Health of Igloolik Eskimos and changes with urbanization

Medical examinations were carried out on 422 Igloolik Eskimos in 1969 and again on 485 two years later. In 130 adult men and women scen on both occasions body weight and skinfold thicknesses were relatively unchanged but there were significant increases of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, the basis of which is not established but an increase in dietary salt is hypothesized. In 280 children the overall incidence of otitis media was approximately 30% but children breastfed for at least 4 months had less than half the incidence of nonbreastfed children. In multiparous women up to age 50 duration of breastfeeding of a child was directly related to the interval until the next conception.