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At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

An exploration of the influence of family on cigarette smoking among American Indian adolescents.

American Indians have the highest smoking rate of all major racial/ethnic groups in the US, despite significant variation across tribes and regions of the country. Yet, little research has been conducted on smoking initiation among American Indian adolescents. In an effort to identify the mechanisms through which families influence teen smoking, both positively and negatively, 20 focus groups were conducted with 144 non-reservation American Indian teens in Oklahoma. Findings indicated that most of the antismoking messages from family members were given by parents and grandparents, and focused on the long-term health consequences of smoking and addiction. Parental responses to teen smoking varied widely, with some responses sending mixed messages to the teens. Many teens discussed obtaining their first cigarette in a family setting and the teens felt that having smokers in their families influenced them to try smoking. Teens were able to discuss the traditional role of tobacco in their culture and were aware of its presence at Indian events, but felt ceremonial and traditional use was distinct from recreational use. Additional research is necessary to assess whether these results are generalizable to other tribes and regions, and to other racial/ethnic groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Diabetes education materials: recommendations of tribal leaders, Indian health professionals, and American Indian community members.

PURPOSE: The Association of American Indian Physicians, the only national organization of its kind, conducted a series of focus groups to gather input from tribal leaders, Indian health professionals, and American Indian community members to guide the development of culturally appropriate diabetes education materials for the National Diabetes Education Program. METHODS: During the focus groups, participants shared their experiences with and recommendations for a variety of diabetes education materials. RESULTS: Overall, 95% of participants expressed a strong preference for diabetes education materials relevant to their specific tribe or culture. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations from these focus groups were used to develop a national diabetes education campaign for American Indian communities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Perspectives on American Indian health.

American Indians and Alaska Natives continue to experience significant disparities in health status compared with the US general population and now are facing the new challenges of rising rates of chronic diseases. The Indian health system continues to try to meet the federal trust responsibility to provide health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives despite significant shortfalls in funding, resources, and staff. New approaches to these Indian health challenges, including a greater focus on public health, community-based interventions, and tribal management of health programs, provide hope that the health of Indian communities will improve in the near future.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1999

Infant feeding practices of Anglo American and Asian Indian American mothers.

OBJECTIVE: To compare infant feeding practices of Anglo-American (AA) (n = 25) and Asian-Indian American (AIA) mothers (n = 25) residing in the southeastern United States. METHODS: Feeding practices (breast-feeding, formula-feeding, introduction of solid foods) were assessed at infant ages one, three, six, nine and twelve months for a total of 250 interviews conducted in the home. Mothers' sources of information about infant feeding practices and dietary intakes of their infants were collected (24-hour recalls). RESULTS: Compared to their AIA counterparts, AA mothers breast-fed for significantly longer durations and introduced formula and solid foods into the infants' diet at a later age (p<0.05). Throughout the first year, AA mothers relied primarily upon health professionals for infant feeding information compared to AIA mothers, who sought information primarily from the family network during the first six months and relied more on health professionals during the second six months of the infant's life. Throughout the first twelve months, infants of both groups exceeded 100% of the RDA for energy, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C. CONCLUSION: Health professionals, including nutrition educators, should educate AIA mothers about and encourage AA mothers to follow current feeding recommendations and guidelines about breast-feeding, formula-feeding and introducing solid foods.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Drug and alcohol abuse intervention in American Indian communities.

American Indian tribes are seen as an anachronism by many non-Indian people. Most would acknowledge that Indians provided a colorful chapter in American history, but apart from contemporary Indian arts and crafts little serious thought is given to their way of life. In fact, however, Indian culture has survived a period of strong attack and today it is vital and growing. The historical conflicts between Indian and White ways of life are still not totally resolved, and there are major differences in thinking as to whether tribes should be assimilated into the larger culture or allowed to pursue an alternate cultural path. In its ambivalence toward Indian people the federal government has fostered a state of dependency which has made problem resolution extremely difficult. Federal policy has vacillated between paternalistic and repressive, which has led to much inertia within both Indian communities and those groups intended to help them. Currently there is a strong activist climate on Indian reservations and the result is a vigorous move toward self-determination. Not only are Indian people asking for self-government, but they are attempting to revitalize their traditional culture and maintain a unique alternative to the beliefs, values, and customs of the larger society. Within this historical/cultural context, drug and alcohol abuse exist as major problems for Indian people. Extant data point to alcoholism as perhaps the number one health problem for many tribes. The consequences of drug abuse are not as well documented, but recent survey data from Indian school students point to an extremely serious situation. Drug use rates are above national norms and appear to be rapidly increasing. Interventions in Indian communities must be congruent with the current movement toward self-determination. Externally imposed solutions, at a minimum, will not work and probably will only add to the sense of failure experienced by Indian people. The dynamics of drug and alcohol use are rooted in the health of the community. Where there is cynicism, despair, and a withering of the basic human spirit, substance abuse will prevail. Alternately, if the spirit of the community can be bolstered and hope developed through communal action and mutual support, solutions to abuse problems will be forthcoming. When the community has clearly decided its position on the use of chemicals it will be in a position to construct programs and request external assistance. Substance abuse intervention is a local problem and can be resolved best through local initiative.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Two feminized male American Indians.

Two American Indian males are described who wish to change sex. Both appear to be anatomically normal; one is a monozygotic twin. In both cases, feminine identification began very early in life. In both cases, there were early acceptance and positive reinforcement of the feminine behavior. These two males and the environment in which they live are contrasted with the anthropological literature published decades ago describing the unique Indian tribal role played by feminized males.

Adult↗
PubMed2007

Mental health and substance abuse services to parents of children involved with child welfare: a study of racial and ethnic differences for American Indian parents.

American Indian (AI) parents of children involved with child welfare were compared to White, Black and Hispanic parents on mental health and substance abuse problems and access to treatment. Data came from the National Study of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, a longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample of children aged 0-14 years involved with child welfare. Weighted statistics provided population estimates, and multivariate logistic regression was used to predict the likelihood of caregivers receiving mental health or substance abuse services. There were significant disparities in the likelihood of receiving mental health, but not substance abuse, services. Unmet need for mental health and substance abuse treatment characterized all parents in this study. AI parents fared the worst in obtaining mental health treatment. Parents of children at home and of older children were less likely to access mental health or substance abuse treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Current status and future directions of research on the American Indian child.

American Indians are the most severely disadvantaged of any population within the United States. By adolescence, Indian children show higher rates of suicide, alcoholism, drug abuse, delinquency, and out-of-home placement. School achievement is severely compromised, and many youths drop out before graduation from high school. The Indian child understands the environment through intuitive, visual, and pictorial means, but success in the Anglo school is largely dependent on auditory processing, abstract conceptualization, and language skills. This difference compounds existing problems of poverty, dislocation, alienation, depression and intergenerational conflict and can partially account for the higher rate of emotional and behavioral problems among Indian adolescents.

Acculturation↗
PubMed1992

An integrated model for prevention and treatment of drug abuse among American Indian youth.

American Indian youth have been shown to be at high risk for drug abuse. Epidemiological studies of Indian school students over the past two decades have revealed rates of use consistently higher than those found for other youth. Socioeconomic and historical factors have led to conditions that put a great deal of stress on the family and other support systems which in part account for the seriousness of the problem. A model is presented which can guide both prevention and treatment efforts addressing drug abuse in Indian communities. Five variable domains, social structure, socialization factors, psychological variables, peer associations and drug use, are related in an integrated structure. By following the progression of the etiological variables, a stepwise plan can be developed to organize interventions. Although the model has immediate utility, a number of further research questions are outlined that will enhance its application.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Along for the ride: the prevalence of motor vehicle passengers riding with drivers who have been drinking in an American Indian population.

American Indians, especially those residing in the Northern Plains, experience considerable preventable morbidity and mortality from alcohol-related motor vehicle events. Research focusing on unintentional injuries associated with drinking drivers has disregarded the epidemiology of their passengers, who are equally at risk. The purpose of this investigation was to define the prevalence of motor vehicle passengers riding with drivers who have been drinking on a Northern Plains Reservation. We surveyed a sample of 151 Northern Plains Indians about their experiences riding with drinking drivers. Associated behavioral and demographic risk factors were also examined to identify possible predictor variables. The majority (54%) of respondents reported riding with a driver who had been drinking at least once during the previous three months. Most often, passengers ride with a friend who has been drinking, on a weekend night. Injury risk may be compounded because few respondents reported regular seat-belt use. The results off our study suggest the need for immediate comprehensive prevention efforts focusing on motor vehicle passengers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Pap smear screening among urban Southwestern American Indian women.

BACKGROUND: American Indian women have among the highest incidence and mortality rates of cervix cancer in the United States. The incidence of cancer of the cervix among American Indians is 19.5/100,000 versus 7.8/100,000 in U.S. whites, and comparison by geographic region/tribe indicates that the rate is four to six times higher in some tribes. Papanicolaou cytological testing (Pap smear) permits the detection of cervical lesions before they become cancerous, effectively reducing the incidence of cervical cancer by 75-90%. The American Cancer Society recommends a Pap smear every year beginning at age 18 years or when sexually active, and more frequent screening in high-risk populations. METHODS: A random household cross-sectional survey was conducted in Phoenix, Arizona, to assess cervical cancer screening rates among 519 adult urban American Indian women. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of Pap smear use. RESULTS: Three-quarters (76.1%) of urban women American Indian surveyed received a Pap smear within the past 3 years, but only 49.5% received a Pap smear within the last year. Women over age 50 years were significantly less likely to have received a recent Pap smear in comparison to younger women. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that limited access to health care and lack of knowledge about the procedure were important barriers to Pap smear use. Improving cervix cancer screening participation rates is an important step in reducing the disease burden in this high-risk population.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Analysis of prior health system contacts as a harbinger of subsequent fatal injury in American Indians.

CONTEXT: Many American Indian nations, tribes, and bands are at an elevated risk for premature death from unintentional injury. Previous research has documented a relationship between alcohol-related injury and subsequent injury death among predominately urban samples. The presence or nature of such a relationship has not been documented among American Indians living in the northern plains. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize any association between prior injury and/or alcohol use contacts with the Indian Health Service (IHS) and subsequent alcohol-related injury death that may suggest opportunities for mitigation. METHODS: Death certificates of American Indians who died from injury (ICD-9-E 800-999) in a rural IHS area over 6 consecutive years were linked to IHS acute-care facility records and toxicology reports. Deaths and prior IHS contacts were stratified by alcohol use as a contributing factor. Of the 526 injury deaths involving American Indians in the IHS area studied, 411 (78%) were successfully linked to IHS records. One hundred fifty-two of these cases met the inclusion criteria, with an additional 98 cases identified as a comparison group. FINDINGS: No differences in alcohol use at time of death between groups with and without prior health care contact (for injury or alcohol) could be determined (81% vs 73%). A significant relationship was found between previous visits for acute or chronic alcohol use and subsequent alcohol-related fatalities (P =.01). CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, injury-prevention activities in the population studied should be initiated at the time of any health-system contact in which alcohol use is identified. Intervention strategies should be developed that convey the immediate risk of death from injury in these patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Weight-related attitudes and behaviors in fourth grade American Indian children.

OBJECTIVE: American Indian children have a high prevalence of obesity, yet little is known about weight-related attitudes and the prevalence of dieting in this population. This study assessed weight concerns, body size perceptions, weight reduction attempts, and weight loss methods in fourth grade American Indian children. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Participants (n = 304) attended one of eight schools in the Pathways Feasibility Study. Question and answer choices were read to children by trained staff, and children marked their own answers. RESULTS: Thirty-eight percent of the children reported that they had tried to lose weight. The most common strategy for weight reduction was exercising more. Girls were more likely than boys to be dissatisfied with their body size (48% of girls vs. 34% of boys desired a slimmer body size; 22% of girls vs. 15% of boys desired a larger body size; p<0.001). Children who had tried to lose weight were more likely to indicate that the size they most desired and the most healthy size were smaller than their perceived size (p<0.001). Children who reported trying to lose weight were also more likely to want to be skinnier and to be unhappy about their weight than were children who did not report trying to lose weight (p<0.001 for both). DISCUSSION: We conclude that weight loss attempts and weight-related concerns are prevalent in American Indian children at a young age.

Arizona↗