Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Healthcare use for acute gastrointestinal illness in two Inuit communities: Rigolet and Iqaluit, Canada

2015; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 74; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3402/ijch.v74.26290

2242-3982

Sherilee L. Harper, Victoria L. Edge, James D. Ford, M. Kate Thomas, David L. Pearl, Jamal Shirley, Scott A. McEwen,

Dental Health and Care Utilization

BackgroundThe incidence of self-reported acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, and Iqaluit, Nunavut, is higher than reported elsewhere in Canada; as such, understanding AGI-related healthcare use is important for healthcare provision, public health practice and surveillance of AGI.ObjectivesThis study described symptoms, severity and duration of self-reported AGI in the general population and examined the incidence and factors associated with healthcare utilization for AGI in these 2 Inuit communities.DesignCross-sectional survey data were analysed using multivariable exact logistic regression to examine factors associated with individuals' self-reported healthcare and over-the-counter (OTC) medication utilization related to AGI symptoms.ResultsIn Rigolet, few AGI cases used healthcare services [4.8% (95% CI=1.5–14.4%)]; in Iqaluit, some cases used healthcare services [16.9% (95% CI=11.2–24.7%)]. Missing traditional activities due to AGI (OR=3.8; 95% CI=1.18–12.4) and taking OTC medication for AGI symptoms (OR=3.8; 95% CI=1.2–15.1) were associated with increased odds of using healthcare services in Iqaluit. In both communities, AGI severity and secondary symptoms (extreme tiredness, headache, muscle pains, chills) were significantly associated with increased odds of taking OTC medication.ConclusionsWhile rates of self-reported AGI were higher in Inuit communities compared to non-Inuit communities in Canada, there were lower rates of AGI-related healthcare use in Inuit communities compared to other regions in Canada. As such, the rates of healthcare use for a given disease can differ between Inuit and non-Inuit communities, and caution should be exercised in making comparisons between Inuit and non-Inuit health outcomes based solely on clinic records and healthcare use.