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At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Alterations of visual evoked potentials in preschool Inuit children exposed to methylmercury and polychlorinated biphenyls from a marine diet.

The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of chronic exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and methylmercury on visual brain processing in Inuit children from Nunavik (Northern Québec, Canada). Concentrations of total mercury in blood and PCB 153 in plasma had been measured at birth and they were again measured at the time of testing in 102 preschool aged children. Relationships between contaminants and pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were assessed by multivariate regression analyses, taking into account several potential confounding variables. The possible protective effects of selenium and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids against methylmercury and PCB toxicity were also investigated. Results indicate that exposure to methylmercury and PCBs resulting from fish and sea mammal consumption were associated with alterations of VEP responses, especially for the latency of the N75 and of the P100 components. In contrast, the concomitant intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was associated with a shorter latency of the P100. However, no significant interactions between nutrients and contaminants were found, contradicting the notion that these nutrients could afford protection against environmental neurotoxicants. Interestingly, significant associations were found with concentrations of neurotoxicants in blood samples collected at the time of testing, i.e. at the preschool age. Our findings suggest that VEP can be used as a valuable tool to assess the developmental neurotoxicity of environmental contaminants in fish-eating populations.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Neuromotor functions in Inuit preschool children exposed to Pb, PCBs, and Hg.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of prenatal and postnatal chronic exposure to mercury (Hg), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and lead (Pb) on the neuromotor development of preschool children. The study population consisted of 110 preschool Inuit children from Nunavik (Canada). Blood Hg, PCBs and Pb concentrations were measured at birth (cord blood) and at the time of testing. Gross motor functions were evaluated and a neurological examination was performed. Fine neuromotor performance was assessed using quantitative measures of postural hand tremor, reaction time, sway oscillations, as well as alternating and pointing movements. Potential covariates were documented including demographic and familial characteristics, other prenatal neurotoxicants (alcohol, tobacco) and nutrients (selenium (Se), Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA)). Hierarchical multivariate regression analyses were performed, controlling for significant covariates. Gross motor development was not linked to prenatal exposures. However, significant associations were observed between blood Pb concentration at testing time and changes in reaction time, sway oscillations, alternating arm movements and action tremor. For some of these outcomes, neuromotor effects of Pb exposure are observed at blood concentrations below 10 microg/dl. Negative effects of PCBs on neuromotor development were not clearly observed, neither were the potential beneficial effects of n-3 PUFA and selenium. Tremor amplitude was related to blood Hg concentrations at testing time, which corroborate an effect already reported among adults.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2006

Classic Kaposi's sarcoma presenting first with gastrointestinal tract involvement in a HIV-negative Inuit male--a case report and review of the literature.

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a multicentric low-grade vascular malignancy. In North America, it is usually seen in AIDS and solid organ transplant populations. Classic KS is a subtype that traditionally occurs in elderly HIV-negative males of Mediterranean, Eastern European, and Jewish descent. Patients with classic KS characteristically present with skin lesions in the distal extremities. Involvement of the viscera is uncommon in classic KS, but may occur in the late stages of the disease. We report the first case of classic KS presenting in the gastrointestinal tract of an elderly HIV-negative Inuit male from Northern Quebec, Canada.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed2004

Selenium status in Greenland Inuit.

In Greenland, the human intake of selenium has always been relatively high and is closely connected to intake of the traditional food of marine origin. Analyses of historic and present day human and animal hair samples have indicated that the selenium level in the marine environment has been constant over time, while the levels in humans have declined corresponding to a decrease in intake of traditional food. The Inuit population in Greenland is in dietary transition where western-style food will increasingly dominate. As a consequence, the ample supply of selenium may not be sustained in the future. We report here the selenium status in three Greenlandic population groups, Ittoqqortoormiit and Tasiilaq on the east coast and Uummannaq on the west coast. Mean whole blood concentrations ranged from 178 microg/l in Tasiilaq men to 488 microg/l in Uummannaq men. Plasma concentrations ranged from 79 microg/l in Tasiilaq women to 113 microg/l in Uummannaq men. With increasing Se concentrations in whole blood, the plasma concentrations increased but tended to stabilise a level approximately 140 microg/l. Selenium blood levels were highly significantly correlated with long chain marine fatty acids. Dietary survey and food composition data from the west coast showed that whale skin, muktuk, is the main source of Se followed by birds, seal meat and organs, and fish. Terrestrial animals contributed only insignificantly to the selenium intake. In West Greenland, daily Se intake (235 microg/day) was estimated by dietary survey; it corresponded well with a calculated intake (220 microg/day) based on the mean blood concentration.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Prehistoric Inuit whalers affected Arctic freshwater ecosystems.

It is commonly assumed that High Arctic lakes and ponds were not affected by direct local human activities before the arrival of Europeans, because most native peoples were primarily nomadic, maintained relatively low population densities, and practiced unintrusive hunting and gathering technologies. Our archeological and paleolimnological data show that this was not always the case. Thule Inuit whalers, whose winter settlements consisted of houses constructed from the bones of bowhead whales on Somerset Island between about anno Domini 1200 and 1600, markedly changed pond water quality and ecology. The arrival of whalers 8 centuries ago caused marked changes in water chemistry and the expansion of moss substrates. Although whalers abandoned the area >4 centuries ago, the legacy of these human disturbances is still evident in the pond's present-day limnology and is characterized by elevated nutrient concentrations and atypical biota. This is the earliest reported paleolimnological record of changes in aquatic ecology associated with local human activities in Canada or the United States, or for any circumpolar ecosystem.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Exposure of the Inuit population of Nunavik (Arctic Quebec) to lead and mercury.

The authors conducted a survey during 1992 to evaluate blood levels of lead and mercury in Inuit adults of Nunavik (Arctic Quebec, Canada). Blood samples obtained from 492 participants (209 males and 283 females; mean age = 35 yr) were analyzed for lead and total mercury; mean (geometric) concentrations were 0.42 micromol/l (range = 0.04-2.28 micromol/l) and 79.6 nmol/l (range = 4-560 nmol/l), respectively. Concentrations of omega-3 fatty acid in plasma phospholipids--a biomarker of marine food consumption--were correlated with mercury (r = .56, p < .001) and, to a lesser extent, with blood lead levels (r = .31, p < .001). Analyses of variance further revealed that smoking, age, and consumption of waterfowl were associated with lead concentrations (r2 = .30, p < .001), whereas age and consumption of seal and beluga whale were related to total mercury levels (r2 = .30, p < .001). A significant proportion of reproductive-age women had lead and mercury concentrations that exceeded those that have been reportedly associated with subtle neurodevelopmental deficits in other populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prenatal exposure to methyl mercury among Greenlandic polar Inuits.

During the period 1982 to 1988, 37 paired samples of blood from Inuit women and their newborn children were collected in North Greenland. The samples were analyzed for whole blood content of total mercury (tot-Hg) and for content of methyl mercury (Me-Hg). In maternal blood, 80% of the tot-Hg was found to be methylated in contrast to 98% in cord blood. Concentrations of Me-Hg in maternal and cord blood were significantly correlated, and the mean ratio between fetal and maternal blood Me-Hg was 1.9. Concentrations of Me-Hg in cord blood were closely related to the marine food intake of the mothers. Eighty-four percent of the mothers had blood concentrations of Me-Hg above 0.11 mumol/l (23 micrograms/l), which corresponds to the provisional limit of tolerable intake set by the World Health Organization. This indicates that the majority of the pregnant woman have an unacceptable high intake of methyl mercury.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

HIV/AIDS risk factors as portrayed in mass media targeting First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples of Canada.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the coverage and portrayal of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) risk factors as framed in newspaper targeting Aboriginal (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit) peoples in canada. METHODS: From a sample of 31 Aboriginal newspapers published in English from 1996 to 2000, 14 newspapers were randomly selected. Of 167 articles published on HIV/AIDS during this time period, all anecdotal (n=34) and an approximate 25% random sample of scientific (n=32) articles were analyzed using both quantitative (coding reliability and frequencies) and qualitative (in-depth content analysis) analyses. RESULTS: Individual risk factors for HIV/AIDS were described in 74%, (49/66) of the articles and included unprotected sexual intercourse (20/49 or 41%), sharing of needles for injection drug use (IDU; 16/49 or 33%), infected blood transfusions (3/49 or 6%), and vertical transmission from mother to a baby (10/49 or 20%). Additional risk factors of alcohol use and poverty were mentioned in 29% and 25% of the articles. In addition to the well-recognized HIV/AIDS risk groups of prostitutes and homosexual men, sexual abuse victims, prisoners, and women were identified in aboriginal newspapers as being at risk. Although Aboriginal women were identified as being at high risk, the newspaper coverage also emphasized their lack of knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS. Heterosexual men were not mentioned as being at risk for HIV/AIDS in the newspaper articles. BACKGROUND: The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is higher among Canadian Aboriginals than in the general population. Local and community newspapers are an important channels for the dissemination of health information for isolated, rural, and aboriginal communities. INTERPRETATION: The findings show that Aboriginal media identify high-risk groups and individualistic risk factors for HIV/AIDS within a public health perspective.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2002

Novel prevention program for trichinellosis in inuit communities.

Repeated outbreaks of trichinellosis caused by the consumption of Trichinella-infected walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) meat, which have sometimes led to serious morbidity, have stimulated Inuit communities in Nunavik (northern Quebec), Canada, to develop an innovative trichinellosis prevention program. The program involves preconsumption testing of meat samples from harvested walrus at a regional laboratory and the rapid dissemination of the results of such testing to communities. Local health authorities in Inukjuak conducted an epidemiological investigation after testing identified Trichinella-positive walrus meat in September 1997. This report describes the events that occurred before, during, and after the trichinellosis outbreak and also documents how the prevention program contributed to successful resolution of the outbreak.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Cardiovascular risk factors in Inuit of Greenland.

BACKGROUND: Mortality from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and prevalence of coronary arteriosclerosis are low in Inuit of Greenland (Greenlanders). Aetiological considerations have so far focused mostly on diet and blood lipids. The present study is a comprehensive analysis of behavioural, clinical and serological cardiovascular risk factors for IHD in Greenlanders. METHODS: An interview survey from West Greenland (n = 1436) was supplemented with clinical measurements and blood sampling in selected towns and villages (n = 264). RESULTS: The average consumption of marine mammals and fish was 28 meals per month. In Greenland 14% of males and 30% of females were physically inactive compared with 14% and 17% in the general population of Denmark; 79% were current smokers and 22% smoked 15+ cigarettes per day compared with 42% and 21% in Denmark. High density lipoprotein (HDL) concentration was 1.6 mmol/l in Greenland (1.1 in Denmark) and triglyceride concentration 1.0 mmol/l (1.5). Obesity, blood pressure and total cholesterol were similar in Greenland and Denmark. There were significant differences between Greenlanders with a predominantly traditional childhood and those with a more westernized childhood with regard to diet, physical activity (in women) and blood lipids. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of an increased westernization of the Greenlanders' lifestyle and a high prevalence of several cardiovascular risk factors, mortality from IHD is still low. The change in risk factor patterns is, however, recent and an increased IHD mortality is still to be expected. Preventive measures should be initiated to reduce risk factors but they must take into consideration possible negative consequences of e.g. traditional outdoor activities and the consumption of marine mammals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Hereditary polymorphic light eruption in Canadian Inuit.

Twelve Canadian Inuit patients from the Keewatin District of the Northwest Territories were found to have hereditary polymorphic light eruption. The clinical manifestations were similar to those described in the North American Indian, with a photodermatitis occurring in the sunlight-exposed area. The onset occurred prior to the age of 15 years in 70% of subjects, and the condition was seasonally recurrent, starting in February and lasting until September. Patients demonstrated improvement on a combined regime of local therapy and oral trioxalen. Seventy-five percent of patients had a family history of photosensitivity, suggesting an autosomal dominant trait with incomplete penetrance. Indian ancestry was not demonstrated in these patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Suicide attempts among Inuit youth: a community survey of prevalence and risk factors.

The prevalence of and risk factors for attempted suicide and suicidal ideation were examined with a survey of 99 Inuit, aged 14-25 years, residing in a community in Northern Québec. A total of 34% of survey respondents reported a previous suicide attempt, and 20% had attempted suicide more than once. A suicide attempt had resulted in injury in about 11% of those surveyed. The prevalence of suicidal ideation was also very high: 43% of subjects reported past thoughts of suicide, and 26% had had suicidal thoughts during the month before the survey. Risk factors for suicide attempts included male gender, having a friend who had attempted or committed suicide, a history of being physically abused, a history of solvent abuse, and having a parent with an alcohol or drug problem. Protective factors included a family history of having received treatment for a psychiatric problem, more frequent church attendance, and a high level of academic achievement. While individuals in the community who are at high risk for suicide can be targeted for preventive measures, the high prevalence and effect of family problems on likelihood of suicide attempts indicate the need for family- and community-based approaches.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

The prevalence and patterns of dental caries in Labrador Inuit youth.

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to examine the prevalence of dental caries in Inuit (Eskimo) youth aged 5-22 years. METHODS: Both tooth-oriented indices and child-oriented caries patterns were recorded in a field study conducted in 1991 in Nain and Hopedale, Northern Labrador. Seventy-eight percent (N = 347) of all school-children in these two locations were examined by a single examiner. RESULTS: Three percent of the population were caries free and 88 percent of those with caries experience had untreated dental decay. The mean combined dmft and DMFT per child for all ages was 6.85, while the mean combined dmfs and DMFS was 15.72. About 38 percent of subjects had pit and fissure caries; 2 percent had hypoplastic lesions; 4 percent had faciolingual caries; 31 percent had molar-approximal caries and 22 percent had faciolingual and molar-approximal caries, the most destructive caries pattern. About 68 percent of the 5-6-year-olds and 26 percent of the 15-22-year-olds experienced the most destructive pattern of decay in their primary and permanent dentitions, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Preventive measures should start well before the age of 5 years. Describing caries patterns according to the dentition type complemented the traditional indices.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Acculturation and mental disorder in the Inuit.

The phenomenon of acculturation stress is described with particular reference to the subsequent development of the transitional role conflict. The adolescent and young adult male Eskimo is especially susceptible to the anxiety generated by the process of acculturation and it is the interaction of this external stress with the bio-psychosocial characteristics of the individual within his ecological group, that may lead to an increased incidence of mental disorder. The clinical picture that develops will depend on the complex interaction of this psychosocial stressor and the level of ego development and its accompanying defence and coping strategies. We see how the development of manifest psychopathology in two young Inuit males was intimately associated with the stresses of acculturation acting upon personalities characterized by a low self-esteem and negative self-image, feelings of emasculation and a state of anomie. Coping and defensive strategies exhibited both similarities (drugs, alcohol, withdrawal, actin out) and differences (psychosis versus dissociation). The value of modified supportive therapy with continuity of care aimed at increasing self-esteem through sublimation, identification, reduction of dependency and encouragement of growth and autonomy is described, as are measures aimed at primary prevention.

Acculturation↗
PubMed2004

Empowering health promotion: a holistic approach in preventing sexually transmitted infections among first nations and inuit adolescents in Canada.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as gonorrhea and chlamydia, among others, are significant health concerns for Canadian aboriginal (i.e., First Nations, Inuit) adolescents. This is further compounded by ineffective prevention and promotion strategies that were designed to lessen the incidence of STIs in this population. Structure and content of health service programs are crucial considerations in STI prevention because even well-constructed and carefully implemented programs may have very little impact on aboriginal youth if these programs are not culturally sensitive and specific to individual adolescent's needs. Furthermore, because components of sexual and reproductive health are inextricably linked to empowerment and equality between the sexes, holistic health nurses need to develop strategies that increase self-esteem, self-advocacy, and healthy choices among aboriginal adolescents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Inuit interpretations of sleep paralysis.

Traditional and contemporary Inuit concepts of sleep paralysis were investigated through interviews with elders and young people in Iqaluit, Baffin Island. Sleep paralysis was readily recognized by most respondents and termed uqumangirniq (in the Baffin region) or aqtuqsinniq (Kivalliq region). Traditional interpretations of uqumangirniq referred to a shamanistic cosmology in which the individual's soul was vulnerable during sleep and dreaming. Sleep paralysis could result from attack by shamans or malevolent spirits. Understanding the experience as a manifestation of supernatural power, beyond one's control, served to reinforce the experiential reality and presence of the spirit world. For contemporary youth, sleep paralysis was interpreted in terms of multiple frameworks that incorporated personal, medical, mystical, traditional/shamanistic, and Christian views, reflecting the dynamic social changes taking place in this region.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

The ageing of lung function: cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of an Inuit community.

Three surveys (1969/1970, 1979/1980 and 1989/1990) have examined the impact of acculturation to a sedentary lifestyle on the pulmonary function of a circumpolar native Inuit community. The sample comprised more than 50% of those aged 20-60 yrs, most recently 119 males and 92 females. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF) were measured by standard spirometric techniques, and information was obtained on smoking habits and health. Multiple regression equations showed that lung function was affected by height and age, but usually not by age squared. Cross-sectional age coefficients for FVC and FEV1 increased over the period 1969/1970 to 1989/1990. Parallel longitudinal trends were seen in FEV1 (males only). Multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed age-decade*cohort effects for FVC and FEV1 (males but not females). Almost all of the population now smoke (mean +/- SD males 13 +/- 8 cigarettes.day-1; females 11 +/- 7 cigarettes.day-1). However, smoking bears little relationship to lung function perhaps due to limited variance in consumption. About a third of the community have physician-diagnosed and/or radiographically visible chest disease, but with little effect upon pulmonary function. We conclude that an apparent secular trend to a faster ageing of lung function in men is not explained by disease or domestic air pollution. Possible factors include increased lung volumes in young adults, greater pack-years of cigarette exposure, nonspecific respiratory disease, increased inspiration of cold air or altered chest mechanics due to operation of high-speed snowmobiles, and loss of physical fitness.

Acculturation↗
PubMed2003

Assessment of pre- and postnatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls: lessons from the Inuit Cohort Study.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are food-chain contaminants that have been shown to induce adverse developmental effects in humans. In the course of an epidemiologic study established to investigate neurodevelopmental deficits induced by environmental PCB exposure in the Inuit population of northern Québec (Nunavik, Canada), we compared three biomarkers of prenatal exposure and models to predict PCB plasma concentration at 6 months postpartum. Concentrations of 14 PCB congeners were measured by high-resolution gas chromatography with electron capture detection in lipids extracted from maternal plasma, cord plasma, breast milk (collected at approximately 1 month postpartum), and 6-month-old infant plasma samples. Similar congener profiles were observed in all biologic samples, and PCB-153, the most abundant and persistent PCB congener, was strongly correlated with other frequently detected PCB congeners in all biologic media. When expressed on a lipid basis, maternal plasma, cord plasma, and milk concentrations of this congener were strongly intercorrelated, indicating that PCB concentration in any of these biologic media is a good indicator of prenatal exposure to PCBs. A multivariate model that included maternal PCB-153 plasma lipid concentration, breast-feeding duration, and the sum of two skin-fold thicknesses (an index of infant body fat mass) explained 72% of PCB-153 plasma concentration variance at 6 months postpartum (p < 0.001). By contrast, based on the product of breast-feeding duration times the concentration of PCBs in plasma lipids, which was used as an index of postnatal PCB exposure in several studies, only 36% of infant plasma concentration was explained.

Adolescent↗