International journal of circumpolar health
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Int J Circumpolar Health · Dec 2010
Managers' perspectives on recruitment and human resource development practices in primary health care.
The aim of this study is to describe primary health care managers' attitudes and views on recruitment and human resource development in general and to ascertain whether there are any differences in the views of managers in the southern and northern regions of Finland. ⋯ Although the results are preliminary in nature, it seems that managers in different regions have adopted different strategies in order to cope with the shrinking pool of new recruits. In the southern region, managers were looking abroad to find new employees, while in the northern region, managers put effort into retaining the employees in the organization with different human resource development practices.
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Int J Circumpolar Health · Dec 2009
The social determinants of Inuit health: a focus on social support in the Canadian Arctic.
Societies that foster socially supportive networks produce healthier populations. Social support is a significant determinant of health among Canada's Inuit population; however, little is known about the characteristics that provide access to social support among Inuit. This exploratory analysis describes how 4 types of social support (namely, positive social interaction, emotional support, tangible support and affection and intimacy) differ in relation to various determinants of health. ⋯ Research that frames Inuit health within the social determinants of health is in its relative infancy; however, evidence from the social epidemiological literature indicates that those with diminished access to social support also suffer poorer health outcomes. Future research should build on the findings of this study to examine how the relationship between various health outcomes (e.g., respiratory disease, suicide attempts, self-rated health) and social support may respond along a social gradient. Such analysis will build on the paucity of literature specific to Inuit health and social conditions and set priorities for policy and programming efforts that will improve the social determinants of Inuit health.
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Int J Circumpolar Health · Jun 2009
Driver suicides in Finland--are they different in northern and southern Finland?
This study focused on driver suicides in Finland. The first aim was to find out what the prevalence of these suicides was during the years 1974-2006. The second aim was to find out whether there were differences between northern and southern Finland in regards to the number of cases and the backgrounds of the drivers who committed suicide this way. Study design. All case reports of fatal motor vehicle accidents from the years 2005-2006 were investigated (n=528). Results were compared to the years previously investigated: 1974-1975, 1984-1985, 1987-1988, 1991-1992, 1993-1994 and 1997-1998 (n=3482). ⋯ Driver suicides represent a small proportion (2%) of all suicides committed in Finland every year. However, the proportion of driver suicides of all fatal motor vehicle accidents is greater, around 8%-9%. As a majority of driver suicides are collisions, they affect an even larger group of people. Possible preventive measures are discussed.
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Int J Circumpolar Health · Feb 2005
ReviewOtitis media: health and social consequences for aboriginal youth in Canada's north.
Otitis media is endemic among Inuit, First Nations and Métis children in northern Canada, with prevalence rates in some communities as high as 40 times that found in the urban south. Hearing impairment, much of it attributable to chronic otitis media, is the most common health problem in parts of the arctic, and conductive hearing loss among children may affect as many as two-thirds. ⋯ Approaches to treatment and prevention have enjoyed limited success. Public health and medical practice need to be informed by the traditional knowledge and practices of indigenous peoples.
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The objectives were to document the prevalence of maternal anxiety about food supply in Cree women who had 9-month-old infants, and to understand maternal and infant characteristics associated with anxiety. ⋯ Women who had anxiety about food supply for their children had characteristics that distinguished them from women who did not have anxiety. Anxiety was associated with anemia and smoking during pregnancy, and with bottle-feeding at 9 months postpartum.