Perception of the Importance of Traditional Country Foods to the Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Health of Labrador Inuit

Country foods play an integral role in Inuit life by providing nutrition and a spiritual connection to the land. However, they can harbour foodborne pathogens, such as zoonotic parasites or bacteria, which can cause disease in humans who consume contaminated meat that has been inadequately cooked. Given the heavy reliance of Inuit on subsistence living, it is important to have a clear understanding of the relative safety of these foods and the role that they play in a changing Inuit society. This community-based participatory research project involved Inuit residents of Nain, Nunatsiavut, Canada. Data on Inuit perceptions of the role, importance, and safety of country foods were collected during a series of interviews with focus groups and key informants. Despite the extremely positive views they expressed about country foods and the connections they provide to the land, community, and past, participants had major concerns about human expansion in the North, mining operations, chemical contamination, and the impact of these issues on animals and the food harvested from those animals. Also of concern was a perceived decrease in the importance of country food in their community in general, and specifically among children. These findings provide an understanding of Nunatsiavut residents’ perceptions that is essential to planning effective, culturally appropriate dissemination of public health messages about the safe consumption of country foods.La nourriture de campagne revêt une grande importance dans la vie des Inuits car elle présente à la fois une source de nutrition de même qu’un attachement spirituel à la terre. Cependant, cette nourriture peut être assortie de pathogènes d’origine alimentaire prenant notamment la forme de parasites ou de bactéries zoonotiques qui peuvent entraîner des maladies chez l’être humain qui consomme de la viande contaminée dont la cuisson n’est pas adéquate. Étant donné la grande dépendance des Inuits par rapport à l’alimentation de subsistance, il est important de bien comprendre la salubrité relative de ces aliments et du rôle qu’ils jouent au sein de la société inuite en pleine évolution. Ce projet de recherche communautaire a fait appel à des habitants inuits de Nain, Nunatsiavut, au Canada. Des données relatives aux perceptions des Inuits sur le rôle, l’importance et la salubrité de la nourriture de campagne ont été recueillies dans le cadre d’une série d’entrevues réalisées auprès de groupes de discussion et d’intervenants-clés. Malgré les points de vue extrêmement positifs exprimés au sujet de la nourriture de campagne et de l’attachement qu’elle procure à la terre, à la collectivité et au passé, les participants ont exprimé de grandes préoccupations à propos de l’expansion humaine dans le Nord, de l’exploitation minière, de la contamination chimique et de l’incidence de ces enjeux sur les animaux et les sources de nourriture provenant de ces animaux. Par ailleurs, ils s’inquiétaient de la diminution perçue de l’importance de la nourriture de campagne au sein de leur communauté en général, plus précisément chez les enfants. Ces constatations permettent de comprendre les perceptions des habitants de Nunatsiavut, ce qui est essentiel à une planification efficace et à la dissémination culturellement appropriée des messages de santé publique au sujet de la consommation sécuritaire de la nourriture de campagne

Acute gastrointestinal illness in two Inuit communities : burden of illness in Rigolet and Iqaluit, Canada : author version

Results of this study highlight the need for systematic data collection to better understand and support previously anecdotal indications of high acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) incidence. Cross-sectional retrospective surveys captured information on AGI and potential environmental risk factors. Lack of access to health services can result in reduced care-seeking behaviour, which can compromise the quality and quantity of available surveillance data. The aim of the research was to estimate the incidence and prevalence of AGI, and to identify potential socio-economic and environmental risk factors in the Inuit communities of Rigolet, Nunatsiavut and Iqaluit in Nunavut, Canada

Using Ontario's "Telehealth" health telephone helpline as an early-warning system: a study protocol

BACKGROUND: The science of syndromic surveillance is still very much in its infancy. While a number of syndromic surveillance systems are being evaluated in the US, very few have had success thus far in predicting an infectious disease event. Furthermore, to date, the majority of syndromic surveillance systems have been based primarily in emergency department settings, with varying levels of enhancement from other data sources. While research has been done on the value of telephone helplines on health care use and patient satisfaction, very few projects have looked at using a telephone helpline as a source of data for syndromic surveillance, and none have been attempted in Canada. The notable exception to this statement has been in the UK where research using the national NHS Direct system as a syndromic surveillance tool has been conducted. METHODS/DESIGN: The purpose of our proposed study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Ontario's telephone nursing helpline system as a real-time syndromic surveillance system, and how its implementation, if successful, would have an impact on outbreak event detection in Ontario. Using data collected retrospectively, all "reasons for call" and assigned algorithms will be linked to a syndrome category. Using different analytic methods, normal thresholds for the different syndromes will be ascertained. This will allow for the evaluation of the system's sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value. The next step will include the prospective monitoring of syndromic activity, both temporally and spatially. DISCUSSION: As this is a study protocol, there are currently no results to report. However, this study has been granted ethical approval, and is now being implemented. It is our hope that this syndromic surveillance system will display high sensitivity and specificity in detecting true outbreaks within Ontario, before they are detected by conventional surveillance systems. Future results will be published in peer-reviewed journals so as to contribute to the growing body of evidence on syndromic surveillance, while also providing an non US-centric perspective

Population distribution and burden of acute gastrointestinal illness in British Columbia, Canada

BACKGROUND: In developed countries, gastrointestinal illness (GI) is typically mild and self-limiting, however, it has considerable economic impact due to high morbidity. METHODS: The magnitude and distribution of acute GI in British Columbia (BC), Canada was evaluated via a cross-sectional telephone survey of 4,612 randomly selected residents, conducted from June 2002 to June 2003. Respondents were asked if they had experienced vomiting or diarrhoea in the 28 days prior to the interview. RESULTS: A response rate of 44.3% was achieved. A monthly prevalence of 9.2% (95%CI 8.4 – 10.0), an incidence rate of 1.3 (95% CI 1.1–1.4) episodes of acute GI per person-year, and an average probability that an individual developed illness in the year of 71.6% (95% CI 68.0–74.8), weighted by population size were observed. The average duration of illness was 3.7 days, translating into 19.2 million days annually of acute GI in BC. CONCLUSION: The results corroborate those from previous Canadian and international studies, highlighting the substantial burden of acute GI

Open Research, and Professional and Technical Support Staff

This short report summarises some reflections of professional and technical support staff on their perspectives on open research. The reflections are based on input to, and discussions at, a community workshop and roundtable event co-convened by UKRN and Jisc on 20th February 2023. The report is intended to inform discussions within groups of staff in similar roles, across different professional and academic groupings in institutions, and with other stakeholders such as funders

Climate-sensitive health priorities in Nunatsiavut, Canada

Background: This exploratory study used participatory methods to identify, characterize, and rank climate-sensitive health priorities in Nunatsiavut, Labrador, Canada. Methods: A mixed method study design was used and involved collecting both qualitative and quantitative data at regional, community, and individual levels. In-depth interviews with regional health representatives were conducted throughout Nunatsiavut (n = 11). In addition, three PhotoVoice workshops were held with Rigolet community members (n = 11), where participants took photos of areas, items, or concepts that expressed how climate change is impacting their health. The workshop groups shared their photographs, discussed the stories and messages behind them, and then grouped photos into re-occurring themes. Two community surveys were administered in Rigolet to capture data on observed climatic and environmental changes in the area, and perceived impacts on health, wellbeing, and lifestyles (n = 187). Results: Climate-sensitive health pathways were described in terms of inter-relationships between environmental and social determinants of Inuit health. The climate-sensitive health priorities for the region included food security, water security, mental health and wellbeing, new hazards and safety concerns, and health services and delivery. Conclusions: The results highlight several climate-sensitive health priorities that are specific to the Nunatsiavut region, and suggest approaching health research and adaptation planning from an EcoHealth perspective

Preparing for the health impacts of climate change in Indigenous communities: The role of community-based adaptation

Climate change presents substantial risks to the health of Indigenous peoples. Research is needed to inform health policy and practice for managing risks, with community based adaptation (CBA) emerging as one approach to conducting research to support such efforts. Few, if any, studies however, have critically examined the application of CBA in a health or Indigenous peoples context. We examine the strengths, challenges, and opportunities of health-related CBA research in Indigenous community settings, drawing on the experiences of the multi-nation interdisciplinary Indigenous Health Adaptation to Climate Change (IHACC) project. Data collection was guided by a framework developed to evaluate CBA projects. Semi-structured interviews (n = 114) and focus groups (n = 23, 177 participants) were conducted with faculty-based researchers, institutional partners, community members, students, and trainees involved in the IHACC project in Canada, Uganda, and Peru. Results illustrate the importance of CBA in co-generating knowledge on climate-health vulnerability and adaptation options, capacity building, and informing decision choices. There are also significant challenges of conducting CBA which can have unintended negative consequences, with results emphasizing the importance of managing the tension between health research and tangible and immediate benefits; developing a working architecture for collective impact, including team building, identification of common goals, and meaningful engagement of knowledge users; and the need to continuously monitor and evaluate progress. CBA holds significant promise in a health adaptation context, but only in the ‘right’ circumstances, where considerable time is spent developing the work with partners