Healthcare use for acute gastrointestinal illness in two Inuit communities: Rigolet and Iqaluit, Canada
Background: The incidence of self-reported acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, and Iqaluit, Nunavut, is higher than reported elsewhere in Canada; as such, understanding AGI-related healthcare use is important for healthcare provision, public health practice and surveillance...
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Taylor & Francis Group
2015
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:275fb4aad23248ebb8a15685c2f4a634 2023-05-15T15:12:39+02:00 Healthcare use for acute gastrointestinal illness in two Inuit communities: Rigolet and Iqaluit, Canada Sherilee L. Harper Victoria L. Edge James Ford M. Kate Thomas David Pearl Jamal Shirley Scott A. McEwen 2015-05-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v74.26290 https://doaj.org/article/275fb4aad23248ebb8a15685c2f4a634 EN eng Taylor & Francis Group http://www.circumpolarhealthjournal.net/index.php/ijch/article/view/26290/pdf_23 https://doaj.org/toc/2242-3982 2242-3982 doi:10.3402/ijch.v74.26290 https://doaj.org/article/275fb4aad23248ebb8a15685c2f4a634 International Journal of Circumpolar Health, Vol 74, Iss 0, Pp 1-14 (2015) Aboriginal health Indigenous health Inuit health gastrointestinal illness healthcare utilization Nunatsiavut Nunavut Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 article 2015 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v74.26290 2022-12-31T02:29:34Z Background: The incidence of self-reported acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, and Iqaluit, Nunavut, is higher than reported elsewhere in Canada; as such, understanding AGI-related healthcare use is important for healthcare provision, public health practice and surveillance of AGI. Objectives: This study described symptoms, severity and duration of self-reported AGI in the general population and examined the incidence and factors associated with healthcare utilization for AGI in these 2 Inuit communities. Design: Cross-sectional survey data were analysed using multivariable exact logistic regression to examine factors associated with individuals’ self-reported healthcare and over-the-counter (OTC) medication utilization related to AGI symptoms. Results: In Rigolet, few AGI cases used healthcare services [4.8% (95% CI=1.5–14.4%)]; in Iqaluit, some cases used healthcare services [16.9% (95% CI=11.2–24.7%)]. Missing traditional activities due to AGI (OR=3.8; 95% CI=1.18–12.4) and taking OTC medication for AGI symptoms (OR=3.8; 95% CI=1.2–15.1) were associated with increased odds of using healthcare services in Iqaluit. In both communities, AGI severity and secondary symptoms (extreme tiredness, headache, muscle pains, chills) were significantly associated with increased odds of taking OTC medication. Conclusions: While rates of self-reported AGI were higher in Inuit communities compared to non-Inuit communities in Canada, there were lower rates of AGI-related healthcare use in Inuit communities compared to other regions in Canada. As such, the rates of healthcare use for a given disease can differ between Inuit and non-Inuit communities, and caution should be exercised in making comparisons between Inuit and non-Inuit health outcomes based solely on clinic records and healthcare use. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Circumpolar Health International Journal of Circumpolar Health inuit Iqaluit Nunavut Rigolet Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Nunavut Canada Rigolet ENVELOPE(-58.430,-58.430,54.180,54.180) International Journal of Circumpolar Health 74 1 26290 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Aboriginal health Indigenous health Inuit health gastrointestinal illness healthcare utilization Nunatsiavut Nunavut Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 |
spellingShingle |
Aboriginal health Indigenous health Inuit health gastrointestinal illness healthcare utilization Nunatsiavut Nunavut Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Sherilee L. Harper Victoria L. Edge James Ford M. Kate Thomas David Pearl Jamal Shirley Scott A. McEwen Healthcare use for acute gastrointestinal illness in two Inuit communities: Rigolet and Iqaluit, Canada |
topic_facet |
Aboriginal health Indigenous health Inuit health gastrointestinal illness healthcare utilization Nunatsiavut Nunavut Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 |
description |
Background: The incidence of self-reported acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, and Iqaluit, Nunavut, is higher than reported elsewhere in Canada; as such, understanding AGI-related healthcare use is important for healthcare provision, public health practice and surveillance of AGI. Objectives: This study described symptoms, severity and duration of self-reported AGI in the general population and examined the incidence and factors associated with healthcare utilization for AGI in these 2 Inuit communities. Design: Cross-sectional survey data were analysed using multivariable exact logistic regression to examine factors associated with individuals’ self-reported healthcare and over-the-counter (OTC) medication utilization related to AGI symptoms. Results: In Rigolet, few AGI cases used healthcare services [4.8% (95% CI=1.5–14.4%)]; in Iqaluit, some cases used healthcare services [16.9% (95% CI=11.2–24.7%)]. Missing traditional activities due to AGI (OR=3.8; 95% CI=1.18–12.4) and taking OTC medication for AGI symptoms (OR=3.8; 95% CI=1.2–15.1) were associated with increased odds of using healthcare services in Iqaluit. In both communities, AGI severity and secondary symptoms (extreme tiredness, headache, muscle pains, chills) were significantly associated with increased odds of taking OTC medication. Conclusions: While rates of self-reported AGI were higher in Inuit communities compared to non-Inuit communities in Canada, there were lower rates of AGI-related healthcare use in Inuit communities compared to other regions in Canada. As such, the rates of healthcare use for a given disease can differ between Inuit and non-Inuit communities, and caution should be exercised in making comparisons between Inuit and non-Inuit health outcomes based solely on clinic records and healthcare use. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Sherilee L. Harper Victoria L. Edge James Ford M. Kate Thomas David Pearl Jamal Shirley Scott A. McEwen |
author_facet |
Sherilee L. Harper Victoria L. Edge James Ford M. Kate Thomas David Pearl Jamal Shirley Scott A. McEwen |
author_sort |
Sherilee L. Harper |
title |
Healthcare use for acute gastrointestinal illness in two Inuit communities: Rigolet and Iqaluit, Canada |
title_short |
Healthcare use for acute gastrointestinal illness in two Inuit communities: Rigolet and Iqaluit, Canada |
title_full |
Healthcare use for acute gastrointestinal illness in two Inuit communities: Rigolet and Iqaluit, Canada |
title_fullStr |
Healthcare use for acute gastrointestinal illness in two Inuit communities: Rigolet and Iqaluit, Canada |
title_full_unstemmed |
Healthcare use for acute gastrointestinal illness in two Inuit communities: Rigolet and Iqaluit, Canada |
title_sort |
healthcare use for acute gastrointestinal illness in two inuit communities: rigolet and iqaluit, canada |
publisher |
Taylor & Francis Group |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v74.26290 https://doaj.org/article/275fb4aad23248ebb8a15685c2f4a634 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-58.430,-58.430,54.180,54.180) |
geographic |
Arctic Nunavut Canada Rigolet |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Nunavut Canada Rigolet |
genre |
Arctic Circumpolar Health International Journal of Circumpolar Health inuit Iqaluit Nunavut Rigolet |
genre_facet |
Arctic Circumpolar Health International Journal of Circumpolar Health inuit Iqaluit Nunavut Rigolet |
op_source |
International Journal of Circumpolar Health, Vol 74, Iss 0, Pp 1-14 (2015) |
op_relation |
http://www.circumpolarhealthjournal.net/index.php/ijch/article/view/26290/pdf_23 https://doaj.org/toc/2242-3982 2242-3982 doi:10.3402/ijch.v74.26290 https://doaj.org/article/275fb4aad23248ebb8a15685c2f4a634 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v74.26290 |
container_title |
International Journal of Circumpolar Health |
container_volume |
74 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
26290 |
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1766343312106586112 |