Obesity Systematic Review

Tracey Galloway (1), Charlotte Jeppesen (2,3), Susan Chatwood (4), Kami Kandola (5), Janice Linton (6), Peter Bjerregaard (2,3)

(1) University of Toronto, (2) Statens Institut for Folkesundhed, (3) Syddansk Universitet og Departementet for Sundhed, Grønland, (4) Institute for Circumpolar Health Research, (5) Government of the Northwest Territories, and (6) University Manitoba Health Sciences Library

Obesity prevalence is an increasing focus of public health concern in circumpolar populations. In adults, the rise in obesity is commonly accompanied by the development of insulin resistance and lipid profiles indicative of significant metabolic and cardiovascular disease risk. Age of obesity-onset is decreasing in children and there is evidence that childhood obesity is tracking to adulthood.

Numerous systematic reviews of obesity exist, however few are related to aboriginal populations specifically and none address the circumpolar context. In contrast much recent research effort has yielded new findings on obesity and related factors in circumpolar populations. The results of comprehensive health assessment surveys in Canada and Greenland are now available and there is additional literature on obesity from populations health studies in Scandinavia, Siberia and Alaska. The present study undertakes a systematic review of the literature on obesity in circumpolar populations and examines studies of obesity prevention and intervention in indigenous populations facing rapid nutrition transition.

We are currently in the design stage of the review, consulting with research advisors to determine the scope of the review and the questions we want to answer. Once we settle on a set of objectives, the next step is to work out the methodological details of the review. We are using international models of systematic review to design a methodologically rigorous project so that our results will be useful to regional and community decision-makers, health service providers and policy-makers.