Grant: New Investigator Award -PA: Research in First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis Health

In northern Indigenous populations, rates of chronic disease have risen sharply in recent decades due to a combination of rapid acculturation to Western lifestyle and economic development that lags behind that of other Canadians. My research program conducts ongoing assessment, intervention, health policy research with the goal of reducing chronic disease in northern populations. Assessment research examines how patterns of child growth and nutrition are changing; Canadian Inuit children are no longer shorter than southern populations, for example, and if they continue to grow at the current rate, they will be the tallest generation of Inuit ever to live in Canada. Adult bodies are also changing in response to their environments. Younger Inuit no longer consume a large portion of their diet in the form of fish and marine mammals, a fact which may lead to increased risk of diabetes and heart disease in the coming years. It is important to monitor these changes in growth and dietary patterns in order to provide health promotion and treatment programs tailored to the particular needs of the Inuit population. Interventions are already underway in many northern communities. My research evaluates whether programs to promote healthy lifestyles, including school-based games and young harvester training programs, are doing a good job of exposing children and youth to the healthful benefits of traditional Inuit practices. Early results show that these programs are producing positive effects that go beyond increasing physical activity and exposing children to a wide range of nutritious, healthy, traditional foods. Participating in culturally-derived activities is increasing Inuit children's confidence and self-esteem, promoting responsibility and sharing behaviour, and increasing ties between family and community members. Children are becoming valued carriers of positive health messages, a fact that underscores the importance of investing in child and youth development.