Socioeconomic characteristics and health outcomes in Sami speaking municipalities and a control group in northern Norway.
OBJECTIVE
The Sami people constitute an ethnic minority in northern Norway. The objectives of this study were to compare municipalities with a majority of Sami in the population and a control group with regard to socioeconomic factors and health outcome.


METHODS
Original data from Statistics Norway and Directorate of health on socioeconomic factors (education, unemployment, disability, poverty) and health outcomes [total mortality, cancer specific mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD) specific mortality] were imported from the "Health Atlas" at the Northern Norway Regional Health Authority (NNRHA) trust. The 8 municipalities in the administration area of the Sami language law (Sami-majority group--18,868 inhabitants) was compared with a control group consisting of 11 municipalities where the Sami constitute a small minority in the population (18,931 inhabitants). Most data were from 2005 and 2008.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference in socioeconomic factors. Overall, cancer- and CVD-specific mortality rates were similar in both groups. The life expectancy was significantly longer among women in the Sami-majority area (81.3 vs. 79.5 years, p=0.035) and males (74.5 vs. 72.0 years, p=0.037).


CONCLUSIONS
Socioeconomic factors and cause-specific mortality rate were similar in the Sami-majority group and the control group. Residents of both sexes in Sami-majority areas enjoyed longer life expectancy.
Northern Norway Regional Health Authority, Bodø, Norway. jan.norum@helse-nord.no
Jan
J
Norum
Carsten
C
Nieder
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups; D009026:Mortality / Q000208:ethnology*; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult