Use of hypnotics in Sámi and non-Sámi populations in northern Norway.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Our knowledge of the impact of indigenous culture on drug consumption is scarce. Based on the Sámi Health Study, we compare the use of hypnotics among the Sámi and non-Sámi people, living in the same area at 70 degrees N in northern Norway. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey based on a cardiovascular screening, including questionnaires and a clinical examination. METHODS: A total of 16 323 men and women born 1925 - 1967 in counties with a mixed Sámi and non-Sámi population responded to a questionnaire delivered at attendance of a health study. The response rate was 60%. The main analyses were restricted to 12 378 subjects with information on all relevant variables, including ethnicity and use of hypnotics. RESULTS: The prevalence of insomnia and use of hypnotics was significantly lower in the Sámi compared to the non-Sámi population in northern Norway (p < 0.0001). Regardless of ethnicity and age, prevalence of use of hypnotics in women was twice that of men. People who consulted modern, or traditional healers had a higher prevalence of use of hypnotics compared to those who did not. CONCLUSIONS: The stronger the Sámi affiliation, the lower the prevalence of use of hypnotics. In general, insomnia is less frequently stated in the Sámi than in the non-Sámi study population. This may reflect a different attitude to sleep as a phenomenon among the Sámi.