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Mortality of Métis and Registered Indian adults in Canada: An 11-year follow-up study

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by Michael Tjepkema, Russell Wilkins, Sacha Senécal, Éric Guimond and Christopher Penney

Abstract
Keywords
Findings
Authors
What is already known on this subject?
What does this study add?

Abstract

Background

Little information has been published about the mortality of the Métis people of Canada. This study describes mortality patterns among Métis and Registered Indian adults, compared with the non-Aboriginal population.

Data and methods

The 1991 to 2001 Canadian census mortality follow-up study tracked mortality among a 15% sample of respondents aged 25 or older, including 11,800 Métis, 56,700 Registered Indians and 2,624,300 non-Aboriginal adults, all of whom were enumerated by the 1991 census long-form questionnaire.  Age-specific and age-standardized mortality rates and period life tables based on the number of person-years at risk were calculated across the various groups.  Métis were defined by ethnic origin (ancestry).

Results

Compared with non-Aboriginal members of the cohort, life expectancy at age 25 was 3.3 and 5.5 years shorter for Métis men and women, respectively, and 4.4 and 6.3 years shorter for Registered Indians.  For both Aboriginal groups, mortality rate ratios were highest at younger ages.  Mortality rate differences among Métis men were particularly elevated for external causes and circulatory, respiratory and digestive system diseases; among Métis women, for circulatory system diseases, cancers, and digestive and respiratory system diseases.  Generally, rate differences for Registered Indian men and women were further elevated.

Conclusions

Métis adults had higher mortality rates compared with non-Aboriginal members of the cohort, but lower rates than did Registered Indians.

Keywords

Aboriginal, age-standardized mortality rates, First Nations, indigenous, longitudinal, non-institutional, record linkage, socio-economic

Findings

First Nations (North American Indians), Métis and Inuit are the three major Aboriginal groups in Canada. Research has consistently shown that First Nations have a much shorter life expectancy than that for Canada as a whole, and are at increased risk for causes of death that occur more frequently at younger ages, such as injuries and suicides. The pattern is similar for Inuit. However, mortality patterns among Métis are largely unknown. [Full text]

Authors

Michael Tjepkema (1-416-952-4620; Michael.Tjepkema@statcan.gc.ca) is with the Health Analysis Division at Statistics Canada in Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1M4, and Russell Wilkins (1-613-951-5305; Russell.Wilkins@statcan.gc.ca) is with the Health Analysis Division at Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0T6.  Sacha Senécal, Éric Guimond and Christopher Penney are with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

What is already known on this subject?

  • Aboriginal peoples in Canada—First Nations, Métis and Inuit—are a young, diverse and growing population. However, in many databases, Aboriginal peoples cannot be identified, and consequently, basic health information that is routinely available for the general population is not readily available for Aboriginal peoples.
  • Before this study, little was known about the mortality of Métis in Canada, although First Nations and Inuit have been shown to have high mortality rates, compared with the rest of the Canadian population.

What does this study add?

  • Mortality rates for Métis were much higher than those for non-Aboriginal residents of Canada, especially for women.
  • Rates were particularly elevated among Métis women for circulatory, digestive and respiratory system diseases; among Métis men, for external causes and circulatory, respiratory and digestive system diseases.
  • Mortality rates among Registered Indians were higher than among Métis, although the causes for which the rates were particularly elevated were similar.
  • Among Métis and Registered Indians, socio-economic indicators such as income, education and occupation explained roughly two-thirds of the excess mortality for men, and nearly 30% of that for women.