Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Health status of adopted children in Greenland - a controlled comparative register- and population based field study.  (Healthstatus among adoptees in Greenland)

Outline
Aim: The aim of the project is to clarify (the) health status and frequency of contact to health- and social services among adopted Greenlandic children and youths (<=10 years old at the adoption moment: 1988-2005). The study population and their health status will be matched with control groups of children raised by their biological parents, children placed in institutions or/and in foster care. Methodology: The adopted children are already identified through data from the Danish Statistics, Copenhagen, with whom there is an ongoing agreement with a similar research project in Denmark. The matched control groups will be identified at the Statistics Greenland. The research variables (Statistics Greenland and Greenlandic Health Board) are: frequency of contact to health and social services, admission to a hospital or to specialised health professionals, diagnosis, treatments and placements outside the family, criminal conduct, suicide or suicide attempts. Data are conditioned by SPSS database. In order to clarify control, coping and sense of coherence of the target groups, a field study will be conducted in two locations: East and West Greenland, namely Ammassalik and Ilulissat. The population in these locations are integrated parts of the research design. Background: Inuit’s have a long tradition within adoption or child gift and child circulation by family members or by other people in the community [1, 2, 3]. Child circulation among the Inuit people has always had a social function [1,4]. In the research period (1988-05), 377 children have been officially domestically adopted and 89 stepchildren have been adopted [5]. 377 adoptees correspond to 0.7 percent of the whole population. (In Denmark 0.01 percent of the population have been adopted during the same period). International research indicates that children relinquished for adoption have a poorer health status than children raised by their biological parents [6]. Other research shows that adoptees have a better health status than children placed in institutions. In Sweden, institution placed children have higher suicide attempts and present severe psychiatric morbidity patterns [7]. A high suicide rate is recorded in Greenland [8], but adoption seems to have no influence on this rate [9]. Hypothesis: The hypothesis is that the health status of Greenlandic adoptees is similar to the health status of non adoptees in Greenland, but better off than health status of institutionalised children. The general expectation is to contribute with necessary data for the construction of a sustainable Public Health strategy in the context of individuals, families and communities. References: 1. Robert-Lamblin J. L’adoption ou la circulation des enfants chez les Inuit, in L’enfants et les familles nourricières en droit comparé. Presses Universitaires des Sciences Sociales de Toulouse, pp 59-73. 1997 2. Troelsen A. Speciality in Law 1999. 2.6.8. Child gift. 2.8.3. Adoption. pp 35 and 43. 3. Thomsen M. The greatest gift. Samvirke. Okt. 2005 4. Silk JB. Adoption among the Inuit. Ethos, Vol. 15, no 3 (Sep., 1987), pp 320-330 5. Laubjerg M, Petersson B. Non published research data, Jan. 2007. 6. Laubjerg M, Petersson B. Health-related problems in adopted children. A review. Medical Research Faculty. University of Copenhagen. Ugeskr Læger 2006; 168(41):3507 7. Vinnerljung B, Hjern A, Lindblad F. Suicide attemps and severe psychiatric morbidity among former child welfare clients - a national cohort study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 47:7 (2006), pp 723-733 8. Benarroch J. Unhappy Greenlandic events. Polarfronten. Danish Polarcenter nr. 3/2006. p.7. 9. Thorslund J. Youths suicide among Inuit. Nordatlantic regional studies, Roskilde Universitetscenter. NUNA MED ’91 –a Greenlandic medical conference p. 66-73March 12, 2007.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
This project supports the efforts to increase the visibility and awareness of health concerns of Arctic peoples within a Public Health approach. The research activities include use of culturally sensitive health surveys, selected for their appropriateness to characterize health and risky behaviours, the health status of populations, and the development of culturally appropriate interventions. The results will increase the possibilities for the development of a sustainable Public Health strategy (Population-Based Planning) for the benefit of individuals, families and communities. The project promotes international cooperation, research and scientific information. Students in Public Health and Anthropology/Ethnology are involved.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Danish–French cooperation, University of Copenhagen and “Institut National des Langues et Cultures Orientales (INALCO)”, France, by Professor and Ethno-linguist (Inuit language and culture): Michèle Therrien. michele.therrien@wanadoo.fr Tel. +33 (1) 45 82 03 89 INALCO: 2, rue de Lille - F-75343 Paris Cedex 07

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Field work is planned to take place in Tasiilaq (Ammassalik, East Greenland) and in Ilulissat (West Greenland)

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 06/08 – 07/08            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
A part a translator Danish –Greenlandic – Danish and local transport facilities, no logistic support/facilities are required.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
No legacy of infrastructure will be left. At the end of the project recommendations will be given related to a possible transition process of child circulation and adoption respecting traditions of the Greenlandic Inuit population in the context of development (Population-based approach).

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Yes - Endorsed by the Arctic Human Health Initiative

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
No

The project is part of an existing Initiative, The AHHI IPY # 167

How will the project be organised and managed?
Responsible for organisation and management: Merete Laubjerg, MPH, research assistant, University of Copenhagen, Institute of Public Health, Department of Women and Gender Research in Medicine. The University of Copenhagen administrates the allocated grants and is the financial manager. Audits are conducted by the National Audit Office. Main advisor for research quality is: Birgit Petersson, Head of department, professor and psychiatrist Extern advisors are: Joëlle Robert-Lamblin, Anthropologist, Director of Research, “Centre National de Recherche Scientifique”, France, and Birthe Høgh, medical professor, psycho-paediatrician, DK. Technical assistance is assured by the statistic department of the Public Health Institute, University of Copenhagen. Large interdisciplinarity.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Scientific publications, workshops, conferences, lectures, feed-back to the involved populations

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
The intention is to create a database in order to maintain possibilities to run follow-up studies. The database will be available for other researchers within normal timeframe. Data containing the population group, legal adopted children in Greenland, is already collected from Danish Statistics. Control groups and other variables will be collected from Statistics Greenland and the National Health Board. Permission will be obtained from the Greenlandic Data Control. For data obtained in Denmark an agreement is signed with the Danish Data Control in 2006.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Application for funds is addressed to KVUG: Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland (Kommissionen for Videnskabelige Undersøgelser i Grønland, Denmark). Deadline April 16, 2007.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
Merete Laubjerg is conducting a similar research project in Denmark. She has a long experience of running population surveys and management of Public Health development projects in developing countries (Sudan, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Cambodia). Michéle Therrien made field study in Nunavik and in Nunavut (Canada). (She wrote about representations related to human body and representation of diseases as a tension between human interior and exterior among the Inuit’s).

PROPOSER DETAILS

Merete Laubjerg
University of Copenhagen, Public Health Institute, Department of Women and Gender Research
Øster Farimagsgade 5, Opg Q
Post box 2099. DK-1014 Copenhagen K
DK-1014
Denmark

Tel: +45 35 32 79 67
Mobile: no
Fax: +45 35 32 79 46
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation