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Monday, March 10, 2008

Reported Health and Health-Influencing Behaviors Among Urban American Indians and Alaska Natives.

This analysis of the national Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) was conducte in an effort to better understand the health and health-influencing behaviors of urban American Indians and Alaska Natives. BRFSS is an annual telephone-based survey of adults carried out by states and US territories with the assistance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is the world’s largest ongoing telephone survey.

This is the first report using BRFSS that focuses on American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) living in counties served by the network of 34 Title V urban Indian health organizations. It shows a number of areas where AIAN living in these urban areas are not doing as well as the general population. Many of the reported disparities will come as no surprise to those working in urban AIAN health, and this report will serve to reinforce the importance of work already being done.

However, additional analyses comparing income groups showed a complicated picture, where the relationship between income and certain health indicators among American Indians and Alaska Natives differed from the general population. This report does not focus on the causes of thesedifferences, however it is hoped that these findings may lead to further investigation into which societal and personal factors may be most important in impacting the health of urban American Indians and Alaska Natives. Through a better understanding of the reasons for health disparities, interventions aimed at the root causes of poor health outcomes can be developed and advocated for.

This report also helps to establish a baseline for the discussion as to why culturally appropriate care is necessary in addressing health needs of urban AIAN communities. Care designed for the general population may not be as effective for this population, given that the needs and underlining causes of health outcomes may be different, as seen in this report.

Download Full Report (PDF)
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