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Friday, February 4, 2000 American Indians and Alaska Natives may be at greater health risk from smoking-related
illnesses, diabetes, or motor vehicle injuries depending on where they live and whether
they're male or female, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC).
Analysis of data from CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a monthly
telephone survey of U.S. adults, for the years 1995 through 1998 found substantial differences
among American Indians and Alaska Natives by geographic region and sex for three risk factors:
current cigarette smoking, awareness of having diabetes, and not wearing a safety belt while
driving or riding in a car. The BRFSS is the only continuous source of population-based
information on the health behaviors of American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Differences by Region
Differences by Gender
"Knowing that American Indians and Alaska Natives in some parts of our country are at
greater health risk and that there are differences between the sexes are important steps
toward improving the health of these men and women," said James S. Marks, MD, MPH,
director of CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
"We encourage public health and Indian Health Service officials to use this information
to bolster local policies and programs to eliminate these differences, which is an important
priority of the President's Race Initiative and Healthy People 2010."
The CDC authors believe that the risk factors among American Indians/Alaska Natives may be
higher than reported because 23% of that population does not have a telephone–the highest
percentage of any racial or ethnic group in the United States.
Smoking-related illness, diabetes, and motor vehicle injuries are major causes of death
among American Indians and Alaska Natives.
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CDC Home | Search | Health Topics A-Z This page last reviewed Friday, February 4, 2000
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