Respiratory health indicators and acculturation among the Inuit and Cree of Northern Quebec: A regional approach using geographic seriation analysis

The goal of the research reported on is the analysis of the geo-statistical relationships observed between three indicators of respiratory health (acute and chronic bronchitis; pulmonary function) and an index of acculturation. Data used in this work were obtained by means of a field survey that was conducted in the north of Quebec over a 24-month period (1982-1984). With regard to acculturation, a very elusive concept, a Bertin-type geographic seriation technique is used to characterize the levels of modernity of each of the 21 villages involved in this study. Notwithstanding difficulties of measurement, it can be concluded from this analysis that better levels of respiratory health are positively associated, to a degree, with acculturation. This is a very significant result in that it would demonstrate the opposite of what has been tentatively noted in some other studies of the health status of Aboriginal populations.Aboriginal populations seriation techniques Inuit/Eskimo Cree medical/health geography respiratory health northern Quebec