{"title":"Naapinneq: strengthening Inuit maternal and child health through gathering Inuit from Kalaallit Nunaat and Nunavut.","authors":"Christine Ingemann, Nancy Mike, Ruth Montgomery-Andersen, Dina Berthelsen, Naja Riber Hougaard, Maliina Junge Jørgensen, Regine Dahl Thorleifsen Kajusen, Lisa Ivalu Lind, Kamilla Nørtoft, Aininaq Willesen, Ingelise Olesen","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2634479","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2634479","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper describes the initiation of the Naapinneq project and the first collaborative gathering in Iqaluit, Nunavut (Canada). While the broader project aims to revitalize culturally grounded parenting programs, this paper focuses on documenting its initiation and early collaborative learning. The focus was on the MANU program in Kalaallit Nunaat and the Inunnguiniq Parenting/Child‑rearing program in Nunavut. Using a community‑based participatory research approach, the paper draws on qualitative insights from the collaborative gathering-centered on participation in the Inunnguiniq facilitator workshop at the Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre-and on a desk‑based comparison of core program documents. Reflections were documented through Sharing Circles, round‑table discussions, and a short questionnaire. Results highlight three interlinked insights: culturally grounded programs can support personal and collective healing; language, land, and kinship are foundational to child‑rearing; and circumpolar collaboration accelerates practice change and innovation. Project group members reported tangible changes, including adapting MANU to better reflect Kalaallit realities, initiating new collaborations, and advocating for culturally grounded approaches in early childhood and family services. Grounding parenting programs in Indigenous relational paradigms can strengthen cultural fit, community ownership, and sustained impact. Early learnings point to the healing potential of culturally grounded programs and to the value of cross‑border partnership for accelerating practice change.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":"85 1","pages":"2634479"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12922417/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146226686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Video, mail, and medical assistance request telemedicine consultations at Steno Diabetes Center Greenland.","authors":"Liv Ammitzbøll Rasmussen, Michael Lynge Pedersen","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2632393","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2632393","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Greenland's geography and dispersed settlements impede equitable access to care. To address this, Steno Diabetes Center Greenland (SDCG) implemented a telemedicine programme (2021-2024) comprising client-to-provider video (VC), client-to-provider mail, and provider-to-provider Medical Assistance Requests (MAR). The aim of this study was to describe utilization of the newly implemented telemedicine modalities at SDCG from 2021 to 2024. The study was conducted as a cross-sectional, register-based study using electronic medical record data extracted January 15, 2025. All SDCG contacts from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2024, were included. Consultations were classified as face-to-face, administrative, telephone, mail, or video. Total telemedicine comprised all non-face-to-face modalities. In total, 43,190 consultations were registered. Overall activity increased by 56% from 2021 to 2024. In 2024, telemedicine constituted 70% of all consultations. The newly implemented modalities accounted for 40% of all consultations in 2024. VC rose by >2,000% during the period to around 7% in 2024; mail increased from zero to 14% in 2024. Administrative consultations grew by 57%, driven by an increase in MAR. In conclusion, the newly implemented telemedicine modalities were rapidly and sustainably integrated into SDCG, enhancing access and continuity. The swift toward video, mail, and MAR supports further scale-up across the Greenlandic Health System. Client and providers experiences as a well as effect on clinical quality in Greenland needs to be addressed in future research.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":"85 1","pages":"2632393"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12918356/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146213144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ning Li, Zhimin Xiao, Pengtao Zhu, Peinan Jia, Kai Yang, Haowei Li
{"title":"Pattern of illness and injury of an Antarctic scientific expedition: retrospective cohort study aboard Rv <i>Xue Long 2</i>.","authors":"Ning Li, Zhimin Xiao, Pengtao Zhu, Peinan Jia, Kai Yang, Haowei Li","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2653359","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2026.2653359","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antarctic scientific expeditions operate under extreme environmental constraints with severely limited medical evacuation capabilities, yet epidemiological data on expedition personnel remain sparse. This study aims to characterise the disease spectrum and healthcare utilisation patterns during a 208-day Antarctic scientific expedition aboard RV <i>Xue Long 2</i> and provide evidence-based support for polar healthcare. Retrospective analysis of 586 medical consultations (632 diagnoses) from 206 expedition members aboard RV <i>Xue Long 2</i> (November 2024-May 2025). Primary diagnoses and affected systems were categorised according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10). Among 206 personnel (mean age 37.9 ± 9.0 years; 89.8% male), 144 individuals (69.9%) yielded 586 consultation records. Among these individuals, 79.1% required ≤4 visits. Consultations peaked initially (129 encounters/month) after departure. No emergency medical evacuations occurred. Acute upper respiratory infection (12.7%), dermatitis (5.9%) and muscle strain (5.1%) were the predominant diagnoses. Systemically, respiratory (18.0%), digestive (16.6%) and dermatological diseases (15.2%) predominated. Motion sickness and trauma incidence remained modest. The polysystemic morbidity profile reflects the dual stressors of prolonged oceanic isolation and extreme polar environments. These findings mandate expedition-specific medical protocols, mandatory pre-deployment health screening and comprehensive cross-training for shipboard physicians to optimise remote polar healthcare delivery.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":"85 1","pages":"2653359"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147616186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A population-based legacy study of myasthenia gravis in Iceland: insights from a small Arctic nation.","authors":"Haukur Hjaltason, Haraldur Ólafsson, Finnbogi Jakobsson, Marianne Elisabeth Klinke, Ólöf Elíasdóttir","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2650967","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2650967","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune neuromuscular disorder for which population-based estimates remain scarce, particularly in small, homogeneous settings. Leveraging Iceland's centralized healthcare, we reassessed MG epidemiology and clinical features in a nationwide legacy cohort. Cases diagnosed from 1981 to 2002 were identified through hospital databases, private neurologists, immunology laboratory records and the national MG association. Inclusion required characteristic symptoms plus at least one confirmatory test (response to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, abnormal electrophysiology, or positive antibodies). Point prevalence was calculated on 31 December 2002, and incidence for 1997-2002. In 2003, patients were evaluated to document diagnostic delay, treatment patterns and disease severity; descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were applied. Twenty-six patients met criteria, yielding a prevalence of 9.0 per 100,000 and a mean annual incidence of 0.78 per 100,000. The female-to-male ratio was 1.2:1; mean age at onset was 43 years overall (29 in women, 59 in men). Ocular symptoms predominated at presentation. Nineteen percent experienced diagnostic delays exceeding three years. By 2003, 54% had generalized MG and 27% were in complete remission off medication. This historical cohort aligns with global trends of rising prevalence and illustrates the value of legacy datasets for rare disease surveillance.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":"85 1","pages":"2650967"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13045199/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147591895","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daniel B Robinson, Sebastian Harenberg, Tex Marshall, Sherra Rogers, Mickey Jutras, Nathan Hall, William Walters
{"title":"Measuring physical literacy in Mi'kma'ki: an initial determination of Indigenous (Mi'kmaw) students' physical literacy.","authors":"Daniel B Robinson, Sebastian Harenberg, Tex Marshall, Sherra Rogers, Mickey Jutras, Nathan Hall, William Walters","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2656073","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2656073","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Physical literacy is a critical component of children's overall wellness and academic success. While it has been discussed in Indigenous contexts, no published research has yet systematically measured physical literacy among Indigenous children in Canada. This study provides the first baseline measurements of physical literacy in Indigenous/Mi'kmaw students aged 9-12 attending schools within Mi'kmaw Kina'matnewey (MK), a unified Indigenous education authority in Mi'kma'ki-the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq people in Nova Scotia, Canada. Using the <i>Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy, Second Edition</i> (<i>CAPL-2</i>), researchers evaluated 81 students across four physical literacy domains: motivation and confidence, daily behaviour, knowledge and understanding, and physical competence. Analyses examined patterns by age and gender. Results showed that more than 90% of students scored within the beginning or progressing categories for physical competence and overall physical literacy, mirroring but falling below national <i>CAPL-2</i> trends. Significant age-related differences emerged, with 11- and 12-year-olds outperforming younger peers on movement skills, knowledge, and overall physical literacy. No significant gender differences were observed. These findings establish the first empirical snapshot of Indigenous/Mi'kmaw students' physical literacy and highlight opportunities for culturally grounded, community-driven interventions to support Indigenous/Mi'kmaw children's movement development, holistic well-being, and lifelong physical activity.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":"85 1","pages":"2656073"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13072684/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147645277","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pertice Moffitt, Rosa Mantla, Janat Ibrahimi, Katherine Whitecloud, Kellie Thiessen
{"title":"Cheko Gǫįtì (gift of the child): discerning maternal services, policies and influences during tumultuous times in the Northwest Territories, Canada (2018 to 2024).","authors":"Pertice Moffitt, Rosa Mantla, Janat Ibrahimi, Katherine Whitecloud, Kellie Thiessen","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2618331","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2618331","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Maternal services and policies are initiated, envisioned and established under a colonial premise. Cheko Gǫįtì (gift of the child) is an effort to analyze and document how maternal care programs and policies affect maternal child services in 4 communities of the Northwest Territories (NT). Two frameworks were adapted, 2-eyed seeing and analyzing public policies. These frameworks guided the research process (community engagement, data collection and analysis and knowledge mobilization). The findings are grouped under the policy dimensions of effectiveness, unintended effects, equity, cost, feasibility and acceptability. What we learned informed our recommendations towards decolonizing the predominant westernized system.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":"85 1","pages":"2618331"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12875095/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146113115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Othering and Belonging.","authors":"Ruth Montgomery-Andersen","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2650965","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2650965","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":"85 1","pages":"2650965"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13047842/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147591953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Translating and testing feasibility and reliability of the Clinical Frailty Scale for assessing older adults in Greenland.","authors":"Cecilie Helmer Fricke, Pipaluk Geisler, Inuuteq Fleischer, Mogens Laursen, Gertrud Dam-Dalgeir, Stig Andersen","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2631820","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2631820","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The global population is ageing, contributing to an increase in frailty and increasing pressure on healthcare and rehabilitation systems. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) may be used as a triage tool to guide important clinical decisions and to set goals for care. This study aimed to translate and test the inter-rater reliability and feasibility of CFS for Greenland (CFS-GL), including its relation to demographic factors. CFS-GL was developed under The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research guidelines (ISPOR) to ensure conceptual, cultural and linguistic equivalence with translation. The inter-rater reliability was tested using two independent Greenlandic healthcare professionals and a Danish healthcare professional. The data were evaluated using Cohen's kappa and ANOVA. CFS-GL was assessed among 169 participants with a median age of 73 years (interquartile range [IQR] 14). The participants' residences were scattered across Greenland. Inter-rater reliability was very high, with a combined Cohen's kappa of 0.98 (95% CI 0.97-0.99). The median CFS-GL score was 3.9. CFS-GL was associated with residential living, marital status, alcohol intake, outdoor activity, number of medications taken and chronic diseases but was only moderately associated with age. In conclusion, CFS-GL is now available and reliable for Greenland. Future contextual adaptations could improve CFS-GL by detailing Greenlandic activities.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":"85 1","pages":"2631820"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12918354/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146213227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Not coping with stress and screen-time: mixed methods.","authors":"Arna Gardarsdottir, Sóley Sesselja Bender","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2660385","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2660385","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mental health problems are increasing among adolescents, where stress, screen time, social media and sleep deprivation are contributing factors. The aim of this study was to explore adolescents' understanding and self-reporting of health for further development of the screening tool HEILUNG. Mixed-method study design based on qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative data (cross-sectional study) was used. The participants in both studies were adolescents in upper secondary schools across Iceland. The framework method was used in the data analysis for the focus groups and descriptive statistics for the cross-sectional study (CSS). The focus groups included 31 participants, and the CSS 648. The focus groups showed that mental health was important and dependent on physical and social health. Almost 56%, 45% and 27% of the participants (CSS) were stressed, anxious and depressed often/daily, respectively. Mental well-being was affected by sleep deprivation and social media. More than half of the participants (CSS) did not get enough sleep, and approximately 38% had seven hours or more of screen time daily. Mental health was of great concern to adolescents in both studies affected by many influential factors. Making health decisions regularly was difficult for them. They needed opportunities to discuss health issues and health promotion, which could be provided by school nurses.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":"85 1","pages":"2660385"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13094206/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147716572","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ingelise Olesen, Christine Ingemann, Christina Viskum Lytken Larsen, Charlotte Brandstrup Ottendahl, Sofie Emma Rubin, Peter Bjerregaard, Tenna Jensen
{"title":"Inunngorfik - connection to land, inuit culture and giving birth in Kalaallit Nunaat: pregnant women's and their families' perspectives on the centralization of delivery services.","authors":"Ingelise Olesen, Christine Ingemann, Christina Viskum Lytken Larsen, Charlotte Brandstrup Ottendahl, Sofie Emma Rubin, Peter Bjerregaard, Tenna Jensen","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2630454","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2026.2630454","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland), childbirth is deeply embedded in cultural identity, community, and place. However, the centralization of maternity services increasingly requires pregnant women to travel away from their home communities to give birth, often alone and without familial support. This qualitative study explores the perspectives of 20 pregnant women and their families across the five health regions, using the Peqqissuserput model of Kalaallit Inuit health and wellbeing to understand sociocultural dimensions of health and well-being. Four key themes emerged: practicalities and birthing, being together or alone, family formation, and identity and sense of belonging. Findings reveal that centralization disrupts Kalaallit Inuit birth culture, diminishes the woman's role as the central figure, and leads to emotional distress, loss of shared family memories, and weakened community ties. In contrast, local births foster emotional support, cultural continuity, and a stronger sense of belongingness to the community for newborns. The study underscores that childbirth is deeply rooted in relational and cultural processes. Drawing on comparative Indigenous models, the findings advocate for culturally grounded, community-based maternity care that restores autonomy, strengthens family and intergenerational bonds, and preserves Inuit birthing practices in Kalaallit Nunaat.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":"85 1","pages":"2630454"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12912237/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146179161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}