Umeå University's logo

This chapter emphasizes a central theme: the health impacts of climate change are deeply rooted in Indigenous Peoples’ relationships with their lands. Location-specific environmental changes and biodiversity loss are causing significant proximal, intermediate, and long-term effects on Indigenous health and well-being.

Examples are presented of changes in aquatic, atmospheric, and terrestrial systems across diverse regions, as well as cryosphere changes in Arctic and subarctic areas. Overall, climate-related shifts — such as altered precipitation patterns, rising temperatures, and increased erosion — are disrupting relationships between living organisms and their environments. These disruptions threaten key plant and animal species that are vital to Indigenous food systems, medicines, and livelihoods.

Indigenous communities are also impacted by the spread of invasive species and the decline in health and productivity of agrobiodiverse crops. Both human activities and broader environmental changes are identified as major drivers of ecosystem and biodiversity loss.

There is broad recognition of the importance of integrating multiple knowledge systems, beyond Western science alone, in climate change research and response. Indigenous knowledge systems must play a central role, with Indigenous knowledge holders actively engaged in climate monitoring and adaptation efforts.

Responses to climate change and biodiversity loss should primarily occur at the community level, where solutions are best aligned with local values and principles. Strengthening Indigenous sovereignty, rights, and self-determination is essential in all climate-related initiatives, including those focused on food and water systems, health systems, and environmental monitoring.

Key features: 

• The Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study (NSHDS) was initiated in the mid-1980s. The NSHDS is a population-based prospective longitudinal cohort comprising >140 000 participants in the two northernmost regions in Sweden, Norrbotten and Västerbotten, with >240 000 blood samples and 1.5 million person-years of follow-up.
• The NSHDS includes three sub-cohorts: the Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP), the expanded Northern Sweden Monitoring of Trends and Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease (MONICA) Study, and the Mammography Screening Project (MSP). The VIP is both a community-based cardiometabolic intervention programme encouraging healthy lifestyle (targeting individuals 40, 50, and 60 years of age), and a corresponding research cohort. The MONICA is an observational study focusing on cardiovascular disease and its associated risk factors, recruiting individuals aged 25–74 years. The MSP recruited women attending mammography during 1995–2006. The NSHDS median participation age is 50 years (53% women).
• Most participants contribute data on health, lifestyle, anthropometric measures, blood pressure, blood lipids, and glucose tolerance, along with research blood samples that are fractionated, frozen within an hour of collection, and stored at –80°C. Linkage to registries, clinical cohorts, and biological tissue archives facilitates studies of well-characterized participants (often combined with intervention studies).
• Collaborations are encouraged. Additional information can be found at: info.brs@umu.se; https://www.umu.se/en/biobank

Two recent UArctic reports analyze Arctic research trends based onfunding data and bibliometrics. As a key finding, they affirm the significanceof the United States as a major Arctic research nation. The US dominates in both total spending and the number of initiated projects,which is in line with previous reports compiled by UArctic. In addition,the US continues to lead Arctic research contributions in terms of publication numbers.The findings presented in the two reports are expected to drive furtherdiscussions and inspire new avenues for future analysis. Experts emphasize the value of ongoing data utilization to deepen our comprehension of Arctic research, recognizing the importance of documenting these insights for posterity.

This report aims to provide an update to the two studies published in 2016 and 2017 (Osipov et al 2016 & 2017) with the primary task of assessing the global funding landscape around Arctic-related research. While the previous reports were focusing on the periods 2006-2015 and 2007-2016 respectively, this report covers 2016 to 2022, using the funding data from the Dimensions[1] dataset, which includes information from more than 600 funders and 7 million awarded grants with funding totalling $2.4 trillion+ (in US Dollars).

The key findings of the updated report, based on the available data, highlight the following trends:  

·       The fields of Earth Sciences (10.3 percent) and Environmental Science (5.5 percent) are the two largest recipients of Arctic research funding. 

·       The US is the largest Arctic research nation in terms of total spending and number of projects started. It also has the most comprehensive coverage of funding sources in the dataset.  

·       Canada and Russia are the second and third largest nations in terms of number of projects started, followed by Norway and Sweden.

·       UArctic institutions are central actors in Arctic research globally. 

·       Researchers from Arctic Council Observer nations are financing a substantial amount of research on the Arctic. In particular, the UK and Japan finance a significant number of projects, followed by Germany and China with considerable numbers of Arctic-related research projects.

·       Funding from the European Union holds the position of the eighth-largest funder based on the number of projects awarded. The European Union is characterized by a few projects with large funding.

·       The analysis suggests that there is neither growth nor shrinkage in the relative volume of Arctic research funding over the period 2016–2022 in comparison with the growth of the general scientific community.

·       Private funders and foundations contribute little to Arctic research. Only one percent of the projects starting in 2016–2022 were funded privately. 

In general, the largest sources of external public funding for Arctic research come from the United States (US), Russia, Canada, and Norway, with the US being the biggest net contributor. Other kinds of funding, such as base budgets, are not described in this report. In addition, data on the public funding and funding amounts of Arctic research in Russia, Canada, and the Kingdom of Denmark are not always provided by the funders in project profiles, and net value is sometimes not disclosed by the funders themselves. 

This report specifically investigates projects initiated between 2016 and 2022, providing insights into the contemporary funding landscape of Arctic research. Understanding the geographical and institutional distribution of funding, as well as the specific areas of focus within this funding, holds significance for UArctic and Arctic Council officials. Such insights facilitate their ability to offer informed guidance to their respective members, aiding in the identification of strategic priorities.

Moreover, gaining insights into the entities funding Arctic research, and those not engaged in such funding, holds importance for UArctic and Arctic Council science officers. Armed with information about Arctic-focused endeavours they can engage with funding bodies, fostering dialogue aimed at enhancing support, and collaboration for such initiatives.

This paper outlines the methodological approaches to a multi-site Circumpolar case study exploring the impacts of COVID-19 on Indigenous and remote communities in 7 of 8 Arctic countries. Researchers involved with the project implemented a three-phase multi-site case study to assess the positive and negative societal outcomes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in Arctic communities from 2020 to 2023. The goal of the multi-site case study was to identify community-driven models and evidence-based promising practices and recommendations that can help inform cohesive and coordinated public health responses and protocols related to future public health emergencies in the Arctic. Research sites included a minimum of 1 one community each from Canada (Nunavut,) United States of America (Alaska), Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland. The approaches used for our multi-site case study provide a comprehensive, evidence-based account of the complex health challenges facing Arctic communities, offering insights into the effectiveness of interventions, while also privileging Indigenous local knowledge and voices. The mixed method multi-site case study approach enriched the understanding of unique regional health disparities and strengths during the pandemic. These methodological approaches serve as a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and healthcare professionals, informing future strategies and interventions.

I denna debattartikel menar vi att Jonny Hjelm presenterar en förvrängd och förenklad bild av samisk hälsoforskning i sin debattartikel i Svenska Dagbladet 6 december 2024, vilket både underminerar det komplexa kunskapsläget och försvårar det viktiga arbetet för bättre samisk hälsa. Hjelm förminskar allvaret i psykisk ohälsa och självmord bland samer genom att selektivt välja och misstolka forskningsresultat. Han bortser också från aktuella data som lyfter fram förhöjda risker för suicidalt beteende bland samer i Sverige, särskilt bland unga samiska kvinnor. Vi framhåller Norges stöd till samisk forskning som ett föredöme och kritiserar Sveriges brist på resurser och grundfinansiering. För att förbättra samisk hälsa krävs ökat samhällsstöd, inte ideologiskt färgad kritik som undergräver det arbete som vi och våra kollegor bedriver.

In this opinion piece, we argue that Jonny Hjelm presents a distorted and oversimplified view of Sámi health research in his article in Svenska Dagbladet on December 6, 2024. This misrepresentation undermines the complex state of knowledge and hinders the important work of improving Sámi health. Hjelm downplays the seriousness of mental health issues and suicide among the Sámi by selectively choosing and misinterpreting research findings. He also disregards current data highlighting elevated risks of suicidality among Sámi in Sweden, particularly among young Sámi women. We point to Norway's support for Sámi research as a model and criticize Sweden's lack of resources and basic funding. To improve Sámi health, increased societal support is needed, not ideologically biased criticism that undermines the work we and our colleagues are undertaking.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed a grave threat not only to Indigenous people's health and well-being, but also to Indigenous communities and societies. This applies also to the Indigenous peoples of the Arctic, where unintentional effects of public health actions to mitigate the spread of virus may have long-lasting effects on vulnerable communities. This study aim was to identify and describe Sámi perspectives on how the Sámi society in Sweden was specifically affected by the pandemic and associated public health actions during 2020-2021. A mixed-method qualitative case study approach was employed, including a media scoping review and stakeholder interviews. The media scoping review included 93 articles, published online or in print, from January 2020 to 1 September 2021, in Swedish or Norwegian, regarding the pandemic-related impacts on Sámi society in Sweden. The review informed a purposeful selection of 15 stakeholder qualitative interviews. Thematic analysis of the articles and interview transcripts generated five subthemes and two main themes: "weathering the storm" and "stressing Sámi culture and society". These reflect social dynamics which highlight stressors towards, and resilience within, the Sámi society during the pandemic. The results may be useful when evaluating and developing public health crisis response plans concerning or affecting the Sámi society in Sweden.

I den här rapporten presenterar vi resultat från forskningsprojektet ”Våld mot samiska kvinnor” som 2021-2024 genomförts av forskargruppen Lávvuo vid Umeå Universitet, på uppdrag av Sámediggi (Sametinget i Sverige).

Rapporten består av en kvantitativ och en kvalitativ del, samt fem åtgärdsförslag riktade till Sveriges regering.

De kvantitativa resultaten i korthet

Den kvantitativa delen av rapporten baseras på enkätundersökningen Samisk hälsa på lika villkor som genomfördes 2021. Resultaten har jämförts med Sveriges befolkning genom den nationella enkäten Sexuell och reproduktiv hälsa genomförd 2017. 

Det övergripande mönstret är att kvinnor är betydligt mer utsatta för våld än män, samt att samiska kvinnor 2021 uppger en högre våldsutsatthet än kvinnor i Sverige 2017, för de flesta typer av våld.

• Över hälften av de samiska kvinnorna har utsatts för sexuellt våld (55,5 procent), sju av tio har utsatts för psykiskt våld (68,5 procent) och nästan var tredje för fysiskt våld (27,9 procent).
• En större andel samiska kvinnor än kvinnor i Sverige i stort uppger utsatthet för de grövsta formerna av sexuellt våld, såsom våldtäktsförsök (14,1 jämfört med 10,6 procent) och våldtäkt (10,3 jämfört med 7,0 procent).
• En större andel samiska kvinnor än kvinnor i Sverige i stort uppger utsatthet för psykiskt våld, både sammantaget (68,5 jämfört med 50,9 procent) och vad gäller alla de former av psykiskt våld som undersöktes.
• Även när det gällde fysiskt våld rapporterade samiska kvinnor (27,9 procent) en högre utsatthet jämfört med kvinnor i Sverige (22,0 procent).
• Samiska kvinnors utsatthet för våld varierar med både ålder och geografi. Överlag var utsattheten högst bland kvinnor yngre än 45 år. Geografiskt var utsattheten för sexuellt och fysiskt våld högre bland samiska kvinnor i mellersta och södra Sverige, med undantag av Stockholmsområdet. För psykiskt våld hade samiska kvinnor i Jämtland Härjedalen en högre utsatthet.
• Det finns flera starka samband mellan olika typer av våldsutsatthet och psykisk och fysisk ohälsa. Upprepad våldsutsatthet (fler än en gång) är förenat med ännu högre risk för ohälsa, särskilt psykisk ohälsa. Starkast är detta samband när det gäller stress och självmordstankar.
• När det gäller diskriminering och rasism uppger en betydande andel av samer i Sverige att de utsatts någon gång i livet. Liksom för andra former av våld i denna undersökning visar analysen att en högre andel samiska kvinnor (44,5 procent) utsatts jämfört med samiska män (37,0 procent).
• HBTQ-samer är mer våldsutsatta än andra samer. Detta gäller sexuellt våld (64,6 jämfört med 30,9 procent), psykiskt våld (81,7 jämfört med 58,4 procent) och fysiskt våld (43,8 jämfört med 25,5 procent).

De kvalitativa resultaten i korthet

Den kvalitativa delen baseras på intervjuer med professionella som arbetar inom samhällets stödstrukturer för våldsutsatta i olika delar av den svenska delen av Sápmi.

• Intervjustudien visar att våld mot samiska kvinnor är en fråga som behöver förstås i relation till den bredare politiska och historiska, koloniala, och könade kontext som våldet utspelar sig i.
• Frågan om våld mot samiska kvinnor osynliggörs och beskrivs som svår att adressera – både i det samiska samhället och i majoritetssamhället.
• Kunskapen om det samiska samhället är låg inom samhällets stödstrukturer. Deltagare beskrev att samiska perspektiv saknas i styrdokument kring mäns våld mot kvinnor och i befintlig terminologi. Detta gör att förhållanden i det samiska samhället som kan påverka den våldsutsattas situation negligeras i mötet med samiska klienter, patienter och brukare som utsätts för våld.
• Frågan om våld mot samiska kvinnor beskrevs som ”känslig” och ”laddad”. Sammantaget framträder ett stigma kring frågan och en oro för att ”göra fel” eller bidra till fördomar och rasism mot samer, både i det samiska samhället och majoritetssamhället.
• Problemet med våld mot samiska kvinnor beskrevs som svår att adressera inom en redan marginaliserad samisk kontext, där värnandet av samiska kollektiva rättigheter har prioriterats.
• Det finns en rad särskilda förhållanden knutna till det samiska samhället som är viktiga att ha kunskap om och vara lyhörd för i mötet med våldsutsatta samiska personer och i arbetet för att motverka våld mot samiska kvinnor.
• Närheten och lokalkännedomen i mindre samhällen beskrevs som styrkor, men samtidigt lyftes utmaningar såsom bristande anonymitet, resurser, kompetens och insatser. Svårigheten att vara anonym och långa geografiska avstånd till samhällets stöd beskrevs som extra påtagligt i det samiska samhället. Stark samhörighet i det samiska samhället beskrevs som positivt men också potentiellt problematiskt när det gäller den utsattas situation.
• Bristande tillit till myndigheter bland samer är en potentiell barriär för att nå och stötta våldsutsatta samiska kvinnor. Den bristande tilliten relaterades till både historiska och samtida erfarenheter av okunskap, förtryck, rasism och diskriminering.
• Deltagare beskrev ojämställdhet och tystnad kring våld mot kvinnor i det samiska samhället, och att våld mot kvinnor ofta hanteras internt. Tystnaden knöts till en lojalitet med samiska män, ett ideal att samiska kvinnor ska vara starka och klara sig själva, samt en vilja att skydda familjen och det samiska kollektivet.
• Ett centralt hinder för utsatta kvinnor att lämna en våldsam relation beskrevs vara rädslan för att uppbrottet skulle innebära förlust av deras samiska sammanhang. Ens samiska identitet beskrevs till exempel som nära knuten till platsen och markerna och därmed som svår att upprätthålla vid flytt till en annan ort för att söka skydd.

Åtgärdsförslag till Sveriges regering

Baserat på de utvecklingsbehov som identifierats genom detta forskningsprojekt utmynnar rapporten i fem åtgärdsförslag riktade till den svenska regeringen.

1. Uppdra åt Sametinget att följa upp och samordna arbetet för att motverka våld mot samiska kvinnor.
2. Utforma en nationell policy för att motverka våld mot samiska kvinnor.
3. Utveckla stödstrukturer för våldsutsatta samiska kvinnor och flickor.
4. Genomför kortsiktiga utbildningsinsatser.
5. Säkra långsiktig kunskapsproduktion och kompetenshöjning.

This work was conducted by the UArctic Thematic Network on Research Analytics and Bibliometrics. It was supported by Global Affairs Canada through the Global Arctic Leadership Initiative.

Background: Since the first version of the dietary inflammatory index (DII®) developed in the past decade, several other versions have been developed. However, to date no study has attempted to compare these versions with respect to their associations with biomarkers of inflammation.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the relationship between four dietary inflammatory scores [DII, two energy-adjusted derivatives (E-DII and E-DIIr), and the Inflammatory Score of the Diet (ISD)], and circulating levels of several inflammatory markers and adipokines.

Methods: This study included 17 637 participants from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort with at least one marker of inflammation measured in blood. Associations between the four scores and C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)6, IL10, IL1RA, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (sTNFR1), sTNFR2, leptin, soluble leptin receptor (sLeptin R), adiponectin, and High Molecular Weight (HMW) adiponectin were evaluated using multivariable linear regressions adjusted for potential confounders.

Results: Positive associations were observed between the four dietary inflammatory scores and levels of CRP, IL6, sTNFR1, sTNFR2 and leptin. However, only the DII and the ISD were positively associated with IL1RA levels and only the DII and the E-DIIr were positively associated with TNFα levels. The proportion of variance of each biomarker explained by the scores was lower than 2%, which was equivalent to the variance explained by smoking status but much lower than that explained by body mass index.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that the four dietary inflammatory scores were associated with some biomarkers of inflammation and could be used to assess the inflammatory potential of diet in European adults but are not sufficient to capture the inflammatory status of an individual. These findings can help to better understand the inflammatory potential of diet, but they need to be replicated in studies with repeated dietary measurements.