November is National American Indian Heritage Month. Below, please find resources about American Indian and Alaska Native Health.
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Indigenous Public Health by
Income, education, job security, food and housing, and gender and race are all examples of the social determinants of health. These factors influence the health and well-being of patients, as well as how they interact with health care providers and receive health care, and unfortunately, certain biases can become a barrier to maintaining good health in some communities. Indigenous groups in North America and US-associated Pacific jurisdictions have been subjected to occupation and forced relocation, mandated boarding schools, and other attempts by state and federal governments to eliminate their cultural strengths and resources. Indigenous Public Health illustrates how successful community engagement strategies, programs, and resources within Indigenous communities have resulted in diverse, successful public health programs, and helped community members overcome barriers to health. Editors Linda Burhansstipanov and Kathryn L. Braun explore the problems that impact engagement efforts, discuss public health topics, acknowledge and honor the strengths of different communities, and emphasize that collaboration and the sharing of resources can only improve lives.
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) in the IHS Service Area
2009-2011 and U.S. All Races 2010
(Age-adjusted mortality rates per 100,000 population)
| AI/AN Rate 2009-2011 | U.S. All Races Rate - 2010 | Ratio: AI/AN to U.S. All Races | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALL CAUSES | 999.1 | 747.0 | 1.3 |
| Diseases of the heart (Heart Disease) | 194.7 | 179.1 | 1.1 |
| Malignant neoplasm (cancer) | 178.4 | 172.8 | 1.0 |
| Accidents (unintentional injuries)* | 93.7 | 38.0 | 2.5 |
| Diabetes mellitus (diabetes) | 66.0 | 20.8 | 3.2 |
| Alcohol-induced | 50.0 | 7.6 | 6.6 |
| Chronic lower respiratory diseases | 46.6 | 42.2 | 1.1 |
| Cerebrovascular diseases (stroke) | 43.6 | 39.1 | 1.1 |
| Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis | 42.9 | 9.4 | 4.6 |
| Influenza and pneumonia | 26.6 | 15.1 | 1.8 |
| Drug-induced | 23.4 | 15.3 | 1.5 |
| Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome (kidney disease) | 22.4 | 15.3 | 1.5 |
| Intentional self-harm (suicide) | 20.4 | 12.1 | 1.7 |
| Alzheimer's disease | 18.3 | 25.1 | 0.7 |
| Septicemia | 17.3 | 10.6 | 1.6 |
| Assault (homicide) | 11.4 | 5.4 | 2.1 |
| Essential hypertension diseases | 9.0 | 8.0 | 1.1 |
| * Unintentional injuries include motor vehicle crashes. NOTE: Rates are adjusted to compensate for misreporting of American Indian and Alaska Native race on state death certificates. American Indian and Alaska Native age-adjusted death rate columns present data for the 3-year period specified. U.S. All Races columns present data for a one-year period. Rates are based on American Indian and Alaska Native alone; 2010 census with bridged-race categories. |
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October 2019
Source: Indian Health Service
Association of American Medical Colleges. Reshaping the journey: American Indians and Alaska Natives in medicine [Internet]. Washington (DC): AAMC; 2018 Oct [cited 2020 Dec 21].
This report is the first of its kind in which two national organizations worked together to delve into the current state of AI-AN representation in medicine. The report also makes the case for increasing AI-AN representation in the health professions and attending to institutional culture and climate.
