ACUTE RESPIRATORY-INFECTIONS IN THE CANADIAN NATIVE INDIAN POPULATION- A REVIEW

Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among Natives in Canada. Studies examining the mortality exp erience of Canadian Natives have reported SMRs for ARI ranging from 2. 92 to 21.23. Morbidity form ARI is also increased relative to other Ca nadians with rate ratios for pneumonia ranging from 3.28 to 17.6. Seve ral risk factors have been associated with an increase in ARI includin g smoking, exposure to passive smoke, feeding practices, and socioecon omic factors such as housing, residential crowding and family size. Th e effects of other risk factors are less clear. There continues to be a need for epidemiological studies of ARI in Canadian Natives while at the same time, ARI control programs should be implemented to reduce t he incidence and severity of acute respiratory infections in this popu lation.