GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASES (n = 4)
Author (year, journal)	Setting	Topic	Populations’ characteristics	Outcomes	Main results	STROBE
Beres (2010, J Pediatr Surg) (123)	Northern Canada Retrospective	Appendicitis Hospitalisation, Surgery	Northern Indigenous people (Gr 1) Local population (Gr 2) Children F/M	Type of appendectomy (%) (p=0.02) Length of stay (days) (p = 0.98) Intervals between arrival and operating room Mean operative time	Laparoscopic: Gr 1: 57%; Gr 2: 73% Open: Gr 1: 43%; Gr 2: 27% Gr 1: 2.9 ± 2.0; Gr 2: 2.9 ± 3.0 Gr 1: 10.3h; Gr 2: 7.0h (p = 0.0002) Gr 1: 49.0 ± 20.2 min; Gr 2: 54.5 ± 17.6 min	15/22
Carey (1977, Can Assoc Radiol J) (124)	Ontario Case reports	Lead shot appendicitis Hospitalisation	Inuit people 56 and 57 y.o. F/M	Type of treatment	CASE 1: Rectal suppositories to clear the lead shot (no effect). Sigmoidoscopy to evacuate the lead shot (no success). Laparotomy to remove the appendix, 3 lead shots, to mobilise lead shots through the rectum. 2 weeks after the surgery, enemas, purgatives and repeated sigmoidoscopy were done to dislodge the lead shots still present (no success). Another surgery was done to remove the rest of the lead shots. CASE 2: Catheterisation of bladder (wrong diagnosis of urinary retention). Sigmoidoscopy (no success). Barium examination of the colon. Open appendicectomy for peritonitis.	7/13
Cohen (1989, Am J Public Health) (120)	Manitoba Retrospective	Gall bladder diseases Hospitalisation, Surgery	First Nations (Gr 1) Non-First Nations (Gr 2) All ages F/M	% of patients who received their operation from a general practitioner	Gr 1: 34.2%; Gr 2: 18%	14/22
Harper (2015, Int J Circumpol Heal) (29)	Labrador and Nunavut Cross-sectional	Acute gastrointestinal illness Primary care visits	Inuit people All ages Male/Female	% of patients who visited clinic or hospital (95% CI) Reasons for not seeking care Rigolet/Iqaluit	Rigolet: 4.8% (1.5-14.4) Iqaluit: 16.9% (11.2-24.7) Illness not serious enough: 82%/50%; Would not make a difference: 2%/10%; Dislikes or distrusts doctors or nurses: 2%/3%; On the land: 5%/1%; Language barriers: 0%/0%	16/22