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PubMed1993

Tuberculosis in Canada: a focal disease requiring distinct control strategies for different risk groups.

Cases of new or reactivated tuberculosis (TB) reported in Canadian residents during 1985-1987 (1984-1988 in the province of Quebec) were analyzed by geographic region relative to the geographic distribution of groups known to be at high risk. The crude incidence rate (per 100,000 population) of TB was calculated by census division (or Région socio-sanitaire in Quebec). Rates of TB by census division ranged from 0 to over 200 per 100,000 population; the average rate for Canada was 8.3 per 100,000. Census divisions with very high rates (over 20 per 100,000) were concentrated in the northern regions, with 80% or more of TB cases occurring among aboriginal persons. Census divisions with moderately high TB rates of 10-19 per 100,000 were located either in northerly regions or in major metropolitan areas; reported TB cases in these areas occurred disproportionately in the aboriginal or immigrant populations. Tuberculosis continues to become more geographically focused and limited to aboriginal Canadians, immigrants and the urban poor. Priority must be given to full implementation of effective prevention and control methods in geographic areas with higher incidence rates. Different methods will be required for different areas depending upon the risk groups present.

American Indian or Alaska Native↗
PubMed2006

KIR gene in ethnic and Mestizo populations from Mexico.

Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors are characterized by their great diversity of genes and alleles. Population studies have identified the presence of a broad variety of genotypes. In Mexico, there are diverse ethnic groups representing 9% of the total population and the rest is composed of Mestizos with a more varied biology. For the purpose of this study, genotyping was performed in Mestizos, in Mexico City inhabitants, and in three ethnic groups. The frequencies of genes KIR2DL2, 2DL5, 2DS1-3, 2DS5, and 3DS1 showed a greater variability in the groups studied. A total of 12 different genotypes were identified, the higher number for the Mestizos and the lower number for the Tarahumaras. Genotype 1 was found at a greater frequency in all the groups, except for the Tarahumaras, in which genotype 4 was more frequent. The frequency of genotypes 4 and 8 in Mexicans was higher than that for other populations analyzed. By subtyping of KIR3DL1, 3DL2, 2DL1, and 2DL3, two B haplotypes were identified in families; both were absent in Caucasian families. Our results indicated a greater diversity of genes in the Mestizos group than in the ethnic groups.

American Indian or Alaska Native↗
PubMed2005

Human health implications of environmental contaminants in Arctic Canada: A review.

The objectives of this paper are to: assess the impact of exposure to current levels of environmental contaminants in the Canadian Arctic on human health; identify the data and knowledge gaps that need to be filled by future human health research and monitoring; examine how these issues have changed since our first assessment [Van Oostdam, J., Gilman, A., Dewailly, E., Usher, P., Wheatley, B., Kuhnlein, H. et al., 1999. Human health implications of environmental contaminants in Arctic Canada: a review. Sci Total Environ 230, 1-82]. The primary exposure pathway for contaminants for various organochlorines (OCs) and toxic metals is through the traditional northern diet. Exposures tend to be higher in the eastern than the western Canadian Arctic. In recent dietary surveys among five Inuit regions, mean intakes by 20- to 40-year-old adults in Baffin, Kivalliq and Inuvialuit communities exceeded the provisional tolerable daily intakes (pTDIs) for the OCs, chlordane and toxaphene. The most recent findings in NWT and Nunavut indicate that almost half of the blood samples from Inuit mothers exceeded the level of concern value of 5 microg/L for PCBs, but none exceeded the action level of 100 microg/L. For Dene/Métis and Caucasians of the Northwest Territories exposure to OCs are mostly below this level of concern. Based on the exceedances of the pTDI and of various blood guidelines, mercury and to a lesser extent lead (from the use of lead shot in hunting game) are also concerns among Arctic peoples. The developing foetus is likely to be more sensitive to the effects of OCs and metals than adults, and is the age groups of greatest risk in the Arctic. Studies of infant development in Nunavik have linked deficits in immune function, an increase in childhood respiratory infections and birth weight to prenatal exposure to OCs. Balancing the risks and benefits of a diet of country foods is very difficult. The nutritional benefits of country food and its contribution to the total diet are substantial. Country food contributes significantly more protein, iron and zinc to the diets of consumers than southern/market foods. The increase in obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease has been linked to a shift away from a country food diet and a less active lifestyle. These foods are an integral component of good health among Aboriginal peoples. The social, cultural, spiritual, nutritional and economic benefits of these foods must be considered in concert with the risks of exposure to environmental contaminants through their exposure. Consequently, the contamination of country food raises problems which go far beyond the usual confines of public health and cannot be resolved simply by risk-based health advisories or food substitutions alone. All decisions should involve the community and consider many aspects of socio-cultural stability to arrive at a decision that will be the most protective and least detrimental to the communities.

American Indian or Alaska Native↗
PubMed2006

Abandoned Mid-Canada Radar Line sites in the Western James region of Northern Ontario, Canada: a source of organochlorines for First Nations people?

The potential exists for human exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other contaminants originating from abandoned Mid-Canada Radar Line (MCRL) sites in sub-arctic Canada. We examined patterns of differences with respect to body burden of organochlorines (lipid-adjusted) between residents of the Ontario First Nations of Fort Albany (the site of MCRL Site 050) and Kashechewan (no radar base) and Hamilton (an industrial, southern Ontario community) to assess whether the presence of Site 050 influenced organochlorine body burden with respect to the people of Fort Albany. PCBs (Aroclor 1260 and summation operator14 PCBs congeners [CBs]) and DDE in the plasma of Fort Albany and Kashechewan subjects were elevated relative to Hamilton participants. PCB and DDE-plasma levels in First Nation women were of comparable magnitude to those reported for Inuit women living in the west/central Northwest Territories. Significantly lower DDE/DDT ratios observed for Fort Albany indicates exposure to higher levels of DDT compared to Kashechewan. The probable source of DDT exposure for Fort Albany people is the DDT-contaminated soil surrounding buildings of Site 050. The results of the correspondence analysis (CA) indicated that people from Hamilton had relatively higher pesticides and lower CB body burdens, while people from Fort Albany and Kashechewan exhibited relatively higher CBs and lower pesticide levels (CA-1). The separation of Fort Albany and Kashechewan from Hamilton was also clear using questionnaire data (i.e., plotting dietary principal component [PC]-1 scores against PC-2); PC-1 was correlated with the consumption of a traditional diet. Separation of Kashechewan and Albany residents occurred because the people of Kashechewan ate more traditional meats and consumed shorebirds. Only one significant relationship was found between PC analysis and contaminant loadings; PC-1 versus CA-3 for Kashechewan. The presence of Site 050 on Anderson Island appears to have influenced organochlorine body burden of the people of Fort Albany. ANCOVA results revealed that it was not activity on Anderson Island that was important, but activity on Site 050 was the influential variable. When these results are considered with the DDE/DDT ratio data and the CB 187 results (Fort Albany and Kashechewan residents differed significantly), the findings are suggestive that Site 050 did influence organochlorine body burden of people from Fort Albany.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Racializing narratives: obesity, diabetes and the "Aboriginal" thrifty genotype.

This post-colonial reading of narratives of obesity, diabetes, and the hypothesized "thrifty genotype" ascribed to Aboriginal peoples shows how scientific and popular texts support the belief in biological "race." Although the scientific consensus is that "race" is not a empirical category, many scientists use it without comment as a "crude proxy" for presumed genetic differences. The division between science and the social sciences/humanities protects such confusing practices from full scientific and social critique, something interdisciplinary research teams, science studies and improved peer review could provide.

American Indian or Alaska Native↗
PubMed2001

Assessing mental capacity in Canadian Aboriginal seniors.

In recent years, researchers and practitioners have begun to modify existing cognitive assessment instruments and develop new tools in order to increase the accuracy of mental capacity evaluations among seniors in cross-cultural settings. Based on a review of the literature and consultations with members of the Aboriginal capacity assessment committee at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, Canada, during the summer of 1998, the authors argue that both the process by which capacity assessments are conducted and the content of the assessment instruments are problematic. The article summarizes the difficulties that differing degrees of acculturation within and between Aboriginal groups create for cognitive evaluations. It recommends steps that mental health professionals can follow to develop meaningful assessment strategies for Aboriginal seniors that reflect both the content and the interactional processes that characterize their traditional cultural orientations.

Acculturation↗
PubMed2002

Effects of hexachlorobenzene on embryonic mammalian cells.

Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) is a persistent organic pollutant that has been found to be bioaccumulating in several Arctic regions of the world. The response of embryonic cells to HCB exposure has been evaluated for several different cytotoxic responses, including genotoxic effects. NIH 3T3 (mouse) and WS1 (human) embryonic cells were exposed to HCB at 1 and 10 times the average newborn cord blood concentrations of Alaska Arctic natives. Assays were then performed to determine the subsequent effects of HCB on overall cell number, viability, cell growth fraction and long-term survival, as well as specific biochemical and molecular responses. Exposure of both cell types to HCB results in cell membrane damage, a short-term decrease in cell number, increased DNA strand breaks, and a long-term decrease in colony survival. WS1 cells also undergo cell-cycle arrest and modulations in glutathione concentration after exposure to HCB. In addition, NIH 3T3 cells exhibit an increased number of transformed foci after repeated exposure to HCB. This study demonstrates that relevant environmental concentrations of HCB have significant effects on mammalian embryonic cells in culture.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed2002

Influence of aboriginal and socioeconomic status on birth outcome and maternal morbidity.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of Aboriginal and socioeconomic status with birth outcome and maternal morbidity in Alberta. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study using Alberta health service and vital statistics data from 1997 to 2000. Aboriginal women registered with the Department of Indian and Northern Development (DIAND) were linked to a personal health number. Low socioeconomic status was defined as either receiving subsidization for the Alberta Health Care Insurance premium or receiving welfare. RESULTS: Women registered with DIAND and women receiving subsidy or welfare were younger, more often unmarried, smoked more, consumed more alcohol, and abused more illicit drugs than other women in Alberta during the time period studied. Fewer women registered with DIAND and women receiving subsidy or welfare had physician prenatal visits, attended prenatal classes, had forceps or vacuum deliveries, and more of these women frequently had gestation ages less than 37 weeks. Women registered with DIAND had more deliveries in smaller, non-metropolitan facilities; and more of these women delivered outside their region of residence; more had longer lengths of hospital stay; more mothers and neonates were re-admitted to hospital within 28 days of discharge after delivery; fewer delivered small for gestational age neonates; fewer delivered neonates with birth weight less than 2500 g, but more delivered neonates with birth weight greater than 4000 g. There were fewer Caesarean sections in women registered with DIAND (OR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.76-0.93) and in women receiving subsidy or welfare (OR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.82-0.93). CONCLUSION: Women receiving subsidy or welfare and women registered with DIAND had many demographic similarities and generally had worse maternal and neonatal outcomes than other women in Alberta. Medical system interaction may be different for these two groups of women than it is for other women in Alberta.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Prevalence and predictors of inadequate prenatal care: a comparison of aboriginal and non-aboriginal women in Manitoba.

OBJECTIVE: Despite the importance of prenatal care, there are no national data and limited provincial data on use of prenatal care by women in Canada, nor is there much information on racial/ethnic disparities in access to prenatal care. This study describes and compares the prevalence and predictors of inadequate prenatal care among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women giving birth in Manitoba. METHODS: Data were obtained from interviews with 652 postpartum women who delivered a live singleton infant in 2 tertiary hospitals in Winnipeg, Manitoba. We identified inadequate prenatal care, using the Kessner Adequacy of Prenatal Care Index. We used stratified analysis to describe effect-measure modification for predictors of inadequate prenatal care among the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal subgroups. We conducted a multivariable logistic regression analysis for the total sample. RESULTS: A significantly higher proportion of Aboriginal women (15.7%) than non-Aboriginal women (3.6%) received inadequate prenatal care. After controlling for other factors, significant predictors of inadequate prenatal care included low income, low self-esteem, high levels of perceived stress, and Aboriginal background. CONCLUSION: Women who do not receive adequate prenatal care are more likely to live in poverty, experience highly stressed lives, have low levels of self-esteem, and be Aboriginal. Efforts to improve the provision of prenatal care should be directed toward these women. Racial/ethnic disparities in use of prenatal care need to be addressed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Association between AGT codon 235 polymorphism and variation in serum concentrations of creatinine and urea in Canadian Oji-Cree.

Finding the genetic determinants of intermediate quantitative traits, such as serum creatinine and urea, might aid in finding the determinants of disease phenotypes, such as renal failure, that are, in part, defined according to threshold values imposed upon such traits. We evaluated the association between common variation in the gene encoding angiotensinogen, AGT, and the serum concentrations of creatinine and urea in non-diabetic Canadian Oji-Cree. We determined genotypes of the AGT codon 235 polymorphism among 502 non-diabetic Oji-Cree. We used multivariate analysis of variance to identify significant determinants of variation in serum concentrations of creatinine and urea and of systolic and diastolic blood pressure. We found significant associations between the AGT codon 235 genotype and serum concentrations of creatinine and urea (p = 0.017 and 0.049, respectively) and systolic blood pressure (p = 0.041). Compared with subjects with the other two genotypes, homozygotes for AGT T235/T235 had significantly lower serum concentrations of creatinine and urea and significantly higher mean systolic blood pressure. The findings suggest that the AGT T235 allele is a determinant of intermediate traits related to renal function in these aboriginal Canadians.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Diversity of HLA among Taiwan's indigenous tribes and the Ivatans in the Philippines.

Taiwan's indigenous tribes, especially the east coast tribes are not only closely related to Oceania but also with the Australian aborigines. The Ivatans of the Batan Islands in the Philippines are closely related to the Yami tribe of Taiwan as cultural and anthropological studies have shown. Many DRB1 alleles (*15021, *16021, *0404, *04051, *11011, *12021, *1401, *08032) have high allele frequencies (>20%) in certain tribes, suggesting Taiwan's indigenous tribes are homogeneous populations. These high frequency DRB1 alleles and also some HLA-A-B-DR haplotypes found in Taiwan's indigenous tribes are also found in Oceania, Australian aborigines, south and north east Asians and American Indians, lending further support to our previous findings that Taiwan's indigenous tribes are more or less genetically related to both northern and southern Asians, possibly as well as Amerindians. HLA-A*2402 with a remarkably high frequency among Taiwan's indigenous tribes (52.1% approximately 86.3%), especially the central mountain tribes, possibly represents not only founder effects and population bottlenecks, but also positive selection of the allele. Although the Ami tribe has the highest ever reported frequencies of the DRB1*0404 and DRB1*0405, these alleles have not been found to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis as previously described for Caucasians. In addition, DRB1*1401 has a high frequency in most tribes but is not associated with psoriasis as previously indicated in some studies, suggesting the involvement of some additional genetic and/or environmental factors mechanism in the development of these diseases.

Alleles↗
PubMed1998

How do individuals expect to be viewed by members of lower status groups? Content and implications of meta-stereotypes.

Three studies demonstrated that meta-stereotypes held by members of dominant groups about how their group is viewed by a lower status group have important implications for intergroup relations. Study 1 confirmed that White Canadians hold a shared negative meta-stereotype about how they are viewed by Aboriginal Canadians; Studies 2 and 3 extended these results to people's beliefs about an individual out-group member's impressions of them. Feeling stereotyped was associated with negative emotions about intergroup interaction as well as decreases in current self-esteem and self-concept clarity. The perceptions of low- and high-prejudiced persons (LPs and HPs) diverged in a manner consistent with their distinct personal values and group identifications. LPs held a more negative meta-stereotype than did HPs. However, in a one-on-one interaction, HPs sensed that they were stereotyped, whereas LPs felt that they conveyed a counterstereotypical impression.

American Indian or Alaska Native↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Admixture estimates for Churuguara, a Venezuelan town in the State of Falcón.

BACKGROUND: The present Venezuelan population is the admixture product of Amerindians, Europeans and Africans, a process which was not homogeneous over the country. Blood groups, STRs and VNTRs, specifically D1S80, have been used successfully in admixture studies, but few have been made in Venezuela. AIM: This study aims to estimate the admixture components of Churuguara, Venezuela, and to evaluate the genetic relationship of this population with other Venezuelan as well as worldwide populations through principal component analysis and the study of dendrograms based on genetic distances. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Gene frequencies of blood groups ABO and Rh (only anti D), of STRs VWA, F13A01, FES/FPS and VNTR D1S80 were studied in a sample of 60 individuals born in Churuguara, a Venezuelan town of admixed ancestry in the State of Falc6n. Admixture was estimated with Chakraborty's gene identity method, and Nei's standard genetic distance was used to build two dendrograms with the neighbour-joining approach, one based on the three STRs and the other based only on D1S80. Principal component analyses with the gene frequencies of these markers were also performed. RESULTS: The frequency of allele ABO*O was 0.788, of ABO*A was 0.187 and of RH*D was 0.74. D1S80 showed 16 different alleles with a heterozygosity of 0.880, whilst the three STRs showed only eight different alleles and heterozygosities between 0.733 and 0.797. The estimates of admixture obtained in this analysis were 52.5% for the Spanish parental group, 27.6% for the African and 19.9% for the Amerindian. Comparison of Churuguara with other Latin American populations shows that its African component is not as high as that observed in Colombian Choco, but it is higher than that observed in other samples from Colombia, Chile and Maracaibo (Venezuela). CONCLUSIONS: Results of the admixture analysis are consistent with those obtained with two dendrograms and principal component analyses, suggesting that the strong initial Amerindian component of 500 years ago has been diluted by the continuous flow of European genes, mainly Spanish, to this region.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed2006

"You need to know where we're coming from": Canadian Aboriginal women's perspectives on culturally appropriate HIV counseling and testing.

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to determine Canadian Aboriginal women's perspectives on culturally appropriate HIV counseling and testing. Data were collected through semistructured individual interviews with 7 Aboriginal women, and one focus group, in a western Canadian city. Four major categories were elucidated through thematic content analysis: Aboriginal women's life experiences that may influence their risk of HIV infection and their response to testing; barriers to HIV testing; guiding principles of the ideal HIV testing situation; and characteristics of culturally appropriate HIV testing. The fear of being judged by both the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities and the need for sensitivity to the historical and current context of Aboriginal women's life experiences were pervasive themes throughout the findings.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

The impact of diabetes mellitus among the Métis of western Canada.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the impact of diabetes mellitus on the lives of the Métis of western Canada, and to determine the extent of co-morbidity among Métis with diabetes. DESIGN: The source of data was the Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS), conducted by Statistics Canada in 1991. The survey was administered to a representative sample of Aboriginal peoples throughout Canada. Analysis was completed on self-identified Métis participants from the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. RESULTS: Métis participants with diabetes were more likely than those without diabetes to report their health status as poor. Significantly greater numbers of Métis with diabetes reported activity limitations at work, at home and in leisure activities, the need for assistance with activities of daily living and difficulties with ambulation than did those without diabetes. The extent of co-morbidity was also significant. Métis with diabetes were almost three times more likely to report hypertension and heart problems and twice as likely to report sight impairments than were those without diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: This research represents the first account of the effects of diabetes on the lives of the Métis. The APS data have provided a clear picture of the impairments in physical functioning experienced by the Métis with diabetes and the impact upon quality of life. In addition, the strong associations between diabetes and hypertension, heart problems and sight impairments suggest profound morbidity in this population that warrants prompt attention.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Realizing potential: improving interdisciplinary professional/paraprofessional health care teams in Canada's northern aboriginal communities through education.

To address a shortage of health professional human resources and to overcome cultural barriers, the interdisciplinary health care teams practicing in most northern Canadian aboriginal communities include a number of paraprofessionals recruited locally. This model has great potential to fill service gaps in many rural contexts; there are challenges, however. Drawing from an extensive program of research in indigenous communities in the northwestern part of the Province of Ontario, we identify factors fundamental to effective team functioning: members' clarity about their own and others' roles, appreciation of their respective 'equal but different' knowledge bases, and confidence in one another's competence. We argue for an extension of the information on interdisciplinary practice included in health science education programs to address these issues, thereby enhancing the utility of paraprofessionals within the health human resource mix in rural areas.

Allied Health Personnel↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Injuries of the wrist.

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American Indian or Alaska Native↗