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PubMed2006

Associations of a novel IL4RA polymorphism, Ala57Thr, in Greenlander Inuit.

BACKGROUND: A novel IL4RA polymorphism, Ala57Thr, was identified in Greenlander Inuit. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine whether the novel Thr57 allele is population specific and to assess the associations of Ala57Thr and Ile50Val with atopy in 2 Inuit populations. METHODS: Ala57Thr and Ile50Val were genotyped in 651 Inuit living in Denmark, 1295 Inuit living in Greenland, and 1329 individuals from 7 populations from widely differing global locations. In Inuit the polymorphisms were evaluated for associations with atopy, rhinitis, asthma, and pulmonary function. RESULTS: Thr57 was in linkage disequilibrium with Ile50 (D' = 1, r(2) = 0.13) and was common (33%) in the Inuit but rare (<0.6%) in all other populations. In Inuit living in Denmark, the Thr57 allele (in a dose-dependent manner) and the Ile50/Thr57 haplotype were associated with lower risk of atopy (P(linear) = .003 and P = .034, respectively), with similar trends observed for atopic rhinitis and atopic asthma. In Inuit living in Greenland, Thr57 was not associated with atopy or atopic diseases, but Ile50 was weakly associated with lower risk of atopy. CONCLUSION: The novel IL4RA Ala57Thr was common in and population specific to Greenlander Inuit, with Thr57 associated with a lower risk of atopy in those living in Denmark. Hence a full investigation of genotype-phenotype relationships in a given population can only be achieved if each gene is screened for novel polymorphisms in that population. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Clinical risk attributable to variations in a gene in an ethnic group requires that all variations of the gene are known for that group.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Elements in autopsy liver tissue samples from Greenlandic Inuit and Danes. V. Selenium measured by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry.

The content of selenium in normal liver tissue samples from Greenlandic Inuit was measured and the results compared with those obtained in normal liver tissue samples from Danes. Normal liver tissue samples were obtained at autopsy from 50 Greenlandic Inuit (27 men, 23 women) with a median age of 61 years (range 23-83) and from 74 Danes (44 men, 30 women) with a median age of 60 years (range 15-87). Total liver selenium content was measured by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The content of selenium (median) was in Inuit 26.6 micromol/kg dry liver (5-95 percentile: 15.2-49.4) and in Danes 17.7 micromol/kg dry liver (5-95 percentile: < 3.8-36.5) (p < 0.0001). Liver selenium content displayed no significant gender difference, either in Inuit or Danes. In Inuit men, there was a negative correlation between liver selenium content and age (rs = -0.39, p < 0.05), whereas Danish men displayed a positive correlation between liver selenium content and age (rs = 0.37, p = 0.02). There was no correlation in Inuit or Danish women. In Inuit, the median hepatic selenium index (liver selenium content divided by age) was 0.48 and in Danes 0.33 (p = 0.001). There was an inverse correlation between hepatic selenium index and age both in Inuit (rs = -0.77, p < 0.0001) and in Danes (rs = -0.47, p < 0.0001). In conclusion, Inuit had a higher liver content of selenium and a higher hepatic selenium index compared with Danes. The more favourable selenium status is due to a higher nutritional selenium intake with fish and meat from sea mammals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

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

OBJECTIVE: 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. METHODS: This study retrospectively compared the rate of familial aggregation of SAH and IA (at least one first- or second-degree relative with presumed SAH and/or IA) in 120 Inuit patients from Greenland admitted to the Copenhagen University Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 1978 to 1998 with a diagnosis of ruptured IA with that in 1,037 Caucasian Danes admitted from 1978 to 1983. RESULTS: Inuit patients had a much higher rate of familial history of SAH (23.1%) and of IA (9.6%) than Danish patients (4.3 and 1.6%, respectively). In both populations, familial SAH was associated with lower age at the time of aneurysm rupture. Danish patients with familial SAH showed a higher rate of middle cerebral artery aneurysms (40 versus 26% in sporadic SAH). In Inuit patients with familial and nonfamilial SAH, 42 and 38% of the aneurysms originated from the middle cerebral artery. The overall rate of multiple aneurysms was highest among Inuits, and in both populations, it was increased in the presence of a positive family history. CONCLUSION: The rate of a positive family history of presumed SAH and IA is high among Inuits who present with SAH compared with Caucasian Danes who present with SAH. This finding, coupled with a higher rate of multiple aneurysms and younger age at presentation, suggests a potential genetic influence among Inuit families.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Ethnic differences in bone mineral density between inuit and Caucasians in north Greenland are caused by differences in body size.

Data on bone mineral density (BMD) in living Inuit are limited and BMD measurements in Arctic Inuit using Dualenergy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) are lacking. Ethnicity may be important for bone mass. The aim of this study was to validate DXA in rural Arctic Greenland, to measure BMD in Greenland Inuit and Caucasians, and to estimate the importance of ethnicity for BMD. We measured the BMD in 80 healthy subjects living in Ilulissat and Saqqaq in North Greenland twice in both distal forearms and in both heels using peripheral DXA (pDXA). Participants were stratified by origin (Inuit[settlement])/Caucasians, n = 33 [19]/28), gender (men/women, n = 37/43), and age (30-39/40-49, n = 32/48). Caucasians were bigger than Inuit (men/women, height p < 0.001/p < 0.001; weight p = 0.01/ p = 0.026), but had similar BMI (p = 0.42/0.70). Triplicate pDXA measurements showed individual CV% = 0.16-1.79%; overall CV% = 1.1% (forearm)/1.0% (heel). Data followed the normal distribution (p = 0.65-0.99) with identical variances between Inuit and Caucasians (p = 0.12-0.63). Mean BMD in right forearm/left forearm/right heel/left heel was: Inuit men 0.570/0.568/0.549/0.536 g/cm2; Inuit women 0.484/0.474/0.473/0.464 g/cm2; Caucasian men 0.580/0.570/0.646/0.638 g/cm2; Caucasian women 0.495/0.496/0.552/0.553 g/cm2. An ethnic difference in heel BMD (p < 0.001) disappeared when adjusted for weight (p = 0.30). No difference was found in forearm BMD. In conclusion, pDXA is feasible and reliable in rural Greenland. Ethnic differences in BMD are small and may reflect differences in body size.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2004

Helping Inuit clients: cultural relevance and effective counselling.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate the fit between Inuit conceptions of effective helping and Western counselling. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS: The essential components and value foundations of effective Western counselling, including multicultural counselling, were identified from primary and secondary counselling texts. Inuit traditional values and helping practices were identified from the transcripts of interviews with Inuit elders. Interviews with 5 younger Inuit provided information about the counselling needs of contemporary Inuit. Grounded theory analysis of all texts and interview transcripts was used to determine each informant group's conceptions of the elements of effective counselling. A comparative chart was then constructed of the important relationship factors, strategies and process, and effective interventions identified by each informant group. RESULTS: The values and relationship factors of effective counselling are similar in traditional and Western helping, and these same factors are important to the contemporary Inuit interviewed. Affective, behavioural and cognitive interventions were used traditionally; modern generic counselling also uses a variety of strategies from these three primary categories. Cognitive and cognitive-behavioural approaches to problem-solving were traditionally of primary importance, with expression of feelings also seen as essential. CONCLUSION: Western and traditional Inuit helping correspond, and cognitive/cognitive-behavioural approaches especially complement Inuit cultural practice.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Lipid metabolism, features of nutrition and risk factors of ischemic heart disease in cohorts of Canadian Inuits and Taimyr Nganasans].

Lipids metabolism and blood lipid profiles in native populations of Northern Asia (Nganasans, n = 43) and Northern Canada (Inuits, n = 151) have been studied. Estimation of serum PUFA of omega-6 and omega-3 series in Nganasans testifies to shifting of their diet to "western" type. Three types of dietary patterns have been observed in inuits: traditional one (among age group of 40-69), "western" (among age group of 18-29) and intermediate, transitional (among age group of 30-39). Age differences in concentrations of total cholesterol, summarized fraction of low density and very low density lipoproteins in Nganasans and Inuits were similar, however, Inuits had higher levels of blood lipids including HDL-cholesterol. Concentrations of apoB lipoproteins were significantly higher in Inuits, however, apoA-1/apoB ratios were estimated as more than 1.0 in both groups and the differences were not significant. Correlation between fatty acid composition and lipid profiles in Inuits who followed traditional diet testify to non-atherogenic type of nutrition. Despite to favorable blood lipid profiles in Northern native population, hypercholesterolemia was found in 2% of Nganasans and 10% of Inuits, while hypo-alpha-cholesterolemia was found in 25% Nganasans and in 5% of Inuits. Thus, changes in dietary patterns of native populations of the Far North have a great influence on blood concentrations of PUFAs of omega-3 series. Changes in the dietary fatty acid composition are considered to be one of the possible reasons of dislipoproteinemia.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Age differences in vitamin A intake among Canadian Inuit.

BACKGROUND: Inuit traditional food provides ample amounts of preformed vitamin A. However, the dietary transition away from traditional food raises concerns regarding dietary adequacy. Vitamin A is an essential nutrient with inadequate and excessive exposures having adverse effects. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate total dietary vitamin A intake for Canadian Inuit from market food and traditional food sources and to evaluate retinol concentrations in liver and blubber. METHODS: Dietary surveys were conducted in 18 communities representing 5 Inuit regions, and traditional food items were evaluated for nutrient content. RESULTS: Among those 15-40 years of age, 68% of men and 60% of women had a dietary vitamin A intake below the estimated average requirement (EAR) for retinol activity equivalents (RAE)/day. Among those over 40 years of age, only 11 % of men and 15% of women had a dietary vitamin A intake below the EAR. Young Inuit men had a relative risk of 6.2 (95% CI= 4.5-8.4), and young Inuit women had a relative risk of 4.0 (95% CI= 3.1-5.0) for dietary inadequacy compared to the older Inuit men and women, respectively. The median retinol content of liver of ringed seal, caribou, and fish were comparable to levels observed in market food liver. Liver was less frequently consumed by those 15-40 years of age than among older Inuit. DISCUSSION: Sub-optimal vitamin A intake is the predominant nutritional concern rather than excessive exposures. Public health education campaigns are needed to improve vitamin A intake among the younger generations of Inuit men and women.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Obesity, central fat patterning, and their metabolic correlates among the inuit of the central Canadian Arctic.

I report on the occurrence and metabolic correlates of obesity among the Inuit (Eskimos) of the central Canadian Arctic using data from the Keewatin Health Assessment Study conducted during 1990 and 1991 in eight Inuit communities in the Northwest Territories (n = 434, adults aged 18 years and older). Data from the 1990 Manitoba Heart Health Survey among 2200 predominantly white residents of the province of Manitoba were used for comparison. Judging by body mass index and two skinfold thicknesses, obesity among the Inuit is as prevalent as it is in the general North American population. This is a new development over the past two or three decades, the result of rapidly changing physical activity, diet, and lifestyle. Obesity is more prevalent among women, among whom there is also a higher degree of central fat patterning based on the waist-to-hip ratio. When different categories of obesity are compared, blood pressure and one or more of the lipids show an increasing trend but glucose or insulin level shows no significant change. This observation distinguishes the Inuit from other populations. Even where a relationship exists, as with triglyceride and HDL cholesterol levels, the magnitude of the response is lower among the Inuit. The differential effect of obesity on glucose, blood pressure, and lipid levels in the Inuit compared with non-Inuit suggests a type of selective insulin resistance, the underlying mechanism of obesity and several chronic diseases. Inuit metabolism reflects their almost exclusive diet of fat and proteins traditionally. From the public health perspective it is important to monitor and ameliorate the impact of changing diet and physical activity on the prevalence of obesity and associated health effects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Contribution of Selected Traditional and Market Foods to the Diet of Nunavik Inuit Women.

Food composition data were determined for food consumed by 226 Inuit women in Nunavik, estimating the relative contribution of traditional and market food for energy, protein, lipid, carbohydrate, vitamin A, vitamin D, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc, and eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids. Traditional Inuit food was an important source of protein, vitamin D, iron, selenium, and phosphorus, as well as the main source of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids. The mean contribution of traditional and market food to energy and nutrients was analyzed according to age groups (18-39 and 40-74). Analysis of Inuit women's nutrient intake showed that the contribution of traditional food was greater in the older group than in the younger group, for whom the contribution of market food was greater. Market food contributed the most to Inuit women's energy intake, while 40% of the intake of several nutrients, including protein, vitamin D, iron, phosphorus, and zinc, was derived from traditional food. Inuit women had low vitamin A and calcium intakes. Traditional food had low calcium and vitamin A concentrations, and the Inuit infrequently consumed market food such as milk, dairy products, and yellow and green vegetables. Thus, even though the present study showed that traditional food was the major source of many nutrients in the Inuit diet, market food was also important for the nutritional status of this population, particularly young women. In promoting safe nutritional habits among the Inuit, dietitians must help them maintain traditional food use, which has provided some health advantages (e.g., a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease); encourage consumption of nutritious market foods; and consider the societal values reflected in the traditional diet.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Isumagijaksaq: mindful of the state: social constructions of Inuit suicide.

Inuit suicide is the most significant mental health issue in the newly created Nunavut Territory of Canada's eastern Arctic. Suicide rates in Nunavut are 6 times those of Canada's southern provinces. Consistent with other Canadian populations, males aged 15-29 years of age are most at risk. Various social constructions have been used to make sense of Inuit suicide, a phenomenon of historical interest to anthropologists, who popularized the idea of elderly Inuit voluntarily abandoning their lives to the elements so as not to burden their surviving relatives. An examination of the literature and research dealing with Inuit suicide suggests that three typologies have typically been used to explain the problem: organic or quasi-organic explanations, social explanations involving concepts of social change and social disruption, and socio-psychological models of two types; a risk assessment approach focusing on the circumstances surrounding the deceased or the person with suicidal thoughts and another dealing with norms, values, thought processes and relationships within Inuit culture. We argue that these approaches offer incomplete explanations of the current problem. Attempts to complete the picture by identifying risk factors have produced contradictory and unsatisfactory results. We conclude that the impact of colonial relations of ruling has much to do with the current problem and advocate an approach that combines narrative research and intergenerational communication with community action to address the problem. Low Inuit inuusittiaqarniq (self-esteem) is an important factor in Inuit suicide, but rather than a psychological problem, has its roots in a history of colonialism, paternalism and historical events.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Low incidence of cardiovascular disease among the Inuit--what is the evidence?

BACKGROUND: The notion that the incidence of ischemic heart disease (IHD) is low among the Inuit subsisting on a traditional marine diet has attained axiomatic status. The scientific evidence for this is weak and rests on early clinical evidence and uncertain mortality statistics. METHODS: We reviewed the literature and performed new analyses of the mortality statistics from Greenland, Canada, and Alaska. FINDINGS: The evidence for a low mortality from IHD among the Inuit is fragile and rests on unreliable mortality statistics. Mortality from stroke, however, is higher among the Inuit than among other western populations. Based on the examination of 15 candidate gene polymorphisms, the Inuit genetic architecture does not obviously explain putative differences in cardiovascular disease prevalence. INTERPRETATION: The mortality from all cardiovascular diseases combined is not lower among the Inuit than in white comparison populations. If the mortality from IHD is low, it seems not to be associated with a low prevalence of general atherosclerosis. A decreasing trend in mortality from IHD in Inuit populations undergoing rapid westernization supports the need for a critical rethinking of cardiovascular epidemiology among the Inuit and the role of a marine diet in this population.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

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

AIMS: 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. METHODS: The study comprised four Inuit populations from Alaska, Canada, and Greenland with participation rates ranging from 51% to 73%. In a cross-sectional design, 2,509 randomly selected adults from 31 villages were examined. Blood pressure, anthropometric measurements, smoking, and medication were recorded. RESULTS: Mean systolic blood pressures ranged from 116 to 124 mm Hg among men and 110 to 118 among women in the four populations. Mean diastolic blood pressures ranged from 75 to 78 mm Hg among men and from 71 to 73 among women. Systolic blood pressure increased with age. Male gender, obesity, being a non-smoker, and being on anti-hypertensive treatment were associated with high systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Adjusted for age, body mass index, smoking, and anti-hypertensive treatment, blood pressure differed among the populations (p </= 0.001). Mean systolic blood pressure was low among the Inuit compared with most European populations of the INTERSALT study, but higher than in several Asian populations and the Amazonian Indians. CONCLUSIONS: Inuit blood pressures rank intermediate on a global scale but low in comparison with most European populations. The Inuit population is not homogeneous, and this is reflected in blood pressure differences among the four regional subgroups. The role of the traditional diet, a rural lifestyle with a low level of psychosocial stress, and genetics must be further explored.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes among Inuit and North American Indian women in Quebec, 1985-97.

We used Statistics Canada's linked stillbirth, live birth and infant death files to assess the risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes among Inuit and North American Indian vs. other ethnic women in Quebec, 1985-97 (1 125 462 singleton births). Mother tongue was used to define ethnicity, with the largest French language group as the reference. Main outcome measures are adjusted odds ratios (AOR) for preterm birth, small-for-gestational-age (SGA), stillbirth, neonatal and postneonatal death controlled for maternal age, education, marital status, parity, infant sex, community size, and community-level random effects using multilevel logit models. Inuit women had higher risks of preterm birth (AOR = 1.49, 95% CI [1.25, 1.78]) and immaturity-related infant mortality (AOR = 3.03 [1.36, 6.74]), while Indian women did not. Infants of Inuit (AOR = 0.39 [0.31, 0.49]) and Indian (AOR = 0.27 [0.24, 0.31]) women had substantially lower risks of SGA. Elevated risks of stillbirth were observed among Indian women [AOR = 1.53 (1.09, 2.15)], and of postneonatal death among both Inuit (AOR = 4.45 [2.74, 7.22]) and Indian (AOR = 1.86 [1.28, 2.70]) infants. Both Inuit and Indian infants had much higher risks of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and infection-related mortality. Although the absolute risks of adverse outcomes declined from 1985-87 to 1995-97, the relative disparities between aboriginal and non-aboriginal women changed little over this period. We conclude that Inuit and Indian women have different risk profiles for adverse pregnancy outcomes, and that prevention of preterm birth among Inuit women, and of SIDS and infection-related infant mortality in both aboriginal groups, are important targets for future research and intervention.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Lipoprotein profile of a Greenland Inuit population. Influence of anthropometric variables, Apo E and A4 polymorphism, and lifestyle.

Previously it has been reported that Greenland Inuit (Eskimos) from the Uummannaq district display low levels of plasma cholesterol and triglycerides and relatively high levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) when compared with healthy Danish control subjects (Lancet 1971;1:1143-1146). Here we present data obtained in 1989 that show the following. In a group of 133 healthy adult Greenland Inuit from Nanortalik, the levels of plasma cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (6.39 and 4.39 mmol/l, respectively) were slightly higher than "normal" values found in western societies, whereas the HDL cholesterol level was markedly higher (1.64 mmol/l). Compared with most Caucasian populations, the Inuit population we studied exhibits a high apolipoprotein (APO)E*4 allele frequency (0.229), whereas the APOE*2 allele frequency was extremely low (0.015). In contrast to Caucasian populations, in the Inuit population the apoE polymorphism showed only a minor influence on the plasma lipid and (apo)lipoprotein levels, as evaluated by multiple regression analysis, with the exception of apoE levels. This absence of an effect could be explained by the low very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) plus intermediate density lipoprotein (IDL) cholesterol levels. The contributions of eicosapentaenoic acid and linoleic acid to the total amount of fatty acids in plasma cholesterol esters differed markedly from those reported in 1971 for another Greenland Inuit population (3.2% versus 15.8% and 49.5% versus 20.4%, respectively), thereby resembling values now found in the average western population. Even in those Inuit who reported exclusive consumption of the traditional Inuit diet (13% of the population), the fatty acid composition of the plasma cholesterol esters closely resembled the values measured in western populations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed2005

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.

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 Kharkiv population. The correlations between the POP-biomarkers varied considerably between the populations, underlining that exposure sources differ and that the choice of representative biomarkers of overall POP exposure has to be based on an analysis of the specific exposure situation for each population. Age and gender were consistent determinants of serum POPs; seafood was of importance only in the Inuit and Swedish populations.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Preterm delivery among Inuit women in the Baffin Region of the Canadian Arctic.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the rate and causes of preterm (before 37 weeks gestation) and very preterm (before 32 weeks gestation) delivery among a population of Inuit living in Canada. STUDY DESIGN: Three-year retrospective cross-sectional review of charts for patients delivering in the Baffin Region of Canada. RESULTS: There were 938 births over the study period; 95% to Inuit women. Inuit women had a preterm delivery rate of 18.2% and a very preterm delivery rate of 2.4%, more than twice the Canadian national average. Sociodemographic risk factors for preterm delivery including substance use, young age, single marital status, and poor nutrition, occurred more frequently among Inuit women compared to non-Inuit women, but were not independently associated with prematurity. Known medical and obstetrical risk factors were associated with preterm delivery among Inuit women; history of prior preterm delivery, multiple pregnancy, placenta previa, poor weight gain and vaginal bleeding after 20 weeks gestation. Hospitalization rates and infant mortality were higher among preterm infants. The most common indication for hospitalization was respiratory infection (51.1%) followed by other infection (15.8%). CONCLUSION: Inuit women had preterm and very preterm delivery rates more than twice the Canadian national average. Preterm delivery was associated with several medical risk factors and resulted in significant increases in infant hospitalization and mortality.

Arctic Regions↗
PubMed1994

Growth patterns of Labrador Inuit youth: II. Skeletal age.

Few studies have been conducted on skeletal maturity of circumpolar populations despite its importance as background knowledge to orthopedic and orthodontic procedures or for other medical problems involving endocrine disturbances. The purpose of this study was to compare skeletal age with chronological age of Labrador Inuit youth aged between 5-18 years and to compare these results with data from a national survey of United States youth. The sample included 32% (n = 100) of the Inuit youth living in Nain, Labrador, Canada (Male = 41, female = 59). Hand wrist radiographs, collected during a field study in 1991, were used to estimate bone age using the Greulich and Pyle bone specific method. The mean relative Inuit skeletal ages increased almost consistently with chronological age but showed considerable individual variation as shown by the 95% confidence intervals. The pattern of growth of skeletal vs chronological age was similar to the National Center for Health Statistics data but the tempo was slower. The Z-scores for mean male relative bone ages ranged from -0.7 to -1.9 and for females from -0.6 to -1.4. The results indicated that Inuit males started to reach adult skeletal maturity levels by the chronological age of 17 years 9 months, and Inuit females by 15 years 8 months. Generally, Inuit skeletal ages were delayed by 10-24 months behind the reference atlas skeletal ages and 9-22 months behind the Inuit chronological ages.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Lung volumes of Igloolik Inuit and Volochanka nGanasan.

BACKGROUND: Acculturation to a 'modern' lifestyle has apparently speeded the aging of FVC and FEV1.0 in the Inuit (6). To test this hypothesis further, we compared lung function between Igloolik Inuit and less acculturated nGanasan in Volochanka. METHODS AND MATERIALS: FVC and FEV1.0 were measured by Stead-Wells spirometer (13.5 L lightweight bell) on 210M and 157F Inuit, and by 7.8 L dry gas wedge spirometer on 80M and 66F nGanasan. Subjects were aged 11-60 years. RESULTS: The Inuit and the nGanasan were both some 10 cm shorter than the urban norms, but the ratio of sitting to standing height was normal. Cigarette smoking began around 13-14 yr, reaching a prevalence of 80% in Inuit males and females, 78% in nGanasan males, and 56% in nGanasan females. Inuit lung volumes exceeded urban norms as children and young adults, but had a steep age coefficient even after excluding subjects with a history of respiratory disease. The nGanasan had smaller lung volumes as young adults, but a less rapid decline of function with age. CONCLUSIONS: High lung volumes in young adults probably reflect the continued physical fitness levels of circumpolar residents. The steep age coefficients for the Inuit cannot be explained simply by aging of a cohort with previous respiratory disease. The nGanasan have little advantage of smoking habits or fitness, but do not have snowmobiles. Operation of these vehicles may increase the inhalation of arctic air, and/or cause vertebral damage with resulting alterations of FVC and FEV1.0.

Adolescent↗