The other face of development: Native population, health status and indicators of malnutrition—The case of the Cree and Inuit of Northern Quebec

Changes of lifestyle toward store purchased food and a lessened reliance on hunting and fishing along with the non-native nature of the health services available seem to be leading to heart conditions, hypertension and diabetes all of which give cause for concern.

Abstract

The cultural setting of the isolated Cree Indian and Inuit communities is described and measures of their health examined. Questionnaires were employed to consider both epidemiological and socio-cultural facets and physical examination evaluated serological indicators of nutritional status. Changes of lifestyle toward store purchased food and a lessened reliance on hunting and fishing along with the non-native nature of the health services available seem to be leading to heart conditions, hypertension and diabetes all of which give cause for concern.