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Health expectancy in Greenland
K M Iburg1, H Brønnum-Hansen, P Bjerregaard
1National Institute of Public Health, Copenhagen, Denmark. kmi@dike.dk
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
|May 18, 2001
Summary
Greenland Inuit experience a significant loss of healthy life years due to chronic diseases, particularly musculoskeletal conditions. Public health planning must address these challenges to improve overall well-being in the region.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Greenland's disease patterns have shifted dramatically since the 1950s.
- Infectious diseases have declined, while chronic diseases, suicides, and violent deaths have risen.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess health expectancy and identify factors contributing to lost healthy life years in the Greenlandic Inuit population.
- To inform public health strategies by understanding current health challenges.
Main Methods:
- Utilized life tables from 1991-1995 and data from the 1993/94 Greenland Health Interview Survey.
- Calculated health expectancy for the Inuit population using Sullivan's index.
Main Results:
- Greenlandic Inuit women have a longer life expectancy than men, but report fewer healthy years.
- High rates of chronic diseases, especially musculoskeletal conditions, lead to substantial loss of healthy life years.
- While health expectancy declines with age, the proportion of healthy life years increases after 60, particularly for men.
Conclusions:
- The significant loss of healthy life years due to chronic diseases warrants urgent attention in Greenland's public health planning.
- Investigating regional health variations is crucial due to Greenland's population heterogeneity.
- Targeted interventions for chronic and musculoskeletal diseases are needed to enhance population health and well-being.