Felix N R Wood, Jason Hicks, Rhiannon Wilkinson, Rosemary Hartley, Jonathon Lowe
{"title":"Orientation affects the integrity of glass ampoules of 1 in 1000 adrenaline on exposure to very low temperatures.","authors":"Felix N R Wood, Jason Hicks, Rhiannon Wilkinson, Rosemary Hartley, Jonathon Lowe","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2309756","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2309756","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In very cold environments, it may be burdensome or impossible for the polar medic to prevent medicines from freezing. We sought to investigate whether orientation affected the risk that glass ampoules of 1 in 1000 adrenaline, an important emergency drug, would break during freezing and subsequent thawing. Ampoules of adrenaline were orientated either upright, horizontally or inverted. They were exposed to freezing temperatures (-25°C or -80°C) and then allowed to thaw. A crossover design was used whereby the orientation of unbroken ampoules was changed for the next trial. No ampoules broke when frozen at -25°C and then thawed. When this was repeated at -80°C, ampoules reliably broke unless they were upright with no liquid in the top part of the ampoule. Upright orientation prevents the breakage of glass ampoules of 1 in 1000 adrenaline rapidly frozen at -80°C. The polar medic may consider storing ampoules upright if they are to be exposed to very low temperatures.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10829818/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139642042","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":"COVID-19 and local community resilience in the Westfjords of Iceland.","authors":"Lara Johannsdottir, David Cook","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2311966","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2311966","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Remote Arctic communities have often been depicted as being particularly vulnerable to the challenges of disasters, with their location and lack of infrastructure exacerbating risk. This study explores the characteristics of local resilience in the Arctic using the case study of the communities of the north-western Westfjords. A total of 42 semi-structured interviews were carried out with various community members, seeking to uncover the features of inbuilt resilience that contribute to successes and vulnerabilities. These were transcribed, coded, and categorised in relation to an integrated framework for assessing community resilience in disaster management, which groups topics via the themes of environmental, social, governance, economic, and infrastructure. All themes played a role in the success of local coping strategies, with easy access to the natural environment central to physical and mental well-being. Despite this, vulnerabilities of the community were evident, including insufficient local healthcare workers during a severe COVID-19 outbreak in a care home, the absence of a local quarantine hotel, and insufficient information in foreign languages for non-natives of Iceland. The general trend of following rules and expert advice was demonstrative of strong social capital, with locals trusting those in charge, nationally and locally, to manage the pandemic.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10851826/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139702477","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":"Rabies management structures and challenges in the North in a One Health framework.","authors":"Karsten Hueffer","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2318059","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2318059","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rabies is often described as the quintessential One Health problem, linking especially animal health to human health. I examined how rabies is managed in the circumpolar North through semi-structured interviews of key informants in three cases: Alaska, Northwest Territories, and Svalbard. While rabies is controlled at the territorial or state level in the Northwest Territories and Alaska, respectively, the perception of where authority lies in rabies management is less evident in Norway concerning Svalbard than in the other two cases. Respondents generally characterised the working relationship between sectors and scales of governments as positive. However, coordination remains one of the main challenges to rabies management, with harsh environmental conditions and small remote communities adding additional challenges in all three cases. Rabies managers in Svalbard also face unique conditions, such as risks associated with hunting and the particular administrative structure of Svalbard. Due to limited veterinary services in dispersed small and remote communities, dogs present challenges to rabies management in Alaska and the Northwest Territories. Personal relationships are important in disease management across agencies, and the unique challenges in the far North will likely pose challenges in adopting approaches to disease management from temperate climates.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10878328/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139899816","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":"Reproducibility and validity of a 45 item food-frequency questionnaire for inuit in Greenland.","authors":"Peter Bjerregaard, Ingelise Olesen","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2332008","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2332008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Since 1993, dietary assessment has been carried out in Greenland as part of recurrent population health surveys. In preparation for the next survey in 2024, 91 participants from the survey in 2018 were selected for a validation study of the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). The 91 participants were reinterviewed 38-50 months after the first FFQ and invited to complete a food diary. As part of the 2018 survey, blood was analysed for mercury. The food diary was completed by 65 participants. The agreement between the two FFQ interviews was very good for macronutrients and fatty acids (<i>p</i> > 0.20), whereas the calculated intake of mercury was 22% higher in the second FFQ (<i>p</i> = 0.04) due to a higher intake of whale meat and muktuk (whale skin). The agreement between the second FFQ and the food diary was good for local food, imported meat and cakes/sweets/snacks but fruit and vegetables, dairy products, beverages and added sugar were significantly underreported in the food diary. Food items not included in the FFQ were identified from the food diaries. The correlation between the intake of marine mammals and blood mercury was moderate (Spearman's rho = 0.41-0.50; <i>p</i> < 0.0001). The results will inspire future dietary studies in the circumpolar North.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10967668/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140293384","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}
Jason Edward Pagaduan, Calin Lazarescu, Eric Vallieres, Kelly Skinner, Alexandra M E Zuckermann, Leanne Idzerda
{"title":"The impacts of the Nutrition North Canada program on the accessibility and affordability of perishable, nutritious foods among eligible communities: a scoping review.","authors":"Jason Edward Pagaduan, Calin Lazarescu, Eric Vallieres, Kelly Skinner, Alexandra M E Zuckermann, Leanne Idzerda","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2313255","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2313255","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Nutrition North Canada (NNC) program, introduced in April 2011 is a federal strategy to improve access to perishable, nutritious foods for remote and isolated communities in northern Canada by subsidising retailers to provide price reductions at the point of purchase. As of March 2023, 123 communities are eligible for the program. To evaluate existing evidence and research on the NNC program to inform policy decisions to improve the effectiveness of NNC. A scoping review of peer-reviewed articles was conducted in ten databases along with a supplemental grey literature search of government and non-government reports published between 2011 and 2022. The search yielded 172 publications for screening, of which 42 were included in the analysis. Narrative thematic evidence synthesis yielded 104 critiques and 341 recommendations of the NNC program across eight themes. The most-identified recommendations focus on transparency, communication, and support for harvesting, hunting, and community food initiatives. This review highlights recommendations informed by the literature to address critiques of the NNC program to improve food security, increase access to perishable and non-perishable items, and support community-based food initiatives among eligible communities. The review also identifies priority areas for future policy directions such as additional support for education initiatives, communication and transparency amidst program changes, and food price regulations.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10863516/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139722454","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}
Ivan Kamurasi, Karen Bartlett, Travis Holyk, Benna Rathburn, Débora Petry Moecke, Ashley Winter, Pat G Camp
{"title":"Prevalence of indoor air pollutants from First Nation homes in North Central British Columbia, Canada.","authors":"Ivan Kamurasi, Karen Bartlett, Travis Holyk, Benna Rathburn, Débora Petry Moecke, Ashley Winter, Pat G Camp","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2389612","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2389612","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Poor indoor air quality poses significant health risks. This study addresses the gap in knowledge regarding the prevalence of indoor air pollutants in remote and rural First Nation communities in north-central British Columbia, Canada. Dust samples from 75 homes were collected and analysed for house dust mites, pet allergens, mould antigens, and bacterial endotoxins. Indoor air quality parameters, including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, temperature, and humidity, were measured. A detailed questionnaire on household characteristics and potential pollutant sources was administered. Homes exhibited exposure to multiple pollutants, with wood stove smoke identified as a primary source. Felis domesticus (cat allergen) and Canis familiaris (dog allergen) were prevalent, with detectable levels in 64% and 60% of homes, respectively. Bacterial endotoxins were present in all households. One-third of homes exceeded recommended thresholds for 3 or more pollutants. This study provides critical insights into the prevalence and magnitude of indoor air pollutants, contributing to a broader initiative to characterise respiratory health in First Nations communities. While many homes in First Nations communities had acceptable air quality, one-third of homes exceeded thresholds for 3 or more pollutants. The results can guide ongoing community efforts to address housing concerns and advocate for increased federal funding.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11346318/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142035813","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":"Personal experiences of living with sucrose intolerance and attitudes towards genetic research in Greenland - a user study.","authors":"Silvia Isidor, Ninna Senftleber, Cecilie Schnoor, Kristine Skoett Pedersen, Lene Seibæk, Marit Eika Jørgensen, Jette Marcussen","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2383023","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2383023","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There is high prevalence of the genetic <i>SI</i> variant c.273_274delAG in the sucrase-isomaltase-encoding gene in Greenland, resulting in congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency and thereby an inability to digest sucrose, the most common dietary sugar. There are no studies of Greenlanders' everyday experiences of sucrose intolerance related to this genetic variant. This study therefore explored, how Greenlandic people experience sucrose intolerance influences life and their attitudes towards research in health and genetics. The study is qualitative, using semi-structured focus groups and/or individual telephone interviews. The analysis was based on the phenomenological-hermeneutic approach of Paul Ricoeur, consisting naïve reading, structural analysis, interpretation and discussion. We identified two themes; \"Sucrose intolerance impacts daily living\", dealt with physical and emotional reactions and coping with social adaption to activities. And \"openness to participate in genetic and health research\" were caused by participants wanting more knowledge to improve their people and family's life. The study concluded that most of the participants with symptoms of sucrose intolerance experienced the impact in their daily life, both physically, emotionally, and socially. Further, they expressed openness to participate in health and genetic research. There is a need for more accessible health knowledge and support from health care to manage sucrose intolerance.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11268221/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141751649","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}
Jim Berner, Solveig Jore, Khaled Abass, Arja Rautio
{"title":"One health in the Arctic - connections and actions.","authors":"Jim Berner, Solveig Jore, Khaled Abass, Arja Rautio","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2361544","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2361544","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There is growing awareness and recognition of the importance of the One Health paradigm to address existing environmental threats and recognise emerging ones at an early stage among Arctic residents, public health agencies, and wildlife resource managers. The One Health approach, emphasising the interconnectedness of human, animal, and ecosystem health, plays a pivotal role in addressing these multifaceted issues. Warming climate and permafrost thaw may influence both contaminant exposure and the spread of zoonotic infectious diseases and have impacts on water and food security. Migration from rural regions to larger communities and urban centres along with increased tourism may be accompanied by changes in exposure to contaminants and zoonotic diseases. Universities have developed educational programmes and research projects on One Health in the Arctic, and under the Arctic Council there is running a project of One Arctic, One Health. These arctivities have produced interdisciplinary information and practical solutions for local communities, decision-makers, and in scientific forums. There is a need for epidemiological zoonotic/human disease models, as well as new approaches to integrate existing and future surveillance data to climatic and environmental data. This requires not only regional and international collaboration but also multi-agency and transdisciplinary research.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11177712/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141317247","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}
Laila Motzfeldt, Mathias Ried-Larsen, Freya Jørgensen Hovden, Marit Eika-Jørgensen, Michael Lynge Pedersen, Maja Hykkelbjerg Nielsen
{"title":"Feasibility of a 12 weeks supervised exercise training intervention among people with Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) or type 2 diabetes in Greenland.","authors":"Laila Motzfeldt, Mathias Ried-Larsen, Freya Jørgensen Hovden, Marit Eika-Jørgensen, Michael Lynge Pedersen, Maja Hykkelbjerg Nielsen","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2403794","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2403794","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Preventing and managing Type 2 diabetes (T2D) involves adopting healthy lifestyle habits such as balanced nutrition and regular exercise. Maturity Onset Diabetes of The Young (MODY) shares diagnostic characteristics with T2D, but exercise responses in MODY remain unclear. In Greenland, MODY is 4-5 times more common than in other countries. No established exercise regimen exists for either T2D or MODY in Greenland. This study assessed the feasibility of a 12-week supervised exercise programme for MODY and T2D in Greenland, focusing on attendance, satisfaction, and effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and quality of life (QoL). Conducted as an experimental, two-armed, controlled trial, nine participants (4 with MODY) engaged in prescribed training sessions twice weekly for 45-60 minutes, while another nine (4 with MODY) formed the control group. Key outcomes included adherence rates, satisfaction levels, changes in HbA1c, body composition, aerobic fitness, blood pressure, CVD risk factors, and SF-12 scores. Although training adherence was modest at 56%, participant satisfaction remained high. Notable findings included a slight decrease of -0.3 mmol/l in HDL-cholesterol and a 5.7-point increase in the mental component (MCS) of SF-12 within the intervention group. However, the study underscores the need to refine the study design before supervised exercise programmes can be widely implemented in clinical settings in Greenland.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11418061/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142286389","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}
Morten B Haulrig, Anna M Andersson, Julia-Tatjana Maul, Jingyuan Xu, Su M Lwin, Carsten Flohr, Lone S Hove, Tove Agner, Anders Koch, Christopher E M Griffiths, Claus Zachariae, Jacob P Thyssen
{"title":"Skin diseases among adults in Tasiilaq, East Greenland.","authors":"Morten B Haulrig, Anna M Andersson, Julia-Tatjana Maul, Jingyuan Xu, Su M Lwin, Carsten Flohr, Lone S Hove, Tove Agner, Anders Koch, Christopher E M Griffiths, Claus Zachariae, Jacob P Thyssen","doi":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2412378","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22423982.2024.2412378","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cold climate and unique genetic and environmental factors may influence the prevalence of skin diseases in Greenland. However, there is a lack of epidemiological studies on skin diseases in the adult Greenlandic population. To address this unmet need a cross-sectional study, run by dermatologists from Denmark, the UK, and Switzerland estimated the prevalence and clinical manifestations of skin diseases among adults in East Greenland in May 2022. All adults ≥18 years in the town of Tasiilaq were invited, and 295 individuals aged 18-78 years participated (22.5% of the overall adult population in Tasiilaq). Two-hundred and three participants (69%) had visible signs of current skin disease, and among these, 242 cases of dermatoses were identified. The most common skin diseases were hand eczema (22.4%), lichen simplex (9.5%), discoid eczema (7.1%), psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and acne vulgaris (5.8% each). Scabies was the most frequent infectious skin disease (4.4%). No cases of skin cancer were identified. Atopic dermatitis and psoriasis presented with disease that was of limited extent and different from the classical presentations. Skin diseases showed a high prevalence among adults in East Greenland, and some of them were severe. This indicates a noteworthy public health problem that warrants better access to dermatologist support.</p>","PeriodicalId":13930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Circumpolar Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11451277/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142371786","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}