Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Suicidal Ideation Among American Indian And Alaska Natives In The United States, Lacie Lashawn Tillman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicidal ideation is a silent public health issue across the United States. Evidence suggests that suicidal ideation is a predictor of suicide attempt and completion. Suicide is a leading cause of death among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIs/ANs) in the United States, especially among younger people. Alcohol and illicit drug use, coupled with poor social conditions, can lead to suicidal ideations—and sometimes suicide completion. Using social cognitive theory, this quantitative cross-sectional study compared variables within the 2017, 2018, and 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to determine the effect that alcohol and/or illicit drug use has on …

Suicidal Ideation Among American Indian And Alaska Natives In The United States, Lacie Lashawn Tillman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicidal ideation is a silent public health issue across the United States. Evidence suggests that suicidal ideation is a predictor of suicide attempt and completion. Suicide is a leading cause of death among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIs/ANs) in the United States, especially among younger people. Alcohol and illicit drug use, coupled with poor social conditions, can lead to suicidal ideations—and sometimes suicide completion. Using social cognitive theory, this quantitative cross-sectional study compared variables within the 2017, 2018, and 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to determine the effect that alcohol and/or illicit drug use has on …

Internet All Nation Breath Of Life (I-Anbl) A Tribal College Student Engaged Development Of An Internet-Based Smoking Cessation Intervention, Joseph A. Pacheco, Charley Lewis, Christina M. Pacheco, Jason W. Hale, Jessica A. R. Williams, Sean M. Daley, Christine M. Daley, Won S. Choi

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: Compared to non-Hispanic white college students, American Indian (AI) tribal college students have the highest smoking prevalence in the U.S. (~34%). Culturally-tailored smoking cessation programs have proven to be successful in reducing smoking rates but may require new methods to reach college students. Currently, there is little documentation on the development and success of Internet-based smoking interventions for AI tribal college students.

Objectives: To develop an Internet-based smoking cessation program (Internet-All Nations Breath of Life or I-ANBL) with tribal college students.

Methods: We conducted six focus groups (n=41) at a tribal college. Focus groups included tribal college students who …

Native American Weight Loss Movement: Pilot Test Of A Culturally Tailored Weight Loss Program For American Indians, Christine M. Daley, Jason W. Hale, Shelley Bointy, Kelly Berryhill, Joseph Lemaster, Byron J. Gajewski

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

American Indians (AIs) have higher rates of obesity than other racial/ethnic groups, placing them at heightened risk for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and certain cancers. Culturally appropriate weight loss interventions may be the key to reducing risk. The most successful program used in AI communities has been the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), which limits enrollment to individuals with a clinical diagnosis of pre-diabetes. The purpose of this pilot project was to modify and culturally tailor a weight loss intervention to AI communities in Kansas to improve weight loss related behaviors among those who do not qualify for the DPP. The Native …

Experiences Of Formal Caregivers Providing Dementia Care To American Indians, Damon Grew Peter Syphers, C.J. Schumaker, Ronald P. Hudak

Journal of Sustainable Social Change

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a significant public health concern for all elders in the United States. It is a particular concern for the American Indian (AI) population, which is one of the fastest aging populations in the United States and the smallest, most underrecognized, and most culturally diverse group in the country. A formal caregiver understanding of AD in the AI population is scarce. This phenomenological study was designed to discern what is known about AD in the AI population by exploring the cultural beliefs and experiences of formal caregivers who provide care for AI dementia patients. Specifically, this study …

Human Papillomavirus And Its Impact On Vulnerable Populations, Harpriya Kaur

Theses & Dissertations

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection. The infection is higher in certain racial/ethnic groups and those who are immunocompromised including pregnant women. Because immune system is suppressed during pregnancy, women are at higher risk of various types of infection including HPV, a known risk factor for pregnancy complications. However, its role in adverse pregnancy outcomes is unclear. Another high risk population is Northern Plain American Indian. In the Northern Plains region, American Indian women have significantly higher rate of HPV infection than white counterparts and are infected with different types of HPVs than the general population. …

Creating Space For An Indigenous Approach To Digital Storytelling: "Living Breath" Of Survivance Within An Anishinaabe Community In Northern Michigan, Brenda K. Manuelito

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

As Indigenous peoples, we have a responsibility to our global community to share our collective truths and experiences, but we also deserve the respect to not be objectified, essentialized, and reified. Today, we are in a period of continual Native resurgence as many of us (re)member our prayers, songs, languages, histories, teachings, everyday stories and our deepest wisdom and understanding as Indigenous peoples--we are all “living breath” and we are “all related.” For eight years, Carmella Rodriguez and I have been nDigiStorytelling across the United States and have co-created over 1,200 digital stories with over 80 tribes for Native survivance, …

Cultural Beliefs And Experiences Of Formal Caregivers Providing Dementia Care To American Indians, Damon Grew Syphers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a significant public health concern for all elders in the United States. It is a particular concern for the American Indian (AI) population, which is one of the fastest-aging populations in the United States and the smallest, most underrecognized, and most culturally-diverse group in the country. A formal caregiver understanding of AD in the AI population is scarce. This phenomenological study was designed to discern what is known about AD in the AI population by exploring the cultural beliefs and experiences of formal caregivers who provide care for AI dementia patients. Specifically, this study sought to …

The Journey Of A Digital Story: A Healing Performance Of Mino-Bimaadiziwin: The Good Life, Carmella M. Rodriguez

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Indigenous peoples have always shared collective truths and knowledge through oral storytelling. Just as we were born, stories are born too, through our sacred “living breath.” We live in a time where stories travel far, beyond our imaginable dreams, and can have an influence on anyone who hears them. In the present-day, we have an opportunity to combine personal stories with digital technology in order to share one of our greatest gifts with each other--our experience and wisdom. For eight years, Brenda K. Manuelito and I have been traveling across Indian Country helping our Indigenous relatives create nDigiStories for Native …

Smoke-Free Policies In The Workplace And In The Home Among American Indians, Carla Berg

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objectives: American Indians are more likely to smoke, less likely to have smoke-free homes, and potentially less likely to have worksite smoke-free policies. We examined correlates of smoke-free policies at home and work among a community-based sample of American Indians in the Midwest.

Methods: We examined correlates of smoke-free policies at home and work in a sample of American Indians in the Midwest using a community-based participatory research approach.

Results: 66.7% were nonsmokers, 15.6% smoked on some days, and 17.6% smoked every day. The majority (72.4%) had complete smoke-free home policies, 13.1% had partial restrictions, and 14.5% …

The Convergence Of Science And Culture: Developing A Framework For Diabetes Education In Tribal Communities, Michelle Chino Dr, Carolee Dodge Francis, Lemyra Debruyn, Lynn Short, Dawn Satterfield

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

In an unprecedented effort to address the epidemic of diabetes in tribal communities, the Diabetes Education in Tribal Schools project brought together a group of individuals from eight tribal colleges and three federal agencies to develop a diabetes prevention curriculum for American Indian and Alaska Native school children. The curriculum incorporates Western and Native science with culturally responsive teaching techniques. Both the project and its evaluation process have reached beyond conventional bounds to acknowledge fundamental issues of tribal culture, history and health and the integration of science, culture, and community. This article will discuss the challenges and rewards of the …

Increasing Rate Of Pneumonia Hospitalizations Among Older American Indian And Alaska Native Adults, Robert C. Holman, Krista L. Yorita, Rosalyn J. Singleton, James E. Cheek, Edna L. Paisano, Jay C. Butler, Larry J. Anderson, Alicia M. Fry

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objective: To examine rates and trends of pneumonia hospitalization among older American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) adults.

Methods: Pneumonia hospitalizations for older AI/AN adults ≥65 years of age living in the Alaska and Southwest Indian Health Service (IHS) regions during 1988 through 2002 from the IHS hospital discharge data were analyzed.

Results: The average annual hospitalization rate for first-listed pneumonia for older AI/AN adults in both the Alaska and the Southwest regions has increased (15.3 and 23.0 in 1988-1990 to 25.9 and 28.8 in 2000-2002 per 1,000 population, respectively), with the greatest increase seen among older AI/AN adults in …

Talking Glossary Of Genomics Terminology: A Genomics Education Module For American Indian Communities, Jill Peters, Pauline Davies, Naomi Lane, Kathryn Coe

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

This paper describes the development of an audio visual genomics glossary that was designed as an education tool for American Indian communities. This “Talking Glossary of Genomics Terminology” is a multimedia DVD that was modeled on the “Talking Glossary of Genetics,” which was developed by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). The NHGRI Glossary was modified and expanded with content designed to increase awareness among American Indians about cancer, genomics, and personalized medicine. Partners on the project include the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc., Phoenix Indian Medical Center, Arizona Cancer Center at the University of Arizona, the Translational …

Stop Atherosclerosis In Native Diabetics Study (Sands): Baseline Characteristics Of The Randomized Cohort, Angela Silverman, Chun-Chih J. Huang, Marie Russell, Mihriye Mete, Mary J. Roman, Mario Stylianou, Elisa T. Lee, Fawn Yeh, Jerome Fleg, Charlton Wilson, Jeffrey A. Henderson, Matthew R. Weir, Robert E. Ratner, Barbara V. Howard

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objectives: To present baseline characteristics of American Indians in the Stop Atherosclerosis in Native Diabetics Study (SANDS) and compare them with population-based data from American Indians and other ethnic groups. Design: 499 people with type 2 diabetes ≥ age 40, without known CVD, were recruited for a randomized 3-year trial to evaluate treatment targets for LDL-C (70 vs. 100 mg/dL) and systolic blood pressure (BP) (115 vs. 130 mmHg). Baseline evaluations included physical exam, collection of blood and urine samples, and carotid ultrasound and echocardiographic measures. Results: Mean age was 56 years; 66% were female. Average BMI was 33 kg/m2. …

Pap Test Follow-Up Pattern Among American Indian Women In Arizona, Merrill Eisenberg, Kathryn Coe, Charlton Wilson, Kathleen Evans, Elizabeth Brewer

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objective: To quantify the loss to follow-up rate after abnormal Pap test results at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center, an Indian Health Service regional facility, and identify barriers to follow-up from the patients’ point of view.

Materials and Methods: Patient records were used to identify women who had abnormal Pap tests in 2002 and to document the status of their follow-up care. Women who had no clinical record of follow-up were contacted by telephone to arrange a follow-up appointment and to request participation in a structured qualitative interview to identify barriers to follow-up at the individual, family, community, and health …

Surveillance For Health Behaviors Of American Indians And Alaska Natives—Findings From The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2000–2006, C. Brooke Steele, Cheryll J. Cardinez, Lisa C. Richardson, Lillian Tom-Orme, Kate M. Shaw

Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. The authors compared estimates for cancer risk factors, use of cancer screening tests, health status indicators, and access to care for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) and non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) in the US and for AI/ANs in 6 Indian Health Service regions.

METHODS. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data were aggregated from the years 2000 through 2006 and were used to calculate weighted prevalence estimates by gender for key variables except demographic variables.

RESULTS. Compared with NHWs, AI/ANs had lower prevalence estimates for income, educational attainment, insurance coverage, and access to personal healthcare providers. AI/ANs …