Chronic Diseases

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Chronic Diseases

Four out of the five leading causes of death for Native Americans are chronic diseases. They include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and liver cirrhosis. Chronic disease is highly prevalent within this population, and common conditions beside this four mentioned have historically included chronic lower respiratory disease, nephritis, arthritis, asthma, and high blood pressure. Statistics suggest that incidence is higher among the elderly, aged 55 and older, with an even more increased risk after age 65. Overall, Native women appear to be more at risk for a majority of these conditions than are Native men. Chronic conditions prevalent among Native youth include diabetes and obesity, both of which have risen to epidemic proportions among Native youth and adults alike in the last decade. In 2010, more than 40% of Native children between age two and four were overweight or obese, representing the highest prevalence among all major racial/ethnic groups. Among Native youth aged 10 to 19, prevalence of type-2 diabetes was nearly triple the national average. It is a common conception among scholars of Native American health and public health practitioners that the burden of chronic disease within the Native American population is in part attributable to the population’s social determinants of health. Factors such as socioeconomic status, physical environment, and psychosocial stresses contribute to behaviors and lifestyles that foster a number of the chronic conditions Native Americans face. In line with this, the chronic disease burden tends to cluster on reservations where harmful physical and social exposures are more concentrated. This said, so called “urban Natives” who have moved away from reservations and many be disconnected from family and IHS services face their own unique challenges that increase risk for chronic disease.

References

https://ruralhealth.und.edu/projects/nrcnaa/pdf/chronic_disease1005.pdf

Prevalence of Chronic Disease Among American Indian and Alaska Native Elders, 2005, Center for Rural Health, University of Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences

American Indian and Alaska Natives Population, CDC

2014 Native Youth Report, The White House