Mortality rates among children and teenagers living in Inuit Nunangat, 1994 to 2008

Background: Because Vital Statistics data do not include information on Inuit identity in all jurisdictions, mortality rates cannot be calculated specifi cally for Inuit. However, Inuit in Canada are geographically concentrated-78% live in Inuit Nunangat, and 82% of the areas total population identify as Inuit. While there are limitations, geographic approaches can be employed to calculate mortality for the population of that area. Data and methods: The Vital Statistics Database (1994 to 2008) and population estimates were used to calculate agestandardized mortality rates (ASMRs) in fi ve-year intervals around the 1996 and 2006 Census years. Mortality rates were calculated for 1- to 19-yearolds living in Inuit Nunangat and those living elsewhere in Canada. Results: The ASMR in 2004-2008 for 1- to 19-year-olds in Inuit Nunangat was 188.0 deaths per 100,000 person-years at risk, five times the rate (35.3) elsewhere in Canada. The disparity had not narrowed over the previous decade. In Inuit Nunangat, injurie