Canadian Indian mortality during the 1980s

Abstract

This study concerns itself with an investigation of general and cause‐specific mortality differentials between Canadian Registered Indians (a subset of all aboriginals) and the larger Canadian population over two points in time, 1981 and 1991. Multivariate analyses are executed separately across four segments of the life cycle: adulthood, infancy, early childhood and late childhood. With respect to adults, Indians share relatively high rates of suicide, homicide and accidental causes of death; over time, their conditional risks of death due to cancer and circulatory afflictions have gone up significantly. Mortality disadvantages for the Indians are also pronounced in infancy, early childhood (ages 1–4) and late childhood (ages 5–14). Suicide, accidents, and violence constitute serious problems among 5–14 year olds, while infectious/parasitic, respiratory and circulatory complications, plus accidents and violence, are principle killers in infancy. For children aged 1–4, respiratory problems and accidents/violence are prime causes of premature death. This less‐than‐optimal mortality profile is reflective of persistent problems associated with prolonged socioeconomic marginalization. The temporal pattern of change in chronic/degenerative disease mortality among adult Indians suggests a movement of this population toward a mature stage of epidemiological transition.