Keeping busy: a Yup’ik/Cup’ik perspective on health and aging

Hopkins, Scarlett E.; Kwachka, Pat; Lardon, Cécile; Mohatt, Gerald V.

doi:10.3402/ijch.v66i1.18224

Cited by 35 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…These traditional strategies included primarily hunting, fishing, and berry picking (Hopkins et al 2007). The Yup'ik geographic region was resource abundant.…”

Section: Alaskamentioning

confidence: 99%

Influenza-Associated Mortality during the 1918-1919 Influenza Pandemic in Alaska and Labrador: A Comparison

Mamelund¹,

Sattenspiel²,

Dimka³

2013

Social Science History

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Influenza-Associated Mortality during the 1918-1919 Influenza Pandémie in Alaska and Labrador A ComparisonSome of the most severely affected communities in the world during the 1918-19 influenza pandemic were in Labrador and Alaska. Although these two regions are on the opposite ends of North America, a cultural continuum in the Inuit populations extends throughout the North American Arctic. Both regions contain other population groups, however, and because of these similarities and differences, a comparison of their experiences during the pandemic provides new insights into how culture and environment may influence patterns of spread of infectious disease. We describe here analyses of the patterns of influenza mortality in 97 Alaska communities and 37 Labrador communities. The Alaska communities are divided intoflve geographic regions corresponding to recognized cultural groups in the region; the Labrador communities are separated into three regions that vary in the degree of admixture between European and indigenous (primarily Inuit) groups. In both Alaska and Labrador mortality was substantially higher than the worldwide average of 2.5-5 percent. Average mortality ranged from less than 1 percent to 38 percent at the regional level in Alaska and from 1 percent to 75 percent at the regional level in Labrador with up to 90 percent mortality in some local communities in both Alaska and Labrador. A number of factors influencing this heterogeneous experience are discussed, including the impact of weather and geography ; attempts to protect communities by implementing quarantine policies; accessibility of health care; nutritional deflciencies; cultural factors, such as settlement patterns, seaSocial Science History

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“…These traditional strategies included primarily hunting, fishing, and berry picking (Hopkins et al 2007). The Yup'ik geographic region was resource abundant.…”

Section: Alaskamentioning

confidence: 99%

Influenza-Associated Mortality during the 1918-1919 Influenza Pandemic in Alaska and Labrador: A Comparison

Mamelund¹,

Sattenspiel²,

Dimka³

2013

Social Science History

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“…Second, we evaluated the association between RBC d 15 N and reported fish and marine mammal intake, and RBC d 13 C and reported market food intake based on 4 d of diet records from 230 Yup'ik Eskimos. Finally, we evaluated whether variations in dietary intake by age, community location, and cultural identity that were previously reported for this population based on self-report were also seen using isotopic biomarkers (30,(37)(38)(39). The extensive nature of previous dietary assessment in this population provides an ideal framework with which to evaluate the efficacy of these proposed biomarkers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Stable Nitrogen and Carbon Isotope Ratios Indicate Traditional and Market Food Intake in an Indigenous Circumpolar Population3

Nash

Bersamin

Kristal

et al. 2012

The Journal of Nutrition

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The transition of a society from traditional to market-based diets (termed the nutrition transition) has been associated with profound changes in culture and health. We are developing biomarkers to track the nutrition transition in the Yup'ik Eskimo population of Southwest Alaska based on naturally occurring variations in the relative abundances of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes (δ(15)N and δ(13)C values). Here, we provide three pieces of evidence toward the validation of these biomarkers. First, we analyzed the δ(15)N and δ(13)C values of a comprehensive sample of Yup'ik foods. We found that δ(15)N values were elevated in fish and marine mammals and that δ(13)C values were elevated in market foods containing corn or sugar cane carbon. Second, we evaluated the associations between RBC δ(15)N and δ(13)C values and self-reported measures of traditional and market food intake (n = 230). RBC δ(15)N values were correlated with intake of fish and marine mammals (r = 0.52; P < 0.0001). RBC δ(13)C values were correlated with intake of market foods made from corn and sugar cane (r = 0.46; P < 0.0001) and total market food intake (r = 0.46; P < 0.0001). Finally, we assessed whether stable isotope ratios captured population-level patterns of traditional and market intake (n = 1003). Isotopic biomarkers of traditional and market intake were associated with age, community location, sex, and cultural identity. Self-report methods showed variations by age and cultural identity only. Thus, stable isotopes show potential as biomarkers for monitoring dietary change in indigenous circumpolar populations.

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“…Little, if any, such research has been conducted so far from a specifically occupational perspective, although studies such as Hopkins et al (2007) have produced data that are highly relevant to such a project. One approach would be ethnographic fieldwork examining how hunter-gatherers actually use occupations to maintain health and well-being.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%