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Native children in Canada are healthy but overweight
Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Although most Native kids in Canada are considered to be healthy, a significant percentage are obese or overweight, according to preliminary figures from a national study.

Based on a survey of First Nations communities across the country, over two-thirds of Native children were reported to be in "very good" or "excellent" health. The rest were in "fair" or "good" health while only a small number were in "poor" condition.

Despite the strong marks, the First Nations Centre at the National Aboriginal Health Organization found that Native kids are struggling with weight problems. According to the results, over half of on-reserve children are either overweight or obese.

"Of those surveyed, 41.5 percent of First Nations children were normal or underweight, 22.3 percent overweight, and 36.2 percent obese," the report stated. "Combined, over half (55.2%) of First Nations children are either overweight or obese."

Although the figures showed no difference between boys and girls, age did play a role. Older Native children, ages 9 to 11, are twice as likely to be overweight compared to ages 3 to 5. On the other hand, 3 to 5 year olds were nearly twice as likely to be obese than older Native children.

"Preliminary Findings of the First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey" was based on responses from nearly 6,600 Native children under 12. In total, over 22,000 Native parents, teens and kids participated in the survey, the first since 1997. Three more surveys are planned over the next 12 years, as mandated by the Assembly of First Nations, the largest inter-tribal organization in Canada.

Native leaders plan to release the final national and regional versions of the survey in time for a November 13-15 conference in Ottawa. The theme of the conference is "Doing Research Our Way."

The preliminary results showed improvements from the 1997 study. The percentage of Native children who were breastfed increased from 50.0 percent to 60.3 percent, though it remained below the Canadian average of 79.9 percent.

The percentage of Native children who had a low birth weight was comparable to the non-Native population. But Native children were nearly twice as likely to have a high birth weight than non-Natives. High birth weight has been linked to diabetes and increased risk of birth injury.

Obesity is also a contributing factor for diabetes, although the preliminary findings don't delve into the subject. In the United States, diabetes is showing up in younger and younger Natives.

The most common chronic condition among Native children in Canada was asthma. According to the survey, 16.1 percent of Native boys had asthma and 12.3 percent of Native girls had it. Allergies also ranked high: 13.1 percent of boys and 11.2 percent of girls.

Chronic bronchitis, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) and fetal alcohol syndrome were more common among Native boys than girls, the report stated.

First Nations children were 70 percent more likely than non-Native children to report one or more injuries in the previous year (17.2 percent vs. 10.2 percent), the survey showed. The most common causes were falls/trips (7.6 percent), bicycle and bicycle/motor-vehicle accidents (3.9 percent) and sports injuries (2.1 percent).

An overwhelming majority, or 83.2 percent, of respondents said traditional cultural activities were "somewhat important" or "very important" to Native children. Nearly a third, or 31.2 percent, of kids ages 9 to 11 and about one in four, or 24.1 percent, of kids ages 5 to 8 said they understood or were fluent in Native languages.

Get the Report:
Preliminary Findings of the First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey (RHS) 2002-03: Children's Survey (July 4, 2005)

Relevant Links:
National Aboriginal Health Organization - http://www.naho.ca