title: Spondyloarthropathies in circumpolar populations: I. Design and methods of United States and Russian studies.
abstract: Parallel epidemiologic studies of spondyloarthropathy in aboriginal circumpolar populations were carried out by U.S. and Russian investigators. These complementary studies used the same data collection instrument and disease criteria to facilitate comparisons. During three expeditions to Siberia, Russian investigators collected cross-sectional data from four settlements of Eskimos and Chukchi Indians on the Chukotka peninsula for a study of disease prevalence. U.S. researchers collected cross-sectional data from Eskimos in four Alaskan regions for studies of prevalence and longitudinal data for studies of clinical manifestations, natural history, disease impact, and health care utilization. The aims of these studies were to describe the spectrum of spondyloarthropathy in these populations, and to lay the groundwork for investigations of the role of specific genetic and environmental factors in the pathogenesis and expression of disease. These studies were carried out with a minimum disruption to the native people.
authors.affiliation: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Lawrence
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Everett
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Benevolenskaya
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Boyer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erdesz
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Templin
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Alexeeva
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Lanier
authors.lastname: Krylov MYu
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cornoni-Huntley
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Mylov
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heyse
mesh_terms: D000413:Alaska / Q000453:epidemiology; D001168:Arthritis / Q000208:ethnology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D004930:Inuit / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D015995:Prevalence; D012426:Russia; D012800:Siberia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000208:ethnology*; D014481:United States