Advancing Public Health Insight: Protocol for the Population Health Study in Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) 2024-2026.

BACKGROUND

The public health strategy in Kalaallit Nunaat, known as Inuuneritta, guides national health priorities and is monitored in part by the Population Health Surveys in Kalaallit Nunaat. These surveys, initiated in 1993, provide crucial data supporting public health initiatives and scientific research. The present study is methodologically similar to the original survey from 1993, with emphasis on the close collaboration with the community in Kalaallit Nunaat.

AIM: This protocol outlines the Population Health Study in Kalaallit Nunaat 2024-2026.

METHODS

The cross-sectional random sampling aims for national and municipal representation and includes both rural and remote areas. It is the aim to recruit 3500 participants (⩾15 years old), equivalent to 620 from each municipality plus an additional 400 from the remote east coast of Kalaallit Nunaat. Data will be collected via (a) an interviewer administered questionnaire, (b) qualitative interviews in the form of Sharing Circles and individual interviews among selected participants and (c) a few clinical examinations not including blood sampling. It covers a wide range of health determinants, such as self-rated health, disabilities, mental health, suicide, smoking, alcohol use, diet, time spent in nature, climate change and adverse childhood experiences.

DISCUSSION: The study's design reflects a balance between resource considerations and comprehensive data collection. The study aims to advance our understanding of the public health landscape in Kalaallit Nunaat and findings will inform policy, enable evidence-based interventions and monitoring of the public health strategy.