An overview of factors influencing the health of Canadian Inuit infants

Abstract

Locally driven, focused and methodologically sound epidemiological research that addresses key gaps in knowledge could lead to more appropriate and effective preventive strategies to improve health in northern communities.

Respiratory tract infections in Inuit children: "Set thine house in order"

“…Both the quantity and quality of living space in Nunavut are inadequate. 4,7,8 According to the 2001 Aboriginal Peoples Survey, in which overcrowding is defined as one or more persons per room in a dwelling, 54% of Inuit in Nunavut live in overcrowded conditions. 9 In the face of a birth rate that is more than twice the Canadian average, the gap between existing living space and future need is increasing rapidly.…”

“…Low socioeconomic status is associated with poor housing, and multiple logistic regression in one study showed that socioeconomic status is a stronger predictive factor for the frequency of visits to health centres. 4,12 Poor housing quality and overcrowding may be associated with, and a proxy for, more specific factors for exposure, susceptibility or resistance to infection; for example, adequacy and type of nutrition (including breastfeeding), behaviour resulting in exposure to infectious agents (e.g., within child care settings) and exposure to environmental contaminants (including tobacco smoke).…”

Indigenous peoples health in the arctic

“…Education, employment, income, the physical environment, housing, smoking, alcohol, and breast-feeding practises are all issues that need to be addressed in a new paradigm of preventive medicine (5). In ICC's Principles and Elements for a Comprehensive Arctic Policy al-so adds spiritual and cultural factors to the mix of defining health and well-being (6).…”

Inuit women, decision-making and contaminants.

“…Inuit-based models of midwifery care have been instituted in some northern communities, this is not the dominant healthcare model in Nunavik (Jenkins et al, 2003).…”

“…These statistics have been attributed to a variety of factors including poor diet (related to high food prices, lack of availability and access to nutritious fresh food and an overabundance of processed, store-bought foods) and increasing rates of disease including diabetes and heart disease (Jenkins et al, 2003). Almost 60% of Nunavik's population is under twenty-five and 75% are under thirty-five years of age.…”