SAMINOR 1

The first survey of the Population-based Study on Health and Living Conditions in Regions with Sami and Norwegian Populations

The SAMINOR 1 Survey was conducted in 2003–2004 in collaboration between the Centre for Sami Health Research (CSHR) and the National Health Screening Service, which was later incorporated into the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH). SAMINOR 1 was conducted in parallel with a regional health survey (TROFINN) organised by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.  

 

Municipalities Invited to Participate:

Finnmark:

Karasjok, Kautokeino, Porsanger, Tana, Nesseby, Lebesby, Alta, Loppa and Kvalsund.

Troms:

Kåfjord, Kvænangen, Storfjord, Lyngen, Skånland and Lavangen

Nordland:

Tysfjord, Evenes, Hattfjelldal (Hattfjelldal district), Grane (Majavatn district), Narvik (Vassdalen district) 

Nord-Trøndelag:

Røyrvik and parts of Namsskogan (Trones and Furuly) and Snåsa (Vinje)

Sør-Trøndelag:

Parts of Røros Municipality (Brekken) in Sør-Trøndelag.

Apart from Alta, all municipalities had fewer than 3000 inhabitants.

 

Participation


The numbers of participants referred to here are those who answered at least one questionnaire and/or took part in the clinical examination and who did not refuse consent for the use of their data in medical research.

 

 

Men

Women

Total

Age

No. invited

No. of participants

%

No. invited

No. of participants

%

No. invited

No. of participants

%

30

427

125

29.3

409

202

49.4

836

327

39.1

36-39

1646

710

43.1

1546

870

56.3

3192

1580

49.5

40-44

1948

971

49.8

1788

1158

64.8

3736

2129

57.0

45-49

1997

1124

56.3

1823

1207

66.2

3820

2331

31.0

50-54

2135

1259

59.0

1809

1305

72.1

3944

2564

65.0

55-59

2073

1274

61.5

1722

1225

71.1

3795

2499

65.8

60-64

1484

957

64.5

1311

946

72.2

2795

1903

68.1

65-69

1158

747

64.5

1177

792

67.3

2335

1539

65.9

70-74

1026

589

57.4

1058

654

61.8

2084

1243

59.6

75-79

647

354

54.7

803

396

49.3

1450

750

51.7

Total

14541

8110

55.8

13446

8,755

65.1

27987

16865

60.3

 

 

 

 

Implementation of the Survey

When the survey began in Nesseby, a two-page questionnaire (Questionnaire 0) compiled by the CSHR was sent to selected age groups, with an invitation letter and an information brochure. Those invited could choose between only the questionnaire or the questionnaire and the clinical examination. The completed questionnaires were returned to the Department of Community Medicine at the University of Tromsø.

Those who wished to participate in the clinical examination subsequently received an invitation indicating the time and place. The invitation was sent out with a three-page questionnaire from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (also in Sami). Completed questionnaires were handed to staff at the appointment for the clinical examination. The examinations took place in two health buses parked at one or more places in the municipality.

After the clinical part of the health survey, participants were asked to complete a four-page supplementary questionnaire (also in Sami and English) from the CSHR and return this to the University of Tromsø.

The study design was changed after the participation of four municipalities in Finnmark: Nesseby, Tana, Karasjok and Kautokeino. The reason for this was low attendance in the clinical examination. In the municipalities which followed, all participants were invited directly to attend a clinical examination. The first two-page questionnaire from the CSHR (the so-called Questionnaire 0) was added to the clinical questionnaire from the Institute of Public Health; participants therefore received a five-page questionnaire (also available in Sami and later translated into English), which they handed in at the clinical examination.

Reminders:

  • In the first four municipalities, reminders (in Norwegian and Northern Sami) were sent to those who had not completed Questionnaire 0, in order to increase the response rate before invitations to the clinical examination were sent out.
  • In Finnmark and Troms, there was a second round, where the health buses returned to the municipalities after 2-3 months. Those who did not attend in the first round received a reminder with a new appointment in the second round.  
  • In Nordland, Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag, there was no second round.
  • A reminder was sent to all participants who did not return the supplementary questionnaires handed out after the clinical examination.
  • In the first four municipalities (Nesseby, Tana, Karasjok and Kautokeino), attendance was so low after the first round that it was decided to invite all participants to attend a clinical examination in the second round, irrespective of whether or not they had completed Questionnaire 0. This meant that many participants were examined without ever having responded to Questionnaire 0. Therefore, in 2006, those who had not responded were contacted again and data on their language and ethnicity was obtained. 
 

Data controller

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is Data Controller