intensity PA to moderate- or vigorous-intensity PA in relation to body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), SAT, and VAT. A negative linear association was found for total PAEE and BMI, WC, VAT, and SAT. Exchanging 1 h of sedentary time with light-intensity PA was associated with lower WC (-0.6 cm, P = 0.01), SAT (-0.08 cm, P abdominal fat distribution. Physical activity energy expenditure is associated with lower BMI, WC, and abdominal fat among Greenland Inuit. The importance of promoting an upward shift of the whole PA intensity distribution and to spur even short bouts of MVPA to limit excessive accumulation of SAT and VAT is highlighted.

Genetic signature of natural selection in first Americans.

Science.gov (United States)

Amorim, Carlos Eduardo; Nunes, Kelly; Meyer, Diogo; Comas, David; Bortolini, Maria Cátira; Salzano, Francisco Mauro; Hünemeier, Tábita

2017-02-28

When humans moved from Asia toward the Americas over 18,000 y ago and eventually peopled the New World they encountered a new environment with extreme climate conditions and distinct dietary resources. These environmental and dietary pressures may have led to instances of genetic adaptation with the potential to influence the phenotypic variation in extant Native American populations. An example of such an event is the evolution of the fatty acid desaturases ( FADS ) genes, which have been claimed to harbor signals of positive selection in Inuit populations due to adaptation to the cold Greenland Arctic climate and to a protein-rich diet. Because there was evidence of intercontinental variation in this genetic region, with indications of positive selection for its variants, we decided to compare the Inuit findings with other Native American data. Here, we use several lines of evidence to show that the signal of FADS-positive selection is not restricted to the Arctic but instead is broadly observed throughout the Americas. The shared signature of selection among populations living in such a diverse range of environments is likely due to a single and strong instance of local adaptation that took place in the common ancestral population before their entrance into the New World. These first Americans peopled the whole continent and spread this adaptive variant across a diverse set of environments.

Strength in the North: Building tomorrow at Raglan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ednie, H.

2000-10-01

Optimization of the Raglan Nickel Mine in the Ungava Peninsula of northern Quebec, to increase production to one million tons annually is discussed. The mine, owned by the Societe Miniere Raglan du Quebec Ltee, also produces copper, cobalt and platinum group metals. The new developments at the Raglan Mine are said to lay the groundwork for sustainable development. Environmentally, the operation is not only meeting all permitting requirements but is working to further develop strategies and technologies to improve its environmental performance. The mine has also improved relations with the Aboriginal Peoples community by creating various joint committees and is also well on its way towards reaching its goal of hiring and training the maximum possible number of workers from the surrounding Inuit communities. Some 20 per cent of the almost 400-strong workforce is made up of Inuit people, and further increases are expected. The article also provides an overview of the geology and exploration of the Raglan property, the unique nature of the orebody, and the mining, processing and transportation methods (via Deception Bay and Quebec City to smelters in Sarnia, Ontario). Details of tailings management in particular, and work towards a cleaner operation in general are described, along with efforts to on-the-job training programs for northern people, and the special health and safety program custom-tailored to deal with the harsh Arctic environment.

Food insecurity and food consumption by season in households with children in an Arctic city: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Huet, Catherine; Ford, James D; Edge, Victoria L; Shirley, Jamal; King, Nia; Harper, Sherilee L

2017-06-15

High rates of food insecurity are documented among Inuit households in Canada; however, data on food insecurity prevalence and seasonality for Inuit households with children are lacking, especially in city centres. This project: (1) compared food consumption patterns for households with and without children, (2) compared the prevalence of food insecurity for households with and without children, (3) compared food consumption patterns and food insecurity prevalence between seasons, and (4) identified factors associated with food insecurity in households with children in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada. Randomly selected households were surveyed in Iqaluit in September 2012 and May 2013. Household food security status was determined using an adapted United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module. Univariable logistic regressions were used to examine unconditional associations between food security status and demographics, socioeconomics, frequency of food consumption, and method of food preparation in households with children by season. Households with children (n = 431) and without children (n = 468) participated in the survey. Food insecurity was identified in 32.9% (95% CI: 28.5-37.4%) of households with children; this was significantly higher than in households without children (23.2%, 95% CI: 19.4-27.1%). The prevalence of household food insecurity did not significantly differ by season. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the person responsible for food preparation, including low formal education attainment (OR Sept  = 4.3, 95% CI: 2.3-8.0; OR May  = 3.2, 95% CI: 1.8-5.8), unemployment (OR Sept  = 1.1, 95% CI: 1.1-1.3; OR May  = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1-1.5), and Inuit identity (OR Sept  = 8.9, 95% CI: 3.4-23.5; OR May  = 21.8, 95% CI: 6.6-72.4), were associated with increased odds of food insecurity in households with children. Fruit and vegetable consumption (OR Sept  = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.8; OR May  = 0.5, 95

West Greenlandic Eskimo

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trondhjem, Naja Blytmann; Fortescue, Michael David

West Greenlandic Eskimo. The current situation of the West Greenlandic language as principal means of communication among the majority Greenlandic population will be presented with special emphasis on the northwest hunting district of Upernavik, where traditional marine mammal hunting is still...... the principal economic activity. Research projects and language initiatives currently in progress within Greenland will be touched upon, as will the possibilities of communication with North American Inuit. West Greenlandic is unique among the native languages of the North American Arctic and Sub...

Minimally destructive DNA extraction from archaeological artefacts made from whale baleen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sinding, Mikkel Holger Strander; Gilbert, Tom; Grønnow, Bjarne

2012-01-01

Here we demonstrate the successful extraction and amplification of target species DNA from artefacts made of whale baleen collected from excavations of past palaeo-Eskimo and Inuit cultures in Greenland. DNA was successfully extracted and amplified from a single baleen bristle of 1.5 cm length...... genetic studies. We conclude that genetic investigation of historical baleen collections can contribute to our knowledge of the prehistoric population genetics of baleen whales, for example by quantifying the impact of modern whaling on the genetic diversity of bowhead whales....

Arctic development and historical analysis: the use of historical methodology in addressing current issues in the Arctic.

Science.gov (United States)

Douglas, Vasiliki Kravariotis

2008-06-01

To demonstrate the applicability of historical methodology to current issues in the Canadian Arctic. This is a literature-based analytical historical study, which draws on material from database searches of MEDLINE, Anthropology Plus, POLARInfo, the Arctic Blue Books and Historical Abstracts. Material was also obtained from physical searches of the University of Alberta Libraries and Library and Archives Canada collections, as well as from field research in the records of the Inuulitsivik Maternities. The historical technique of tracing epistemological change over time, pioneered by Michel Foucault and further developed by Ian Hacking, was applied to the history of Canadian authority in the Arctic. This was linked with epistemological changes occurring throughout Western/Southern culture in this period. The applicability of this historical analysis for current issues in the region was then evaluated. An epistemological shift in Western society has moved authority from traditional human actors in government, medicine and, increasingly, science to statistics, which is seen as both impartial and accurate. Human authorities now routinely appeal to statistical authority to validate policy decisions. This change is as apparent in the Arctic as elsewhere, but it has also opened a space for Inuit practices, rooted in traditional Inuit epistemology, to reassert themselves, provided they can satisfy demands for statistical validity. Historical analysis provides a means to identify the spaces which epistemological change and historical contingency have opened in which social and cultural change can occur.

Development of a strategic plan for food security and safety in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Fillion, Myriam; Laird, Brian; Douglas, Vasiliki; Van Pelt, Linda; Archie, Diane; Chan, Hing Man

2014-01-01

Current social and environmental changes in the Arctic challenge the health and well-being of its residents. Developing evidence-informed adaptive measures in response to these changes is a priority for communities, governments and researchers. To develop strategic planning to promote food security and food safety in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR), Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. A qualitative study using group discussions during a workshop. A regional workshop gathered Inuit organizations and community representatives, university-based researchers from the Inuit Health Survey (IHS) and NWT governmental organizations. Discussions were structured around the findings from the IHS. For each key area, programs and activities were identified and prioritized by group discussion and voting. The working group developed a vision for future research and intervention, which is to empower communities to promote health, well-being and environmental sustainability in the ISR. The group elaborated missions for the region that address the following issues: (a) capacity building within communities; (b) promotion of the use of traditional foods to address food security; (c) research to better understand the linkages between diseases and contaminants in traditional foods, market foods and lifestyle choices; (d) and promotion of affordable housing. Five programs to address each key area were developed as follows: harvest support and traditional food sharing; education and promotion; governance and policy; research; and housing. Concrete activities were identified to guide future research and intervention projects. The results of the planning workshop provide a blueprint for future research and intervention projects.

Pre-Columbian origins of Native American dog breeds, with only limited replacement by European dogs, confirmed by mtDNA analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

van Asch, Barbara; Zhang, Ai-bing; Oskarsson, Mattias C R; Klütsch, Cornelya F C; Amorim, António; Savolainen, Peter

2013-09-07

Dogs were present in pre-Columbian America, presumably brought by early human migrants from Asia. Studies of free-ranging village/street dogs have indicated almost total replacement of these original dogs by European dogs, but the extent to which Arctic, North and South American breeds are descendants of the original population remains to be assessed. Using a comprehensive phylogeographic analysis, we traced the origin of the mitochondrial DNA lineages for Inuit, Eskimo and Greenland dogs, Alaskan Malamute, Chihuahua, xoloitzcuintli and perro sín pelo del Peru, by comparing to extensive samples of East Asian (n = 984) and European dogs (n = 639), and previously published pre-Columbian sequences. Evidence for a pre-Columbian origin was found for all these breeds, except Alaskan Malamute for which results were ambigous. No European influence was indicated for the Arctic breeds Inuit, Eskimo and Greenland dog, and North/South American breeds had at most 30% European female lineages, suggesting marginal replacement by European dogs. Genetic continuity through time was shown by the sharing of a unique haplotype between the Mexican breed Chihuahua and ancient Mexican samples. We also analysed free-ranging dogs, confirming limited pre-Columbian ancestry overall, but also identifying pockets of remaining populations with high proportion of indigenous ancestry, and we provide the first DNA-based evidence that the Carolina dog, a free-ranging population in the USA, may have an ancient Asian origin.

Local protest and resistance to the Rupert Diversion Project, Northern Quebec

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Atkinson, M.; Mulrennan, M.E. [Concordia Univ., Montreal, PQ (Canada). Dept. of Geography, Planning and Environment

2009-12-15

The political strategies used by Nemaska Crees to defend their land and way of life against a hydroelectric project located in northern Quebec were discussed. The case study was based on a literature review and field research conducted over a 2-year period with the Nemaska Cree community in eastern James Bay. Social and environmental assessments were not required when the original hydroelectric project was constructed in the region in 1971. An injunction on the project was sought by the Crees and Inuits in 1972, in which the Crees and Inuit successfully won access rights to resources and wildlife harvesting under a 3-tiered land regime. A later agreement for an expansion of the project signed in secrecy by Cree leaders was rejected by other members of the Cree community as the decision-making process occurred 3 years before the environmental impacts assessment took place. The local opposition group is comprised of Native leaders and environmental activists dedicated to increasing awareness about the potential impacts of the hydroelectric project. Strategies used by the group have included protest walks; confrontations with the regional Cree leadership; forming alliances with other activist groups; promoting wind energy; using information and communication technologies to support protest efforts; engaging with the public consultation process; and identifying weaknesses and gaps in technical and environmental impact studies. It was concluded that the strategies have resulted in increased media coverage and public awareness. 57 refs., 1 fig.

Arctic thaw: us-and-them barrier melted by pioneer partnership with natives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laverty-Wilson, K.

2002-05-06

The story of ATCO Frontec, the frontier technology arm of ATCO Group is told, with emphasis on their success of cooperating with native groups to the mutual benefit of both. ATCO Frontec is best known for providing logistics, facilities and systems management for military operations ranging from NORAD North Warning System to Canada's peacekeeping mission in Bosnia. In 2001, ATCO Frontec employed 1,500, managed more than $3 billion in client assets and generated revenue of $200 million -- 56 per cent of which originated from aboriginal joint ventures. The ventures include a Frontec alliance with four Inuit land claim groups who form Pan Arctic Inuit Logistics (PAIL). Together, PAIL nad ATCO Frontec manage the NORAD North Warning System. The partnership also services and maintains the Alaska Radar System. The staff is about 50 per cent aboriginal and includes technicians, site service workers and fuel handlers. Another successful alliance was formed with the Dog Rib Rae band near Yellowknife, where Tli Cho Logistics provides a full slate of services from fuel management and distribution to environmental protection and equipment supply, operation and maintenance. Other joint ventures include managing the airport at Resolute Bay, handling the fuel supply in Iqualuit, operating a power plant in Alaska and participating in nickel mining in Newfoundland's Voisey's Bay. Training, patience, commitment, discipline and absolute honesty in dealing with native groups are said to be the key to success.

A novel optical freezing array for the examination of cooling rate dependence in heterogeneous ice nucleation

Science.gov (United States)

Budke, Carsten; Dreischmeier, Katharina; Koop, Thomas

2014-05-01

Homogeneous ice nucleation is a stochastic process, implying that it is not only temperature but also time dependent. For heterogeneous ice nucleation it is still under debate whether there is a significant time dependence or not. In case of minor time dependence it is probably sufficient to use a singular or slightly modified singular approach, which mainly supposes temperature dependence and just small stochastic variations. We contribute to this discussion using a novel optical freezing array termed BINARY (Bielefeld Ice Nucleation ARraY). The setup consists of an array of microliter-sized droplets on a Peltier cooling stage. The droplets are separated from each other with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) spacer to prevent a Bergeron-Findeisen process, in which the first freezing droplets grow at the expense of the remaining liquid ones due to their vapor pressure differences. An automatic detection of nucleation events is realized optically by the change in brightness during freezing. Different types of ice nucleating agents were tested with the presented setup, e. g. pollen and clay mineral dust. Exemplarily, cooling rate dependent measurements are shown for the heterogeneous ice nucleation induced by Snomax®. The authors gratefully acknowledge funding by the German Research Foundation (DFG) through the project BIOCLOUDS (KO 2944/1-1) and through the research unit INUIT (FOR 1525) under KO 2944/2-1. We particularly thank our INUIT partners for fruitful collaboration and sharing of ideas and IN samples.

Xenoestrogenic activity in blood of European and Inuit populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Eva Cecilie; Hjelmborg, Philip Sebastian; Reinert, Line S

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND: Human exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is ubiquitous and found in all individuals. Studies have documented endocrine disrupting effects and impact on reproduction. The aim of the present study was to compare the level of xenoestrogenic activity in serum of groups......) inhabitants. Xenoestrogenicity of serum extracts alone (XER) and XER competitive (XERcomp) effect on 17beta-estradiol induced estrogen receptor (ER) transactivity were assessed in the hormone free, lipophilic serum fraction containing the POPs using the MVLN human breast cancer cell line. RESULTS...... of samples with ER antagonistic and agonistic activity, respectively. We suggest that the variation in xenoestrogenic serum activity reflects differences in POP exposure mixture, genetic factors and/or life style factors....

Tradition and Technology: Sea Ice Science on Inuit Sleds

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkinson, Jeremy P.; Hanson, Susanne; Hughes, Nick E.; James, Alistair; Jones, Bryn; MacKinnon, Rory; Rysgaard, Søren; Toudal, Leif

2011-01-01

The Arctic is home to a circumpolar community of native people whose culture and traditions have enabled them to thrive in what most would perceive as a totally inhospitable and untenable environment. In many ways, sea ice can be viewed as the glue that binds these northern communities together; it is utilized in all aspects of their daily life. Sea ice acts as highways of the north; indeed, one can travel on these highways with dogsleds and snowmobiles. These travels over the frozen ocean occur at all periods of the sea ice cycle and over different ice types and ages. Excursions may be hunting trips to remote regions or social visits to nearby villages. Furthermore, hunting on the sea ice contributes to the health, culture, and commercial income of a community.

Inuit Sign Language: a contribution to sign language typology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schuit, J.; Baker, A.; Pfau, R.

2011-01-01

Sign language typology is a fairly new research field and typological classifications have yet to be established. For spoken languages, these classifications are generally based on typological parameters; it would thus be desirable to establish these for sign languages. In this paper, different

Ungdomsselvmord og moderniseringsproblemer blandt inuit i Grønland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thorslund, Jørgen

Undersøgelse fra Det grønlandske Forebyggelsesråds projekt vedrørende ungdomsselvmord, der ud fra kulturelle, sociale og psykologiske problemaspekter belyser årsagerne til selvmord blandt unge grønlændere og bringer forslag til forebyggelsesinitiativer, [...] der kan mindske antallet af selvmord....

Dioxin-like activity of environmental compounds in human blood and environmental samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Long, Manhai; Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Eva Cecilie

2012-01-01

and humans. We found that some pesticides, plasticizers and phytoestrogens can activate the AhR, and the combined effect of compounds with no or weak AhR potency cannot be ignored. The significant DL-activity in the wastewater effluent indicates the treatment is not sufficient to prevent contamination...... of surface waters with dioxins. Our results from human studies suggest that the serum DL-activity reflect the complex mixture of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Greenlandic Inuit had lower serum DL-activity level compared to Europeans, probably due to long distance from the dioxin sources and UV...

Setting the scene in Nuuk: Introducing the cast of characters in Greenlandic foreign policy narratives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Marc; Gad, Ulrik Pram

2017-01-01

Greenland has for decades worked towards enhanced independent agency in international politics. The renewed global interest in the Arctic has given new impetus to a strategy of diversifying its dependency relations as a way to postcoloniality. As the Government of Greenland puts it in its foreign...... - and infrequently clashes - with narratives of modernization in different ways when Greenland relates to Inuit kinsmen, Nordic siblings, the UN, the USA, the EU and Asian powers; the presentation of each character put in historical perspective. Theoretically, the analysis draws on a tradition of analysing...

Setting the scene in Nuuk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Marc; Gad, Ulrik Pram

2017-01-01

Greenland has for decades worked towards enhanced independent agency in international politics. The renewed global interest in the Arctic has given new impetus to a strategy of diversifying its dependency relations as a way to postcoloniality. As the Government of Greenland puts it in its foreign...... - and infrequently clashes - with narratives of modernization in different ways when Greenland relates to Inuit kinsmen, Nordic siblings, the UN, the USA, the EU and Asian powers; the presentation of each character put in historical perspective. Theoretically, the analysis draws on a tradition of analysing...

Dioxin-like activity in environmental and human samples from Greenland and Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Long, Manhai; Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Eva Cecilie

2012-01-01

and humans. We found that some pesticides, plasticizers and phytoestrogens can activate the AhR, and the combined effect of compounds with no or weak AhR potency cannot be ignored. The significant DL-activity in the wastewater effluent indicates the treatment is not sufficient to prevent contamination...... of surface waters with dioxins. Our results from human studies suggest that the serum DL-activity reflect the complex mixture of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Greenlandic Inuit had lower serum DL-activity level compared to Europeans, probably due to long distance from the dioxin sources and UV...

GJB2 (Connexin-26) mutations are not frequent among hearing impaired patients in East Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Homoe, P.; Koch, A.; Rendtorff, Nanna Dahl

2012-01-01

Objective: Investigate genetic causes of HI among the Inuit populations in the Arctic with a high prevalence of hearing impairment (HI). Design: A cross-sectional survey with population-based controls. Study sample: Forty-five patients, with sensorineural or mixed HI and an available blood sample...... for GJB2 sequencing from DNA, were selected from 166 East Greenlanders by specialist audiology examination, including pure-tone air and bone conduction audiometry from 125 Hz to 8000 Hz. Controls were 108 East- and 109 West-Greenlanders. Results: Forty-five patients with HI were included, 24 males and 21...

Greenland, Arctic Orientalism and the search for definitions of a contemporary postcolonial geography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Lars

2015-01-01

This article begins by discussing the applicability of Orientalism in the Arctic where it was first applied by Ann Fienup-Riordan in her work in the 1990s in relation to Inuit representation in American cinema/documentary. The article moves on to consider more broadly approaches to the Arctic...... what postcolonial sensibilities can be articulated through an analysis of the three films with a particular emphasis on the negotiation of Greenlandic, Greenlandic-Danish and Danish identities. Reading Greenland through a postcolonial lens as manifested in the Greenlandic space the films grant returns...

Demographic inferences from large-scale NGS data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Casper-Emil Tingskov

.g. human genetics. In this thesis, the three papers presented demonstrate the advantages of NGS data in the framework of population genetics for elucidating demographic inferences, important for understanding conservation efforts, selection and mutational burdens. In the first whole-genome study...... that the demographic history of the Inuit is the most extreme in terms of population size, of any human population. We identify a slight increase in the number of deleterious alleles because of this demographic history and support our results using simulations. We use this to show that the reduction in population size...

Lidar Ice nuclei estimates and how they relate with airborne in-situ measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Marinou, Eleni; Amiridis, Vassilis; Ansmann, Albert; Nenes, Athanasios; Balis, Dimitris; Schrod, Jann; Binietoglou, Ioannis; Solomos, Stavros; Mamali, Dimitra; Engelmann, Ronny; Baars, Holger; Kottas, Michael; Tsekeri, Alexandra; Proestakis, Emmanouil; Kokkalis, Panagiotis; Goloub, Philippe; Cvetkovic, Bojan; Nichovic, Slobodan; Mamouri, Rodanthi; Pikridas, Michael; Stavroulas, Iasonas; Keleshis, Christos; Sciare, Jean

2018-04-01

By means of available ice nucleating particle (INP) parameterization schemes we compute profiles of dust INP number concentration utilizing Polly-XT and CALIPSO lidar observations during the INUIT-BACCHUS-ACTRIS 2016 campaign. The polarization-lidar photometer networking (POLIPHON) method is used to separate dust and non-dust aerosol backscatter, extinction, mass concentration, particle number concentration (for particles with radius > 250 nm) and surface area concentration. The INP final products are compared with aerosol samples collected from unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and analyzed using the ice nucleus counter FRIDGE.

The duty to consult and legal obligations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carpenter, A.W. [Lawson Lundell Lawson and MacIntosh, Calgary, AB (Canada)

2002-07-01

Aboriginal law in Canada has been evolving and industry is beginning to engage in the change. This presentation describes the legal aspects regarding Aboriginal rights and the duty to consult First Nations regarding treaty rights. The implications for First Nations and industry are described. Aboriginal peoples of Canada include the Indian, Inuit and Metis populations. Aboriginal titles exist, therefore they are constitutionally protected. The paper describes recent decisions regarding the Mikisew Cree First Nation versus Canada, the Taku River Tlinget versus Ringstad, and the Haida Nation versus British Columbia and Weyerhaeuser.

Lidar Ice nuclei estimates and how they relate with airborne in-situ measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marinou Eleni

2018-01-01

Full Text Available By means of available ice nucleating particle (INP parameterization schemes we compute profiles of dust INP number concentration utilizing Polly-XT and CALIPSO lidar observations during the INUIT-BACCHUS-ACTRIS 2016 campaign. The polarization-lidar photometer networking (POLIPHON method is used to separate dust and non-dust aerosol backscatter, extinction, mass concentration, particle number concentration (for particles with radius > 250 nm and surface area concentration. The INP final products are compared with aerosol samples collected from unmanned aircraft systems (UAS and analyzed using the ice nucleus counter FRIDGE.

Tuberculosis in Quebec: a review of trends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Klotz

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research was to conduct a thorough review on the literature of tuberculosis in Canada and the Province of Quebec. To achieve this aim, an exhaustive literature review of tuberculosis in the Province of Quebec was undertaken. Data was collected with the goal of creating an epidemiological and public health evidence base to forecast the spread of tuberculosis. A keyword search strategy was used to find relevant articles from the peer-reviewed literature using the electronic search engine PubMed and a search of other relevant federal and provincial government databases. Twenty-nine peer-reviewed publications and twenty government reports containing information about the incidence or prevalence of tuberculosis in the Province of Quebec were included in the analysis. An analysis of the data revealed that while tuberculosis rates have been decreasing in both Canada and Quebec with an overall incidence below 3 per 100,000 of population in 2007, among immigrants and the Inuit communities in Quebec, the incidence and prevalence of the disease still remains high and reached 18 per 100,000 and 100 per 100,000, respectively in 2007. In general, while tuberculosis does not pose a significant burden to the general population, it does continue to affect certain sub-groups disproportionately, including select immigrants and Inuit communities in Quebec. Efforts to ensure that cost-effective healthcare interventions are delivered in a timely fashion should be pursued to reduce the associated morbidity and mortality of tuberculosis in the Province of Quebec.

From benzos to berries: treatment offered at an Aboriginal youth solvent abuse treatment centre relays the importance of culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Dell, Colleen Anne; Seguin, Maureen; Hopkins, Carol; Tempier, Raymond; Mehl-Madrona, Lewis; Dell, Debra; Duncan, Randy; Mosier, Karen

2011-02-01

First Nations and Inuit youth who abuse solvents are one of the most highly stigmatized substance-abusing groups in Canada. Drawing on a residential treatment response that is grounded in a culture-based model of resiliency, this article discusses the cultural implications for psychiatry's individualized approach to treating mental disorders. A systematic review of articles published in The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry during the past decade, augmented with a review of Canadian and international literature, revealed a gap in understanding and practice between Western psychiatric disorder-based and Aboriginal culture-based approaches to treatment and healing from substance abuse and mental disorders. Differing conceptualizations of mental health and substance abuse are discussed from Western psychiatric and Aboriginal worldviews, with a focus on connection to self, community, and political context. Applying an Aboriginal method of knowledge translation-storytelling-experiences from front-line workers in a youth solvent abuse treatment centre relay the difficulties with applying Western responses to Aboriginal healing. This lends to a discussion of how psychiatry can capitalize on the growing debate regarding the role of culture in the treatment of Aboriginal youth who abuse solvents. There is significant need for culturally competent psychiatric research specific to diagnosing and treating First Nations and Inuit youth who abuse substances, including solvents. Such understanding for front-line psychiatrists is necessary to improve practice. A health promotion perspective may be a valuable beginning point for attaining this understanding, as it situates psychiatry's approach to treating mental disorders within the etiology for Aboriginal Peoples.

De-framing the Indigenous Body. Ethnography, Landscape and Cultural Belonging in the Art of Pia Arke

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirsten Thisted

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The article presents the Greenlandic-Danish artist Pia Arke (1958-2007 and gives readings of various of her artworks, arguing that they attempt to negotiate a postcolonial condition. Arke was fascinated by the male European explorers and their fascination with the Arctic landscape, the Inuit and, not the least, the Inuit women. "Arctic Hysteria" is one of the main metaphors she used to describe this fascination - giving a whole new meaning to this concept invented by explorers and scientists to describe a special kind of pathology by which the inhabitants of the Arctic were classified and distinguished from other people. Where so many male intellectuals have responded to the European representations with resentment and anger, Arke chooses curiosity as her main approach. What did these men see? What made them see in this way? What did the women feel? How does it feel to take upon oneself this subject position of the cultural and sexual "Other"? Thus, instead of repeating the dichotomizing constructions, as is often the outcome of "Anti-Orientalist" or "Anti-Othering" studies, Arke re-lives and thereby out-lives and deconstructs the colonial representations, leaving the stage open for new images and encounters. Arke thus addresses some of the key problems in the discussion of representation, and her work becomes an important critique not only of the colonial representations itself, but of the way in which the postcolonial response has dealt with these issues, trying to bring us further and beyond.

Reproductive factors, lifestyle and dietary habits among pregnant women in Greenland: The ACCEPT sub-study 2013-2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Terkelsen, Anne Seneca; Long, Manhai; Hounsgaard, Lise; Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Eva Cecilie

2018-03-01

During past decades the formerly active lifestyle in Greenland has become sedentary, and the intake of traditional food has gradually been replaced with imported food. These lifestyle and dietary habits may affect pregnant women. To describe age and regional differences in reproductive factors, lifestyle and diet among Greenlandic pregnant women in their first trimester. A cross-sectional study during 2013-2015 including 373 pregnant women was conducted in five Greenlandic regions (West, Disko Bay, South, North and East). Interview-based questionnaires on reproductive factors, lifestyle and dietary habits were compared in relation to two age groups (median age ≤28 years and >28 years). In total, 72.4% were Inuit, 46.6% had BMI >25.0 kg/m 2 , 29.0% were smoking during pregnancy and 54.6% had used hashish. BMI, educational level, personal income, previous pregnancies and planned breastfeeding period were significantly higher in the age group >28 years of age compared to the age group ≤28 years of age. In region Disko Bay, 90.9% were Inuit, in region South more had a university degree (37.9%) and region East had the highest number of previous pregnancies, the highest number of smokers during pregnancy and the most frequent intake of sauce with hot meals and fast-food. Overall a high BMI and a high smoking frequency were found. Age differences were found for BMI and planned breastfeeding period, while regional differences were found for smoking and intake of sauce with hot meals and fast-food. Future recommendations aimed at pregnant women in Greenland should focus on these health issues.

Development of a strategic plan for food security and safety in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Myriam Fillion

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Current social and environmental changes in the Arctic challenge the health and well-being of its residents. Developing evidence-informed adaptive measures in response to these changes is a priority for communities, governments and researchers. Objectives: To develop strategic planning to promote food security and food safety in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR, Northwest Territories (NWT, Canada. Design: A qualitative study using group discussions during a workshop. Methods: A regional workshop gathered Inuit organizations and community representatives, university-based researchers from the Inuit Health Survey (IHS and NWT governmental organizations. Discussions were structured around the findings from the IHS. For each key area, programs and activities were identified and prioritized by group discussion and voting. Results: The working group developed a vision for future research and intervention, which is to empower communities to promote health, well-being and environmental sustainability in the ISR. The group elaborated missions for the region that address the following issues: (a capacity building within communities; (b promotion of the use of traditional foods to address food security; (c research to better understand the linkages between diseases and contaminants in traditional foods, market foods and lifestyle choices; (d and promotion of affordable housing. Five programs to address each key area were developed as follows: harvest support and traditional food sharing; education and promotion; governance and policy; research; and housing. Concrete activities were identified to guide future research and intervention projects. Conclusions: The results of the planning workshop provide a blueprint for future research and intervention projects.

Organochlorine residues in harbour porpoises from Southwest Greenland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borrell, Asuncion; Aguilar, Alex; Cantos, Gemma; Lockyer, Christina; Heide-Joergensen, Mads Peter; Jensen, Jette

2004-02-01

During the 1995 hunting season, 75 harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) were sampled in three locations in West Greenland: Maniitsoq, Nuuk, and Paamiut. Sex, age, morphometrics, reproductive condition, and organochlorine compound (OC) levels in blubber were determined for each individual. OC levels were extremely low and, therefore considered unlikely to affect the population adversely: mean blubber concentrations, expressed on lipid weight basis were 1.98 (S.D.=1.1) mg/kg for PCBs, 2.76 (S.D.=1.66) mg/kg for tDDT and 0.21 (S.D.=0.11) mg/kg for HCB. No statistical differences were observed among individuals caught in the various locations. OC concentrations showed statistically significant positive associations with age in males but negative in females; consequently, mature females presented lower pollutant loads than their male counterparts. Juveniles did not show differences between sexes. A higher proportion of less chlorinated and more metabolizable polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) compared to tPCBs was found in calves (age<=1) than in mature females, indicating that the feeding habits of these two groups differ and that a greater transfer of less chlorinated compounds is passed from females to their pups through lactation and parturition. Harbour porpoises significantly contribute to the dietary intake of OCs by local Inuit populations. This contribution could be reduced if mature males were selectively avoided; however, current hunting procedures make this selection impracticable. - While organochlorine levels in W. Greenland harbour porpoises are low, their contribution to Inuit dietary intake should not be disregarded.

Snow crab allergy and asthma among Greenlandic workers – a pilot study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jakob Hjort Bønløkke

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Objectives. To study snow crab sensitization, occupational allergy and asthma in the snow crab industry in Greenland, as high rates have been found in Canada, but no reports have emerged from the same industry in Greenland. Study design. Pilot survey. Methods. Twenty workers (19 of Inuit and 1 of other origin in a snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio and Atlantic shrimp (Pandalus borealis processing plant in Greenland were assessed with skin prick tests (SPTs with common aeroallergens and specific allergens from snow crab and shrimp extracts, spirometry, blood sampling for total IgE and specific IgE determination. Eighteen workers contributed a questionnaire-based medical interview. Results. Positive skin prick test reactions were common to snow crab (40% and shrimp (20%. Specific IgE to snow crab were positive in 4 workers (21%. Two workers had elevated total IgE levels. Symptoms suggestive of asthma were common (45%. Work-related symptoms of skin rash, rhinitis, and/or conjunctivitis were reported by 50%, and symptoms from the lower airways by 39%. Combining history of work-related symptoms with results from specific SPTs and/or specific IgE determination suggested that 11 and 22% of workers suffered from probable and possible occupational asthma, respectively, whereas 22% had possible occupational dermatitis or rhinitis. Conclusions. Greenlander Inuit do not appear to be protected against sensitization to snow crab or shrimp when occupationally exposed to these. This pilot study suggests that occupational allergy and asthma may be as common a problem in Greenlandic workers as in Canadian.

Organochlorine residues in harbour porpoises from Southwest Greenland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borrell, Asuncion; Aguilar, Alex; Cantos, Gemma; Lockyer, Christina; Heide-Joergensen, Mads Peter; Jensen, Jette

2004-01-01

During the 1995 hunting season, 75 harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) were sampled in three locations in West Greenland: Maniitsoq, Nuuk, and Paamiut. Sex, age, morphometrics, reproductive condition, and organochlorine compound (OC) levels in blubber were determined for each individual. OC levels were extremely low and, therefore considered unlikely to affect the population adversely: mean blubber concentrations, expressed on lipid weight basis were 1.98 (S.D.=1.1) mg/kg for PCBs, 2.76 (S.D.=1.66) mg/kg for tDDT and 0.21 (S.D.=0.11) mg/kg for HCB. No statistical differences were observed among individuals caught in the various locations. OC concentrations showed statistically significant positive associations with age in males but negative in females; consequently, mature females presented lower pollutant loads than their male counterparts. Juveniles did not show differences between sexes. A higher proportion of less chlorinated and more metabolizable polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) compared to tPCBs was found in calves (age<=1) than in mature females, indicating that the feeding habits of these two groups differ and that a greater transfer of less chlorinated compounds is passed from females to their pups through lactation and parturition. Harbour porpoises significantly contribute to the dietary intake of OCs by local Inuit populations. This contribution could be reduced if mature males were selectively avoided; however, current hunting procedures make this selection impracticable. - While organochlorine levels in W. Greenland harbour porpoises are low, their contribution to Inuit dietary intake should not be disregarded

Cancer incidence and risk in Alaskan natives exposed to radioactive fallout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stutzman, C.D.; Nelson, D.M.

1986-01-01

Cancer incidence in northern Alaskan villages exposed to radioactive fallout from nuclear weapons testing in the late 1950s and early 1960s was assessed using data from the Alaskan Native Tumor Registry. Previous studies have shown that cancer incidence in Alaskan natives differs from that in residents of the rest of the United States: rates of cancer of the nasopharynx and liver are higher in Alaskan native men and rates of cancer of the nasopharynx, gallbladder, cervix, and kidney are higher in Alaskan native women. Leukemia, breast cancer and bone sarcoma are the cancers most likely to result from fallout exposure in the Arctic, but the incidence of these cancers in the North Slope villages appeared to be lower than in either the entire Inuit population or the US population. The fallout radionuclides of potential health concern are cesium-137 and strontium-90, because of their abundance, long half-life, and chemical characteristics that facilitate transport through and concentration in the food chain and accumulation in sensitive tissues of the body. Radionuclide body burdens were determined in North Slope Inuit 25 years ago, because of their possible exposure to radioactive fallout via the lichen-caribou-man pathway. Cancer risk estimates have been calculated using highest average dose measurements from residents of Anaktuvuk Pass, under the assumption that peak exposure levels of the mid 1960s remained steady over the following 20 years. Worst-case estimates of expected cancer excess were calculated for leukemia, breast cancer and bone sarcoma

JAZELLE: An enhanced data management system for high energy physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, A.S.; Briedenbach, M.I.; Hissen, H.; Kunz, P.F.; Sherden, D.J.; Burnett, T.

1990-01-01

The data management system JAZELLE has been created as a successor to earlier HEP data managers such as YBOS and ZEBRA. While it has many similarities with these systems it also has many enhancements such as self-documenting data descriptions, mnemonic access to all data, relational data structures, powerful machine independent IO facilities including network IO, and many mechanisms for presenting data to the physicist in an inuitive manner. The emphasis has been on producing a powerful, user friendly, data management system which can be accessed from many languages as a natural extension of those languages

Aasivissuit - Nipisat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jens Fog; Andreasen, Claus; Fleischer-Lyberth, Paninnguaq

The Aasivissuit – Nipisat area is a unique cultural landscape in an artic setting. It lies at the heart of the largest ice-free area in Greenland which, in combination with the transitional coastal zone between the open-water area and the high-arctic area of land-fast winter ice, has made...... Davis Strait in the west, there are centuries-old winter settlements with ruins of turf houses on virtually every cove and point. Colonial ruins reflect the arrival of Europeans in the 18th century and their interaction with Inuit. The old well-trodden trail inland passes summer camps, stone...

Long-range transport of persistent pollutants into Arctic regions; Schadstoff-Ferntransport in die Arktis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kallenborn, R.; Herzke, D. [Norwegian Inst. for Air Research, The Polar Environmental Centre, Tromso (Norway)

2001-07-01

transported must not be underestimated. The consumption of traditionally hunted marine mammals (seals, whales) was identified as one of the main reasons for high contamination burdens in the Canadian and Greenland Inuit populations. Consequences and counter measures against high contamination loads in the Arctic human populations and ecosystems are curenland Inuit populations. Consequences and counter measures against high contamination loads in the Arctic human populations and ecosystems are currently under discussion. However, no comprehensive measures concerning restrictions of hunting traditions are taken by the respective governments to date due to the primary social consequences which are to be expected. The advising experts argue that such a restriction would destroy the original social structures of the Inuit populations. Therefore, the drawbacks of such a hunting restriction would weigh heavier than the expected positive effects of the reduction of contaminant burdens 'Arctic dilemma'. (orig.)

Assessment of consumption of marine food in Greenland by a food frequency questionnaire and biomarkers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charlotte Jeppesen

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Objectives. We studied the association and agreement between questionnaire data and biomarkers of marine food among Greenland Inuit. Design. Cross sectional study. Methods. The study population comprised 2,224 Inuit, age 18+ (43% men; data collected 2005–2008 in Greenland. Using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ, we calculated consumption of seal, whale, and fish (g/day and as meals/month, intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, total N3, and mercury. We measured erythrocyte membrane fatty acids (FA and whole blood mercury (Hg. Associations were assessed by Pearson correlation and agreement between the 2 methods was assessed by Bland–Altman plots depicting mean difference between the methods. Using multiple linear regressions, the associations were studied between whole blood mercury, erythrocyte FA and frequency or gram per day of seal, whale, and fish. Results. Partial correlations ranged from r=0.16, p<0.0001 (DHA to r=0.56, p<0.0001 (mercury. The best fitted lines were found for mercury and DHA. Mean difference was negative for mercury but positive for all the FA biomarkers. In a multiple logistic regression analysis, the best association was found between whole blood mercury and seal consumption, both as frequency in meals and actual intake gram per day: β=1.07 µg (95% CI: 1.06; 1.08 and β=1.04 µg (95% CI: 1.03; 1.04, respectively. Conclusion. Mercury showed the best correlation and agreement between calculated and measured values. Calculated actual intake in gram per day and frequency of meals showed similar associations with whole blood mercury and erythrocyte membrane FAs.

Tracing hepatitis B virus (HBV genotype B5 (formerly B6 evolutionary history in the circumpolar Arctic through phylogeographic modelling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Remco Bouckaert

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Background Indigenous populations of the circumpolar Arctic are considered to be endemically infected (>2% prevalence with hepatitis B virus (HBV, with subgenotype B5 (formerly B6 unique to these populations. The distinctive properties of HBV/B5, including high nucleotide diversity yet no significant liver disease, suggest virus adaptation through long-term host-pathogen association. Methods To investigate the origin and evolutionary spread of HBV/B5 into the circumpolar Arctic, fifty-seven partial and full genome sequences from Alaska, Canada and Greenland, having known location and sampling dates spanning 40 years, were phylogeographically investigated by Bayesian analysis (BEAST 2 using a reversible-jump-based substitution model and a clock rate estimated at 4.1 × 10−5 substitutions/site/year. Results Following an initial divergence from an Asian viral ancestor approximately 1954 years before present (YBP; 95% highest probability density interval [1188, 2901], HBV/B5 coalescence occurred almost 1000 years later. Surprisingly, the HBV/B5 ancestor appears to locate first to Greenland in a rapid coastal route progression based on the landscape aware geographic model, with subsequent B5 evolution and spread westward. Bayesian skyline plot analysis demonstrated an HBV/B5 population expansion occurring approximately 400 YBP, coinciding with the disruption of the Neo-Eskimo Thule culture into more heterogeneous and regionally distinct Inuit populations throughout the North American Arctic. Discussion HBV/B5 origin and spread appears to occur coincident with the movement of Neo-Eskimo (Inuit populations within the past 1000 years, further supporting the hypothesis of HBV/host co-expansion, and illustrating the concept of host-pathogen adaptation and balance.

Ethnic differences in anthropometric measures and abdominal fat distribution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rønn, Pernille F; Andersen, Gregers S; Lauritzen, Torsten

2017-01-01

Background Ethnic variation in abdominal fat distribution may explain differences in cardiometabolic risk between populations. However, the ability of anthropometric measures to quantify abdominal fat is not clearly understood across ethnic groups. The aim of this study was to investigate...... across ethnic groups. Thus, the obesity level at which Inuit and Africans are at increased cardiometabolic risk is likely to differ from that of Europeans....... differences most apparent at higher levels of the anthropometric measures. Similar ethnic differences were seen in the associations with SAT for a given anthropometric measure. Conclusions Conventional anthropometric measures like BMI and waist circumference do not reflect the same amount of VAT and SAT...

As Canadian Health Librarians We Must Now move Ahead on the Truth and Reconciliation (TRC Calls to Action

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dean M Giustini

2017-12-01

Full Text Available For many years, the most-pressing information issues associated with the delivery of Aboriginal, Inuit and Metis health care in Canada have occupied CHLA/ABSC at our conferences and in our research. However, a turning point was certainly the publication of JCHLA/JABSC’s Aboriginal health information issue in 2014 [1]. In the last three years, we have worked to understand Aboriginal health information by developing publicly-visible collection tools [2], subject guides [3-5], and Aboriginal search filters [6]. Behind the scenes, health librarians have also worked with clinicians to address the challenge of improving Aboriginal health across the country.

Temporal and spatial variations in wildlife population fluctuations in Greenland; The effect of climate, environment and man

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moshøj, Charlotte Margaret; Forchhammer, Mads C.; Forbes, Valery E.

2009-01-01

Temporal and spatial variations in wildlife population fluctuations in Greenland; The effect of climate, environment and man Moshøj, C.M, M.C.Forchhammer and V.E. Forbes Temporal and spatial variations in wildlife population fluctuations in Greenland; The effect of climate, environment and man...... and mammals display distinct population fluctuations of varying temporal and spatial scale. In Greenland, historical records, archaeological findings and oral accounts passed on from Inuit elders all document that the presence of wildlife species and their population sizes have undergone pronounced....... The results of this study will model future predictions of wildlife populations under changing climate variables and human hunting pressure....

Indigenous community based participatory research and health impact assessment: A Canadian example

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwiatkowski, Roy E.

2011-01-01

The Environmental Health Research Division (EHRD) of the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Health Canada conducts science-based activities and research with Canadian Indigenous communities in areas such as climate change adaptation, environmental contaminants, water quality, biomonitoring, risk assessment, health impact assessment, and food safety and nutrition. EHRD's research activities have been specifically designed to not only inform Health Canada's policy decision-makers but as well, Indigenous community decision-makers. This paper will discuss the reasons why Indigenous community engagement is important, what are some of the barriers preventing community engagement; and the efforts by EHRD to carry out community-based participatory research activities with Indigenous peoples.

Pneumatization of the Temporal Bones in a Greenlandic Inuit Anthropological Material

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Homøe, P; Lynnerup, N

1991-01-01

The degree of pneumatization of the temporal bones correlates with exposure during childhood and adolescence to infectious middle ear diseases (IMED), both acute and chronic. The pneumatized area as seen on cranial X-rays can be measured. This was applied to an anthropological material in order...

Genetic determinants of glycated hemoglobin levels in the Greenlandic Inuit population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Appel, Emil V R; Moltke, Ida; Jørgensen, Marit E

2018-01-01

We previously showed that a common genetic variant leads to a remarkably increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the small and historically isolated Greenlandic population. Motivated by this, we aimed at discovering novel genetic determinants for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) and at estimating...

Urbanization, migration and alcohol use in a population of Greenland inuit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Marie Henriette; Grønbæk, Morten; Bjerregaard, Peter

2005-01-01

and self-administered questionnaires. METHODS: The association between different aspects of alcohol intake (quantity of intake, occasional heavy drinking, and the modified CAGE questionnaire) and place of living were analysed using a chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The population...... living in Denmark had a higher mean alcohol intake than those living in Greenland. Drinking above the sensible drinking limits (21 drinks per week for men and 14 drinks per week for women; where one drink contains 12 g alcohol) was also more prevalent in the population living in Denmark, whereas a higher...... proportion of those living in Greenland was abstaining. In contrast to the higher alcohol intake in the population living in Denmark, a higher proportion of individuals with episodes of heavy drinking (binge drinking), was observed in both large and small communities in Greenland. A higher proportion...

Adapting online learning for Canada's Northern public health workforce

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marnie Bell

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Background . Canada's North is a diverse, sparsely populated land, where inequalities and public health issues are evident, particularly for Aboriginal people. The Northern public health workforce is a unique mix of professional and paraprofessional workers. Few have formal public health education. From 2009 to 2012, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC collaborated with a Northern Advisory Group to develop and implement a strategy to strengthen public health capacity in Canada's 3 northern territories. Access to relevant, effective continuing education was identified as a key issue. Challenges include diverse educational and cultural backgrounds of public health workers, geographical isolation and variable technological infrastructure across the north. Methods . PHAC's Skills Online program offers Internet-based continuing education modules for public health professionals. In partnership with the Northern Advisory Group, PHAC conducted 3 pilots between 2008 and 2012 to assess the appropriateness of the Skills Online program for Northern/Aboriginal public health workers. Module content and delivery modalities were adapted for the pilots. Adaptations included adding Inuit and Northern public health examples and using video and teleconference discussions to augment the online self-study component. Results . Findings from the pilots were informative and similar to those from previous Skills Online pilots with learners in developing countries. Online learning is effective in bridging the geographical barriers in remote locations. Incorporating content on Northern and Aboriginal health issues facilitates engagement in learning. Employer support facilitates the recruitment and retention of learners in an online program. Facilitator assets included experience as a public health professional from the north, and flexibility to use modified approaches to support and measure knowledge acquisition and application, especially for First Nations, Inuit and

The characteristics and experience of community food program users in arctic Canada: a case study from Iqaluit, Nunavut.

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, James; Lardeau, Marie-Pierre; Vanderbilt, Will

2012-06-21

Community food programs (CFPs), including soup kitchens and food banks, are a recent development in larger settlements in the Canadian Arctic. Our understanding of utilization of these programs is limited as food systems research has not studied the marginalised and transient populations using CFPs, constraining service planning for some of the most vulnerable community members. This paper reports on a baseline study conducted with users of CFPs in Iqaluit, Nunavut, to identify and characterize utilization and document their food security experience. Open ended interviews and a fixed-choice survey on a census (n = 94) were conducted with of users of the food bank, soup kitchen, and friendship centre over a 1 month period, along with key informant interviews. Users of CFPs are more likely to be Inuit, be unemployed, and have not completed high school compared to the general Iqaluit population, while also reporting high dependence on social assistance, low household income, and an absence of hunters in the household. The majority report using CFPs for over a year and on a regular basis. The inability of users to obtain sufficient food must be understood in the context of socio-economic transformations that have affected Inuit society over the last half century as former semi-nomadic hunting groups were resettled into permanent settlements. The resulting livelihood changes profoundly affected how food is produced, processed, distributed, and consumed, and the socio-cultural relationships surrounding such activities. Consequences have included the rising importance of material resources for food access, the weakening of social safety mechanisms through which more vulnerable community members would have traditionally been supported, and acculturative stress. Addressing these broader challenges is essential for food policy, yet CFPs also have an essential role in providing for those who would otherwise have limited food access.

Assessing determinants of maternal blood concentrations for persistent organic pollutants and metals in the eastern and western Canadian Arctic.

Science.gov (United States)

Curren, Meredith S; Liang, Chun Lei; Davis, Karelyn; Kandola, Kami; Brewster, Janet; Potyrala, Mary; Chan, Hing Man

2015-09-15

Aboriginal peoples in the Canadian Arctic are exposed to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and metals mainly through their consumption of a traditional diet of wildlife items. Recent studies indicate that many human chemical levels have decreased in the north, likely due to a combination of reduced global chemical emissions, dietary shifts, and risk mitigation efforts by local health authorities. Body burdens for chemicals in mothers can be further offset by breastfeeding, parity, and other maternal characteristics. We have assessed the impact of several dietary and maternal covariates following a decade of awareness of the contaminant issue in northern Canada, by performing multiple stepwise linear regression analyses from blood concentrations and demographic variables for 176 mothers recruited from Nunavut and the Northwest Territories during the period 2005-2007. A significant aboriginal group effect was observed for the modeled chemicals, except for lead and cadmium, after adjusting for covariates. Further, blood concentrations for POPs and metals were significantly associated with at least one covariate of older age, fewer months spent breastfeeding, more frequent eating of traditional foods, or smoking during pregnancy. Cadmium had the highest explained variance (72.5%) from just two significant covariates (current smoking status and parity). Although Inuit participants from the Northwest Territories consumed more traditional foods in general, Inuit participants from coastal communities in Nunavut continued to demonstrate higher adjusted blood concentrations for POPs and metals examined here. While this is due in part to a higher prevalence of marine mammals in the eastern Arctic diet, it is possible that other aboriginal group effects unrelated to diet may also contribute to elevated chemical body burdens in Canadian Arctic populations. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Avian Cholera emergence in Arctic-nesting northern Common Eiders: using community-based, participatory surveillance to delineate disease outbreak patterns and predict transmission risk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuel A. Iverson

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Emerging infectious diseases are a growing concern in wildlife conservation. Documenting outbreak patterns and determining the ecological drivers of transmission risk are fundamental to predicting disease spread and assessing potential impacts on population viability. However, evaluating disease in wildlife populations requires expansive surveillance networks that often do not exist in remote and developing areas. Here, we describe the results of a community-based research initiative conducted in collaboration with indigenous harvesters, the Inuit, in response to a new series of Avian Cholera outbreaks affecting Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima and other comingling species in the Canadian Arctic. Avian Cholera is a virulent disease of birds caused by the bacterium Pasteurella multocida. Common Eiders are a valuable subsistence resource for Inuit, who hunt the birds for meat and visit breeding colonies during the summer to collect eggs and feather down for use in clothing and blankets. We compiled the observations of harvesters about the growing epidemic and with their assistance undertook field investigation of 131 colonies distributed over >1200 km of coastline in the affected region. Thirteen locations were identified where Avian Cholera outbreaks have occurred since 2004. Mortality rates ranged from 1% to 43% of the local breeding population at these locations. Using a species-habitat model (Maxent, we determined that the distribution of outbreak events has not been random within the study area and that colony size, vegetation cover, and a measure of host crowding in shared wetlands were significantly correlated to outbreak risk. In addition, outbreak locations have been spatially structured with respect to hypothesized introduction foci and clustered along the migration corridor linking Arctic breeding areas with wintering areas in Atlantic Canada. At present, Avian Cholera remains a localized threat to Common Eider populations in the