Acculturation and loss of fitness in the Inuit: the preventive role of active leisure.
The association between active leisure pursuits and various indices of fitness has been examined in 165 males aged 13-39 years and 95 females aged 13-29 years, all Inuit residents of the community of Igloolik, NWT (69 degrees 40'N). The active individuals have largely conserved the high level of fitness that characterized the settlement in 1969/70, showing substantial advantages over their sedentary peers in terms of relative aerobic power (27.7%, males, 21.3%, females) and subcutaneous fat (18.3%, males, 5.9%, females), with a lesser trend to advantages of strength (handgrip force, 4.4%, males, 0.8% females; knee extension force, 8.3%, males, 2.0%, females). Much of their continued aerobic fitness can probably be attributed to physical activity although in the boys aged 13-16 years, a further factor is the selection of active leisure pursuits by tall, heavy and early maturing individuals. Both the lower body fat and the larger aerobic power are likely to have positive implications for future health. The current challenge is thus to increase the proportion of physically active villagers beyond the current 18.8% of males and 11.6% of females.
School of Physical & Health Education, University of Toronto.
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Rode
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Shephard
D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D004930:Inuit; D008297:Male; D015873:Northwest Territories; D010809:Physical Fitness