Are there disparities in the prevalence of chronic disease risk factors and health status between American Indian/Alaska Native and White elders?
American Indian/Alaska Native elders have a higher self-reported prevalence of chronic disease risk factors and poorer health status compared to White elders, highlighting the need for targeted public health interventions.
We compared prevalence estimates of chronic disease risk factors and health status between American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) and White elders. We used 2001 and 2002 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to estimate the prevalence of smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, diagnosed diabetes, and general health status. For all health behavior and status measures, American Indians/Alaska Natives reported greater risk than did Whites. Risk factors among AIAN elders need to be addressed to eliminate disparities in chronic diseases.
Denny et al. (Tue,) studied this question.