Preterm birth in the Inuit and First Nations populations of Québec, Canada, 1981–2008

Objectives: To evaluate preterm birth (PTB) for Inuit and First Nations vs. non-Indigenous populations in the province of Québec, Canada. Study design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: We evaluated singleton live births for Québec residents, 1981–2008 (n =&#x...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International Journal of Circumpolar Health
Main Authors: Nathalie Auger, Mélanie Fon Sing, Alison L. Park, Ernest Lo, Normand Trempe, Zhong-Cheng Luo
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2012
Subjects:
First Nations
Indigenous populations
Inuits
premature birth
residence characteristics
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
RC955-962
Arctic
Canada
Circumpolar Health
International Journal of Circumpolar Health
inuit
inuits
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3402/IJCH.v71i0.17520
https://doaj.org/article/2c67a7cbcf0e470dbaf6f383bffc5add
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Summary:Objectives: To evaluate preterm birth (PTB) for Inuit and First Nations vs. non-Indigenous populations in the province of Qu&#x00E9;bec, Canada. Study design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: We evaluated singleton live births for Qu&#x00E9;bec residents, 1981&#x2013;2008 (n =&#x200A;2,310,466). Municipality of residence (Inuit-inhabited, First Nations-inhabited, rest of Qu&#x00E9;bec) and language (Inuit, First Nations, French/English) were used to identify Inuit and First Nations births. The outcome was PTB (<37 completed weeks). Cox proportional hazards regression was employed to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of PTB, adjusting for maternal age, education, marital status, parity and birth year. Results: PTB rates were higher for Inuit language speakers in Inuit-inhabited areas and the rest of Qu&#x00E9;bec compared with French/English speakers in the rest of Qu&#x00E9;bec, and disparities persisted over time. Relative to French/English speakers in the rest of Qu&#x00E9;bec, Inuit language speakers in the rest of Qu&#x00E9;bec had the highest risk of PTB (HR 1.98, 95% CI: 1.62&#x2013;2.41). The risk was also elevated for Inuit language speakers in Inuit-inhabited areas, though to a lesser extent (HR 1.29, 95% CI: 1.18&#x2013;1.41). In contrast, First Nations language speakers in First Nations-inhabited areas and the rest of Qu&#x00E9;bec had similar or lower risks of PTB relative to French/English speakers in the rest of Qu&#x00E9;bec. Conclusions: Inuit populations, especially those outside Inuit-inhabited areas, have persistently elevated risks of PTB, indicating a need for strategies to prevent PTB in this population.

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