Anthropometric indices of First Nations children and youth on first entry to Manitoba/Saskatchewan residential schools—1919 to 1953
Background: First Nations people are experiencing increasing rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes but no anthropometric information exists from before the 1950s to provide context to these epidemics. Objective: To compare anthropometric indices of First Nations children and youth on first entering r...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2016-06-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Circumpolar Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.circumpolarhealthjournal.net/index.php/ijch/article/view/30734/pdf_87 |
| _version_ | 1811337935009611776 |
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| author | F.J. Paul Hackett Sylvia Abonyi Roland F. Dyck |
| author_facet | F.J. Paul Hackett Sylvia Abonyi Roland F. Dyck |
| author_sort | F.J. Paul Hackett |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: First Nations people are experiencing increasing rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes but no anthropometric information exists from before the 1950s to provide context to these epidemics. Objective: To compare anthropometric indices of First Nations children and youth on first entering residential schools with historical and contemporary reference groups. Methods: This observational cross-sectional study used archival records from the Department of Indian Affairs to calculate body mass index (BMI), height for age (HA) and weight for age (WA) of all known children and youth undergoing physical examinations on first entering residential schools in Saskatchewan and Manitoba from 1919 to 1953. Proportions of children and youth in each BMI category were determined by age, sex, time period and residential school. Z-scores for HA and WA were determined by age group and sex. Finally, median heights and weights were compared with a non-Indigenous cohort from the 1953 Canadian survey. Results: On admission to residential schools, 1,767 First Nations children and youth (847 boys, 920 girls) were more likely to have normal BMIs (79.8%) than Canadian children and youth today (66.5%), but lower rates of overweight/obesity (10.9% vs. 32.0%) and higher rates of underweight (9.3% vs. <2.0%). There was an overall trend of diminishing levels of underweight and increasing levels of overweight/obesity over time. Although 6.6% of boys and 7.9% of girls had HA Z-scores >−2, age-specific median heights tended to be higher than Canadian children and youth in 1953. Under 3% of children and youth had WA Z-scores of >−2. Conclusions: A large majority of First Nations children and youth exhibited normal anthropometric indices on first entering residential schools in Manitoba and Saskatchewan from 1919 to 1953. These historical findings provide an important context to the current epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes and suggest that the nutritional conditions in these First Nations children's communities were satisfactory during the residential school era. |
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1a250f4a8adf44679aa02432cb96c0c8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2242-3982 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:02:17Z |
| publishDate | 2016-06-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Circumpolar Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-1a250f4a8adf44679aa02432cb96c0c82022-12-22T02:36:11ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Circumpolar Health2242-39822016-06-017501910.3402/ijch.v75.3073430734Anthropometric indices of First Nations children and youth on first entry to Manitoba/Saskatchewan residential schools—1919 to 1953F.J. Paul Hackett0Sylvia Abonyi1Roland F. Dyck2 Department of Geography and Planning, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, CanadaBackground: First Nations people are experiencing increasing rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes but no anthropometric information exists from before the 1950s to provide context to these epidemics. Objective: To compare anthropometric indices of First Nations children and youth on first entering residential schools with historical and contemporary reference groups. Methods: This observational cross-sectional study used archival records from the Department of Indian Affairs to calculate body mass index (BMI), height for age (HA) and weight for age (WA) of all known children and youth undergoing physical examinations on first entering residential schools in Saskatchewan and Manitoba from 1919 to 1953. Proportions of children and youth in each BMI category were determined by age, sex, time period and residential school. Z-scores for HA and WA were determined by age group and sex. Finally, median heights and weights were compared with a non-Indigenous cohort from the 1953 Canadian survey. Results: On admission to residential schools, 1,767 First Nations children and youth (847 boys, 920 girls) were more likely to have normal BMIs (79.8%) than Canadian children and youth today (66.5%), but lower rates of overweight/obesity (10.9% vs. 32.0%) and higher rates of underweight (9.3% vs. <2.0%). There was an overall trend of diminishing levels of underweight and increasing levels of overweight/obesity over time. Although 6.6% of boys and 7.9% of girls had HA Z-scores >−2, age-specific median heights tended to be higher than Canadian children and youth in 1953. Under 3% of children and youth had WA Z-scores of >−2. Conclusions: A large majority of First Nations children and youth exhibited normal anthropometric indices on first entering residential schools in Manitoba and Saskatchewan from 1919 to 1953. These historical findings provide an important context to the current epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes and suggest that the nutritional conditions in these First Nations children's communities were satisfactory during the residential school era.http://www.circumpolarhealthjournal.net/index.php/ijch/article/view/30734/pdf_87First NationsindigenousBMIchildrenyouthresidential schooldiabetesobesityunderweightweight for ageheight for age |
| spellingShingle | F.J. Paul Hackett Sylvia Abonyi Roland F. Dyck Anthropometric indices of First Nations children and youth on first entry to Manitoba/Saskatchewan residential schools—1919 to 1953 International Journal of Circumpolar Health First Nations indigenous BMI children youth residential school diabetes obesity underweight weight for age height for age |
| title | Anthropometric indices of First Nations children and youth on first entry to Manitoba/Saskatchewan residential schools—1919 to 1953 |
| title_full | Anthropometric indices of First Nations children and youth on first entry to Manitoba/Saskatchewan residential schools—1919 to 1953 |
| title_fullStr | Anthropometric indices of First Nations children and youth on first entry to Manitoba/Saskatchewan residential schools—1919 to 1953 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anthropometric indices of First Nations children and youth on first entry to Manitoba/Saskatchewan residential schools—1919 to 1953 |
| title_short | Anthropometric indices of First Nations children and youth on first entry to Manitoba/Saskatchewan residential schools—1919 to 1953 |
| title_sort | anthropometric indices of first nations children and youth on first entry to manitoba saskatchewan residential schools 1919 to 1953 |
| topic | First Nations indigenous BMI children youth residential school diabetes obesity underweight weight for age height for age |
| url | http://www.circumpolarhealthjournal.net/index.php/ijch/article/view/30734/pdf_87 |
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