摘要：OBJECTIVES: The overall aim of the SAMINOR project was to study health and diseases in relation to living conditions among the Sami population and to compare these with the Norwegian population in the same area. This article provides an overview of the background of the study and a description of the methods employed for the data collection. We give sample characteristics and elaborate on different definitions of ethnicity. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional, population-based study, including questionnaires, a clinical examination and analyses of blood samples. METHODS: All individuals 30 or 36 to 79 years of age who were living in defined municipalities or specified local areas with a known Sami population were invited to a cardiovascular screening program. The data were collected during 2003-2004. The questionnaires focused on living conditions, health, Sami traditions and ethnicity. The eligible population consisted of 27,987 individuals and 16,865 (60.6%) participated by answering at least one questionnaire. Analyses were restricted to the 36 to 79 year-old age group which had 16,538 participants. The screening program comprised a blood sample, measurements of blood pressure, height, weight, and waist and hip ratio. Different definitions of Sami ethnicity were explored. RESULTS: Of the sample, 35.6% reported Sami background, and 13.2% reported that they, their parents and their grandparents had Sami as their domestic language. This stringent definition of Sami produced clearer differences between Sami and Norwegians, as shown for some measures of socioeconomic status. CONCLUSIONS: The findings that are related to more strict definitions of Sami ethnicity have important implications for the interpretation of earlier works and for future studies.Keywords: ethnicity; health; indigenous; Norwegian; population based; Sámi(Int J Circumpolar Health 2007; 66(2):113-128)
关键词：ethnicity; health; indigenous; Norwegian; population based; Sámi
