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PubMed1986

Observations on the prevalence of ear disease in the Inuit and Cree Indian school population of Kuujjuaraapik.

In the last twenty years it has been recognized that hearing loss as the result of middle ear infection and/or noise exposure is a major problem among Canadian Inuit. In the past ten years in the Eastern Canadian Arctic attempts have been made to alleviate the problem and physicians, audiologists and educators have been involved in treatment, training programs and research with varying degrees of success. In the last few years the Quebec Inuit have become more aware of these problems and have asked for assistance. Whatever evolves, Inuit co-operation and advice is essential; their cultural identity must be respected if any project is to be successful. In February, 1984, a program outline working paper entitled "Program for Combatting Hearing Disorders in the Inuit Population of Nouveau Quebec" was circulated by Project Nord-Laval University. The goal of the program was "to ensure the integrity of hearing for the Inuit by preventing hearing loss, identifying hearing loss and minimizing the effects of hearing loss." In October, 1984 a Pilot Project involving the school population at Kuujjuaraapik was carried out involving personnel from the Project Nord-Laval University, the Department of Otolaryngology and the School of Human Communication Disorders-McGill University.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Hyperbilirubinemia in Inuit neonates.

A prospective study was undertaken to determine if Inuit and Caucasian neonates have different patterns of physiologic jaundice. Daily blood samples obtained by heel pricks of Inuit and Caucasian neonates born at the Churchill (Man.) Health Centre were assayed for the total serum bilirubin concentration. The mean peak bilirubin level in the Inuit group was significantly higher than that in the Caucasian group (8.76 v. 6.04 mg/dl [150 v. 103 mumol/l]) and occurred later (on day 3 rather than day 2). Of the Caucasian neonates, those who were breast-fed in hospital had a significantly higher (P less than 0.05) mean peak bilirubin level than those who were not, and among all the neonates who were not breast-fed in hospital the Inuit had a significantly higher mean peak bilirubin level than the Caucasians (7.98 v. 3.64 mg/dl [136 v. 62 mumol/l]). These findings indicate that factors other than breastfeeding, some of which may be genetic, are responsible for the higher and later peak in the serum bilirubin concentration in Inuit neonates.

Bilirubin↗
PubMed1995

Plasma fatty acid profiles of Canadian Inuit and Siberian Ganasan.

Cross-sectional data from 86 male and 59 female coastal Inuit of Igloolik (69 degrees 40'N, 81 degrees W) showed a steep age-related increase in the percentage of plasma n-3 fatty acids, with parallel trends in 20:5 and 22:6 but not 18:3 n-3 fatty acid concentrations. Omega-7 + 9 (p < .001) and omega-9 fatty acid concentrations (P < .001 in M, .008 in F) also decreased with age. A tundra-based Siberian indigenous population (30 male and 11 female nGanasan) had similar percentages of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids to the young Inuit, with little age-related change in either measure. Correlation matrices for the Inuit men showed quite strong negative associations of n-3 fatty acid percentages with total triglycerides (r = .34, p < .001) and phosphatidylcholine/free cholesterol ratio (r = -.36, p < .001). In the Inuit women, n-3 percentages were strongly related to phosphatidylcholine/free cholesterol ratio (r = -.60, p < .001), but not to triglyceride readings. The phosphatidylcholine/free cholesterol ratio was also correlated with n-6 percentages (r = -.55, p < .001). In the nGanasan men, triglyceride levels were correlated with n-6 (r = -.35, p < .050), but the size of the female sample was insufficient to establish useful correlations. The present data suggest that as the younger coastal Inuit are abandoning their traditional country foods, plasma levels of n-3 fall. Reasons why n-3 fatty acid levels are negatively related to the plasma phosphatidyl choline/free cholesterol ratio merit further investigation.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Growth patterns of Labrador Inuit youth: I. Height and weight.

The purpose of this study was to describe standing height and body weight recorded in 1991 from 32% (n = 100) of the Labrador Inuit youth aged between 5-18 years living in Nain. The results demonstrated that females are taller than males until the age of 13 years. Growth in height seemed to level off at 15 years in females and 16 years in males. The greatest increase in height was between the ages of 11-13 years for females and 13-15 years for males. The largest increase in weight was between 12-16 years for both sexes. The data was compared with National Center for Health Statistics Growth Curves of United States youth. For this sample, height of the Labrador Inuit lies between the 10th and 50th percentiles, and weight lies between the 50th and 75th percentiles, while weight for height lies between the 75th and 95th percentiles. These results were similar to other studies of Inuit youth from Alaska, Canada and Greenland. In fact, the growth pattern of high weight for height demonstrated in Labrador seems to be typical of the Inuit population. Comparison of this data with that of stature recorded for Labrador Inuit between 1880-1928, although derived from small samples, suggests that a secular trend of increase in height with time for both sexes has occurred.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Viral hepatitis in the Canadian Inuit and First Nations populations.

OBJECTIVE: To review published prevalence data regarding hepatitis A (HAV), B (HBV) and C (HCV) in Canadian Inuit and First Nations populations. METHODS: PubMed database search and review of all papers describing data derived from seroepidemiological surveys. RESULTS: The prevalence of anti-HAV positivity in Canadian Inuit and First Nations populations reported to date is high (range 75% to 95%) and approximately three times that of non-Aboriginal Canadians residing in the same communities. Among the Canadian Inuit, the prevalence of HBV infection is approximately 5%, or 20 times that of non-Aboriginal Canadians, while the risk of exposure to HBV is 25%, or five times higher. Regarding the First Nations population, preliminary data suggest the prevalences of HBV infection (0.3% to 3%) and exposure (10% to 22%) are similar to rates in non-Aboriginals residing in the same regions and participating in similar high risk activities. Serological evidence of HCV infection (anti-HCV) is more common in the Canadian Inuit and First Nations (1% to 18%) than the remainder of the Canadian population (0.5% to 2%); however, viremia (HCV-RNA positivity) is less common (less than 5% versus 75% of anti-HCV positive individuals, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Viral hepatitis is common in the Canadian Inuit and First Nations populations. In the absence of coexisting human immunodeficiency virus infection and alcohol abuse, the outcomes of HBV and HCV appear to be more benign than in non-Aboriginal Canadians.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Sagittal clefting of the body and other vertebral developmental errors in Canadian Inuit skeletons.

The objective of this study was to determine the expression, distribution in the column, and overall frequency of sagittal clefting of the vertebral body in the skeletons of two Canadian Inuit groups. One group, referred to as Thule-Historic, lived along the coast northwest of Hudson Bay, while the other, known as the Sadlermiut, were limited to Southampton Island and Coats Island north of Hudson Bay. The Thule-Historic people are thought to be the ancestors of the present-day Inuit of this region, whereas the much smaller, relatively isolated Sadlermiut became extinct during the winter of 1902-1903. The sagittal clefting results were also compared with those obtained for two other vertebral developmental problems, segmentation error and spina bifida. Sagittal clefting was found to occur with high frequency in the two Inuit series, especially in the region T6-T10. Segmentation errors were found to occur in approximately the same region of the column, while spina bifida produced a completely different pattern, occurring primarily at T11 and S1. The T11 involvement is limited to females, while S1 involvement occurs primarily in males. Sagittal clefting and spina bifida occur in the same individual more frequently than sagittal clefting and segmentation error. Possibly reflecting the smaller population size and isolated location of the Sadlermiut, sagittal clefting was found with greater frequency and intensity in the skeletons of this group than in those of the Thule-Historic Inuit. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2003.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Biomechanical analysis of masticatory system configuration in Neandertals and Inuits.

Considerable debate has surrounded the adaptive significance of Neandertal craniofacial morphology. Numerous unique morphological features of this form have been interpreted as indicating an adaptation to intense anterior tooth use. Conversely, it has been argued that certain features related to muscle position imply a reduced mechanical advantage for producing bite forces on the incisors and canines. In this study, hypotheses about morphological specializations for anterior tooth use have been derived from a biomechanical model of Greaves (1978). These hypotheses were tested by performing separate pairwise comparisons of Neandertals and early Homo sapiens, and Inuits and Native Americans from Utah. Inuits are known to have produced repeated and high magnitude forces on their anterior dentition and therefore serve as a good model for a hominid adapted to intensive anterior tooth use. Biomechanically relevant dimensions of the masticatory system were measured using a computer-driven video analysis system and compared between the two taxa in each comparison. The results of this study reveal a number of similarities between the morphological specializations exhibited by Neandertals and Inuits that can be related to intensified anterior tooth use. The hypothesis that Neandertals were poorly designed for producing masticatory forces is rejected. Specializations that differ between the two groups are interpreted as being the result of differential functional demands placed on the postcanine dentition in Neandertals and Inuits. It is suggested that many of the unique morphological features of the Neandertal face are a response to intensified use of the anterior dentition and the need to retain a sufficiently large postcanine occlusal area necessary for a relatively high attrition diet.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2005

Classic Kaposi's sarcoma in the Inuit of northern Quebec.

BACKGROUND: Classic Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is predominantly a disease of eastern Mediterranean and Ashkenazi Jewish elderly men. Nevertheless, the disease has been reported to occur in people from various other ethnic and regional backgrounds. OBJECTIVE: We report, for the first time, the occurrence of classic KS in five Inuit people living in northern Quebec, Canada. METHODS AND RESULTS: We describe the case of a 69-year-old Inuit man with classic KS, and report four other cases of KS in the Inuit population, identified by a review of our hospital's dermatopathology records. CONCLUSION: The discovery of classic KS in the Inuit population of northern Quebec brings with it new questions as to the origins of the KS-associated herpes virus in this population. It is our belief that the answers to these questions are in the genotype of the virus that is present in this community.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Dietary nutrient profiles of Canadian Baffin Island Inuit differ by food source, season, and age.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of food source (traditional or market), season (six seasons), and age (five age groups) on dietary nutrient patterns of Inuit living in Baffin Island, Canada. DESIGN: Twenty-four-hour recall interviews of all residents who had lived > or = 3 years in this one community in each of six seasons. Foods that were recalled were divided by source. SETTING/SUBJECTS: The study took place in the Inuit community of Qikiqtarjuaq, which harvests the highest quantity of wildlife per capita of all Baffin communities. Three hundred sixty-six residents contributed a total of 1,410 recalls: 401 from nonpregnant, nonlactating adult women, 74 from pregnant women, 301 from adult men, 451 from children aged 3 to 12 years, and 183 from teenagers aged 13 to 19 years. Participation was voluntary and averaged 65% to 75% of residents. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Energy, total dry weight of food, and dietary nutrients (ie, carbohydrate, protein, total fat, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, vitamin A, iron, copper, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sodium) were measured by food source, season, and age. Nutrient density (nutrient per 1,000 kcal) was calculated in traditional and market food sources. Selected nutrients were computed in total diets, and compared with Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Tests for normality of the distribution of nutrient intakes (ie, Shapiro-Wilk statistic) were performed followed by nonparametric analyses (ie, Wilcoxon paired-sample t test, Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance, and adjustment for Bonferroni inequalities resulting from multiple comparisons). RESULTS: Most nutrient intakes were significantly different by food source (P < .05). Traditional food contributed more protein, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, and vitamin A for several age groups. Market food contributed greater amounts of dry weight, energy, fat, carbohydrate, calcium, and sodium for most age groups. Seasonal variation (P < .05) existed for nutrients coming from traditional and market food. Of the 10 nutrients assessed for nutrient density, all except calcium and sodium were present in greater amounts in traditional food than in market food (P < .05). Calcium and vitamin A intakes fell below 66.6% of the RDAs for more than 60% of the population. CONCLUSIONS: The comprehensive view of nutrient profiles, food source, and seasonality of Inuit diets will assist health professionals in developing nutrition promotion and education programs for all age groups of this population. Traditional food is an essential source of the total annual dietary nutrient intake of Inuit. Results indicated, however, that calcium and vitamin A intake must be improved.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Exposure of Inuit in Greenland to organochlorines through the marine diet.

High organochlorine concentrations have been found among the Inuit in eastern Canada and in Greenland. The present study was undertaken to assess the exposure to organochlorines in relation to age, sex, and diet in a general population sample of Inuit from Greenland. Survey data and plasma concentrations of 14 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and 16 pesticides, including 5 toxaphene congeners, were recorded in a random population survey of 408 adult indigenous Greenlanders. In a two-stage design, the survey response rate was 66%, and 90% of those randomly selected for blood testing participated. This was equivalent to an overall response rate of 59%. The median plasma concentration of the sum of PCB congeners was 13.3 microg/L; the lipid-adjusted value was 2109 microg/kg. The PCB concentration was twice as high as among the Inuit of Nunavik, Canada, 25 times higher than in a control group from southern Canada, and several times higher than the values found in European studies. Concentrations were similarly elevated for all PCB congeners and pesticides. The PCB congener pattern was similar to previous observations from the eastern Canadian Arctic and Greenland. Concentrations showed 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 into the Arctic environment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

n-3 Fatty acids and cardiovascular disease risk factors among the Inuit of Nunavik.

BACKGROUND: Inuit traditionally consume large amounts of marine foods rich in n-3 fatty acids. Evidence exists that n-3 fatty acids have beneficial effects on key risk factors for cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to verify the relation between plasma phospholipid concentrations of the n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and various cardiovascular disease risk factors among the Inuit of Nunavik, Canada. DESIGN: The study population consisted of 426 Inuit aged 18-74 y who participated in a 1992 health survey. Data were obtained through home interviews and clinical visits. Plasma samples were analyzed for phospholipid fatty acid composition. RESULTS: Expressed as the percentage of total fatty acids, geometric mean concentrations of EPA, DHA, and their combination in plasma phospholipids were 1.99%, 4.52%, and 6.83%, respectively. n-3 Fatty acids were positively associated with HDL-cholesterol concentrations and inversely associated with triacylglycerol concentrations and the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol. In contrast, concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and plasma glucose increased as n-3 fatty acid concentrations increased. There were no significant associations between n-3 fatty acids and diastolic and systolic blood pressure and plasma insulin. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of marine products, the main source of EPA and DHA, appears to beneficially affect some cardiovascular disease risk factors. The traditional Inuit diet, which is rich in n-3 fatty acids, is probably responsible for the low mortality rate from ischemic heart disease in this population.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Prevalence of congenital colour blindness among Inuit in East Greenland.

PURPOSE: To establish whether congenital colour blindness among males is still rare in Inuit (Eskimos) as indicated previously in 1893 and 1930, especially in East Greenland, as demonstrated by Erik Skeller in 1950. METHODS: The study was comprised mainly of school children. 540 Inuit in East Greenland were compared to 545 controls in East Greenland and Denmark examined by three sets of pseudoisochromatic plates (Ishihara 1932, original plate used by Skeller), Ishihara (1994), and standard P.P. 2 part Igaku-Shoin (1994). RESULTS: Only 1.0% of male Inuit (3/290) are colour blind, a significantly lower incidence than the 8.7% among Danish males in Denmark (15/173). The prevalence was the same in the three control groups, Danes in East Greenland, immigrants and Danes in Denmark. Deuteranopia is the most common type. Females showed the same low prevalence in all four groups. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: Colour blindness is still remarkably low among Inuit in East Greenland as compared with the present three control groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Indoor air quality risk factors for severe lower respiratory tract infections in Inuit infants in Baffin Region, Nunavut: a pilot study.

Inuit infants have extremely high rates of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), but the causes for this are unclear. The aims of this study were to assess, in young Inuit children in Baffin Region, Nunavut, the feasibility of an epidemiologic study of the association between indoor air quality (IAQ) and respiratory health; to obtain data on IAQ in their housing; and to identify and classify risk factors for LRTI. Twenty houses in Cape Dorset, Nunavut with children below 2 years of age, were evaluated using a structured housing inspection and measurement of IAQ parameters, and a respiratory health questionnaire was administered. Twenty-five percent of the children had, at some time, been hospitalized for chest illness. Houses were very small, and had a median of six occupants per house. Forty-one percent of the houses had a calculated natural air change rate <0.35 air changes per hour. NO(2) concentrations were within the acceptable range. Smokers were present in at least 90% of the households, and nicotine concentrations exceeded 1.5 microg/m(3) in 25% of the dwellings. Particulates were found to be correlated closely with nicotine but not with NO(2) concentrations, suggesting that their main source was cigarette smoking rather than leakage from furnaces. Mattress fungal levels were markedly increased, although building fungal concentrations were low. Dust-mites were virtually non-existent. Potential risk factors related to IAQ for viral LRTI in Inuit infants were observed in this study, including reduced air exchange and environmental tobacco smoke exposure. Severe lower respiratory tract infection is common in Inuit infants. We found reduced air change rates and high occupancy levels in houses in Cape Dorset, which may increase the risk of respiratory infections. This suggests the measures to promote better ventilation or more housing may be beneficial. Further health benefits may be obtained by reducing bed sharing by infants and greater turnover of mattresses, which were found to have high levels of fungi.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2003

Monitoring of umbilical cord blood lead levels and sources assessment among the Inuit.

Analyses completed on samples collected between 1993 and 1996 showed that about 7% of 475 Inuit newborns from northern Quebec (Canada) had a cord blood lead concentration equal to or greater than 0.48 micromol/l, an intervention level adopted by many governmental agencies. A comparison between the cord blood lead isotope ratios of Inuit and southern Quebec newborns showed that lead sources for these populations were different. Our investigation suggests that lead shots used for game hunting were an important source of lead exposure in the Inuit population. A cohort study conducted in three Inuit communities shows a significant decrease of cord blood lead concentrations after a public health intervention to reduce the use of lead shot. Lead shot ammunition can be a major and preventable source of human exposure to lead.

Cohort Studies↗
PubMed1995

Gender-related association between beta-fibrinogen genotype and plasma fibrinogen levels and linkage disequilibrium at the fibrinogen locus in Greenland Inuit.

Elevated plasma fibrinogen levels represent an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, but the mechanism explaining this association is still not clear. Genetic differences may play a role, because it has been shown that individuals who carry the rare alleles of polymorphisms in the genes for the B beta-chain (Bcl I and G/A-455) and the A alpha-chain (Taq I) of fibrinogen have higher plasma fibrinogen levels and that patients with peripheral arterial disease have a higher frequency of the rare allele of the Bcl I polymorphism than do healthy control subjects. We studied the Greenland Inuit, a population with a low incidence of ischemic heart disease; polymorphisms of the fibrinogen gene; and their association with plasma fibrinogen level. The group studied had a small age range (30 to 34 years), 97% were smokers, 62 were men, and 71 were women. We observed that in the Inuit, frequencies of the rare alleles of the beta gene and of the common alleles of the alpha gene polymorphisms were lower than those published for other populations (all Caucasian). Accordingly, in the Inuit, these distribution patterns give a higher frequency of alleles that are associated with lower plasma fibrinogen levels. We further observed comparable linkage disequilibrium between alpha and beta gene polymorphisms in Caucasian populations. In Inuit men the rare allele of the Bcl I and G/A-455 fibrinogen polymorphisms was associated with plasma fibrinogen level comparable with the association described in Caucasian populations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Acute infections and environmental exposure to organochlorines in Inuit infants from Nunavik.

The Inuit population of Nunavik (Canada) is exposed to immunotoxic organochlorines (OCs) mainly through the consumption of fish and marine mammal fat. We investigated the effect of perinatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) on the incidence of acute infections in Inuit infants. We reviewed the medical charts of a cohort of 199 Inuit infants during the first 12 months of life and evaluated the incidence rates of upper and lower respiratory tract infections (URTI and LRTIs, respectively), otitis media, and gastrointestinal (GI) infections. Maternal plasma during delivery and infant plasma at 7 months of age were sampled and assayed for PCBs and DDE. Compared to rates for infants in the first quartile of exposure to PCBs (least exposed), adjusted rate ratios for infants in higher quartiles ranged between 1.09 and 1.32 for URTIs, 0.99 and 1.39 for otitis, 1.52 and 1.89 for GI infections, and 1.16 and 1.68 for LRTIs during the first 6 months of follow-up. For all infections combined, the rate ratios ranged from 1.17 to 1.27. The effect size was similar for DDE exposure but was lower for the full 12-month follow-up. Globally, most rate ratios were > 1.0, but few were statistically significant (p < 0.05). No association was found when postnatal exposure was considered. These results show a possible association between prenatal exposure to OCs and acute infections early in life in this Inuit population.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1996

Cancer of the female genital tract in Circumpolar Inuit.

Cervical cancer incidence among Inuit is high. Especially women from Greenland exhibit rates which are among the highest in the world. Compared with women in Denmark, USA and Canada, Inuit women have a 3-4 time higher cervical cancer risk. By contrast, the incidence of uterine corpus cancer is low in the Circumpolar area. Both in Greenlandic and Canadian Inuit women, ovarian cancer rates are similar to those in Danish women and non-Inuit women from Canada respectively. Only 9 cases of placenta cancer were recorded in the Circumpolar area during the 20 years of observation. Compared with available incidence rates for Denmark the incidence in Greenland was significantly higher.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Body proportions in healthy adult Inuit in East Greenland in 1963.

OBJECTIVES: It is important to know the starting point when describing changes in Inuit in transition. STUDY DESIGN: The original charts of 1,852 individuals from the epidemiological investigation in East Greenland around 1963 performed by Littauer and colleagues were recovered recently. They included height, weight and a physical investigation. METHODS AND RESULTS: The focus of this paper was adult Inuit body proportions in 1963 by ten-year age groups excluding participants with disabilities affecting body build. Relatively stable values were seen in both genders with age. Median values in men/women aged 20 years and above were: height 164/153.5 cm, weight 64/54 kg and BMI 23.7/23.1. Men aged 50 years and above had a little lower height and weight than young men. Women aged 40-49 years had a higher weight and BMI, but this evened out in the older age groups. Median BMI was relatively high compared to WHO definition. CONCLUSIONS: The data from 1963 gives a starting point for evaluating changes in Inuit body build and the prevalence of overweight. Furthermore, they indicate a need for Inuit-specific normal BMI delineation.

Adult↗