Shifting Transitions: Health Inequalities of Inuit Nunangat in Perspective

Abstract

The health of the Canadian Inuit population has been the topic of numerous studies and reviews. Many of these studies have focussed on specific geographic areas, on specific diseases, or on broad reviews of the literature. However, few publications have sought to quantitatively overview the health of the circumpolar Inuit within a population health framework that uses comparable data over time for comparable populations. It has been noted that research on the Inuit should address the broader relationships of health beyond health indicators and status, to include community well-being and socio-economic characteristics. This paper examines the health of the Inuit population in Canada from a broad population perspective, focussing on demographic changes and core health indicators, as well as health status and socio-economic backgrounds. While the inequalities in health indicators between the Inuit and the general population are evident, the story is not as clear when population dynamics and community characteristics are taken into consideration. The results suggest that the inequalities in health between Inuit Nunangat and the general Canadian population are most strongly related to access to health and social services, a lack of education and employment opportunities, and the loss of traditional culture. keywords: Inuit; health; demography; life expectancy; mortality