| Principal Investigator: | Egeland, Grace M (2) |
| Licence Number: | 14388 |
| Organization: | McGill University / Centre for Indigenous Peoples' Nutrition and Environment (CINE) |
| Licensed Year(s): |
2010
2008
|
| Issued: | Jul 25, 2008 |
| Project Team: | Lynda Gunn (Co-Applicant, Nunavut Association of Municipalities (NAM)), Geraldine Osborne (Co-Applicant, Government of Nunavut, Health & Social Services), Isaac Sobol (Co-Applicant, Government of Nunavut, Health & Social Services), Eric Dewailly (Co-Applicant, University of Laval), Kue Young (Co-Principal Investigator, University of Toronto), Laura Arbour (Co-Applicant, University of British Columbia), Laurie Chan (Co-Applicant, University of Northern British Columbia), Harriet Kuhnlein (Co-Applicant, McGill University / CINE), Hope Weiler (Co-Applicant, McGill University), Pam Orr (Co-Applicant, University of Manitoba), Jennifer Dickson (Co-Applicant, Pauktuutit) |
Objective(s): To gain a better understanding of the health status of Inuit in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and the factors that contribute to their resiliency.
Project Description: This licence was issued for the scientific research application #740. The Inuit Health Survey was developed to better understand the factors contributing to Inuit health and the Inuit spirit of thriving in the face of changes. This health information has practical relevance and allows informed decisions to help minimize the negative consequences of the rapid transitions that continue to occur in Arctic communities. The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Amundsen will travel to Holman, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, and Tuktoyaktuk to conduct the ship-based Inuit Health Survey in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. In addition, three separate land teams (1 supervisor and 2 research assistants) will travel to all coastal communities ahead of the Amundsen and in each community they will be joined by local research assistants and drivers. Land teams and local research assistants will recruit participants from randomly selected households, explain the study, and after signing the consent form participants will answer a household questionnaire and questions about their use of medicine and vitamins during a home visit. On board the ship nurses will take fasting blood samples, administer a glucose tolerance test, take another blood sample, measure blood pressure and pulse, and take body composition measurements (height, weight, % body fat, waist circumference) and toenail clipping for selenium analysis. In addition, men and women over 40 years of age will also undergo an ultrasound of their blood vessels in the neck and abdomen to evaluate cardiovascular risk and wear a heart rate monitor for 2 hours to assess heart rate and heart irregularities. Furthermore, women over 40 years of age will have their skeletal health assessed to determine risk of fractures. Participants will also meet with interviewers and answer questions about general health and well-being, tobacco use, diet, physical activity and social support. Participants can also choose to complete a very personal confidential questionnaire on their own or have an interviewer ask questions about mental health, alcohol and drug use, and experiences related to violence and sexual abuse. The visit on board the ship will take approx. 3 hours. A team of lab technicians will prepare all blood samples on board the Amundsen for shipment to the Centre for Indigenous Peoples' Nutrition and Environment (CINE) at McGill University. Households will be randomly selected from municipal household lists where there is at least one Inuvialuit adult residing. Random sampling is the method of choice for ensuring a representative sample of the population is obtained. 12% of the population will be selected for participation in the health survey. Fieldwork will be conducted from August 01 to September 30, 2008, in Holman, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk, Inuvik and Aklavik. The survey in Inuvik and Aklavik will be land based and conducted separately from the ship based project, once funding has been secured.
