scholarly journals Consistent Honor, Persistent Disadvantage: American Indian and Alaska Native Veteran Health in the National Survey of Veterans

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (7-8_suppl) ◽  
pp. 68S-81S
Author(s):  
Kimberly R. Huyser ◽  
Sofia Locklear ◽  
Connor Sheehan ◽  
Brenda L. Moore ◽  
John S. Butler

Objective: To examine self-rated health and activities of daily living (ADLs) limitations among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) veterans relative to white veterans. Methods: We use the 2010 National Survey of Veterans and limit the sample to veterans who identify as AI/AN or non-Hispanic white. We calculated descriptive statistics, confidence intervals, and used logistic regression. Results: AI/AN veterans are younger, have lower levels of income, and have higher levels of exposure to combat and environmental hazards compared to white veterans. We found that AI/AN veterans are significantly more likely to report fair/poor health controlling for socioeconomic status and experience an ADL controlling for age, health behaviors, socioeconomic status, and military factors. Discussion: The results indicate that AI/AN veterans are a disadvantaged population in terms of their health and disability compared to white veterans. AI/AN veterans may require additional support from family members and/or Veteran Affairs to address ADLs.

Author(s):  
Stephanie C Melkonian ◽  
Hannah K Weir ◽  
Melissa A Jim ◽  
Bailey Preikschat ◽  
Donald Haverkamp ◽  
...  

Abstract Cancer incidence varies among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations, as well as between AI/AN and White populations. This study examined trends for cancers with elevated incidence among AI/AN compared with non-Hispanic White populations and estimated potentially avoidable incident cases among AI/AN populations. Incident cases diagnosed during 2012–2016 were identified from population-based cancer registries and linked with the Indian Health Service patient registration databases to improve racial classification of AI/AN populations. Age-adjusted rates (per 100,000) and trends were calculated for cancers with elevated incidence among AI/AN compared with non-Hispanic White populations (rate ratio >1.0), by region. Trends were estimated using joinpoint regression analyses. Expected cancers were estimated by applying age-specific cancer incidence rates among non-Hispanic White populations to population estimates for AI/AN populations. Excess cancer cases among AI/AN populations were defined as observed minus expected cases. Liver, stomach, kidney, lung, colorectal and female breast cancers had higher incidence rate among AI/AN populations across most regions. Between 2012 and 2016, nearly 5,200 excess cancers were diagnosed among AI/AN populations, with the largest number of excess cancers (1,925) occurring in the Southern Plains region. Culturally informed efforts may reduce cancer disparities associated with these and other cancers among AI/AN populations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 135 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-73
Author(s):  
Sarah M. Hatcher ◽  
Sujata Joshi ◽  
Byron F. Robinson ◽  
Thomas Weiser

Objective: American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons are commonly misclassified in epidemiologic and administrative data sets. The race-corrected hepatitis C virus (HCV)–related mortality rate among AI/AN persons in the Northwest United States (Idaho, Oregon, and Washington State) is unknown. We quantified the disparity in HCV-related mortality between AI/AN persons and non-Hispanic white (NHW) persons in the Northwest during 2006-2012 after correcting misclassified AI/AN race. Methods: After conducting probabilistic record linkage between death records and the Northwest Tribal Registry, we calculated HCV-related mortality rates for AI/AN and NHW persons by using National Center for Health Statistics bridged-race estimates standardized to the US 2000 standard population. Results: The 2006-2012 aggregate age-adjusted HCV-related mortality rate per 100 000 population in the Northwest was 19.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.3-22.2) for AI/AN persons and 5.9 (95% CI, 5.7-6.1) for NHW persons (rate ratio [RR] = 3.3; 95% CI, 3.0-3.8). The disparity was larger among females (RR = 4.6; 95% CI, 3.8-5.5) than among males (RR = 2.9; 95% CI, 2.5-3.4). Conclusion: The disproportionate rate of HCV-related mortality among AI/AN persons in the Northwest highlights the need to expand HCV education, screening, and treatment among this population.


2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-70
Author(s):  
Carolyn A. Liebler ◽  
Jacob Wise ◽  
Richard M. Todd

Who has which job? When this answer differs by race group or sex, inefficiencies such as labor market discrimination or suboptimal investment in education may be impeding productivity and sustaining inequities. We use US Census data to analyze the occupational structure of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) workers relative to non-Hispanic white workers. Relative to white workers, AI/AN workers are generally overrepresented in low-skilled occupations and underrepresented in high-skilled occupations, especially men and single-race AI/AN workers. AI/AN occupational dissimilarity does not appear to have declined substantially since 1980. Sex-specific multivariate analyses do not remove the significant inequalities in observed occupational outcomes.


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