Cancer in American Natives: A Prospective Study of Alaska Natives and American Indians

I. Cancer in Alaska Natives:
Martha L. Slattery, Ph.D.
University of Utah, Department of Family and Preventative Medicine, School of Medicine
Salt Lake City, Utah
Funded since 2001

II. Cancer in American Indians:
Anne Lanier, M.D., M.P.H.
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Office of Alaska Native Health Research
Anchorage, Ala.
Funded since 2001

III. Cancer in Native Americans:
Jeffrey A. Henderson, M.D., M.P.H.
Black Hills Center for American Indian Health
Rapid City, S.D.
Funded since 2001

Rates of chronic diseases vary substantially between American Indians and Alaska Natives and U.S. white populations for reasons that are largely unknown. Although little is known about factors that affect chronic diseases in these populations, incidence rates for most chronic diseases are increasing. This research project focuses on the development of an American Indian and Alaska Native cohort to obtain a better understanding of the disparity in disease rates and risk factor knowledge that exist between these populations and U.S. white populations.

The research is to develop valid and reliable methods to obtain diet, physical activity, and lifestyle information, and to determine the most efficient and effective ways to recruit, enroll, and track study participants from diverse populations.

The investigators are working with local communities to develop culturally appropriate questionnaires to accurately capture information on dietary intake, physical activity patterns, and other lifestyle and cultural factors. They are collaborating with local health providers and the Indian Health Service to access relevant study-related data from medical records, and will establish population-based recruitment methods. They also will initiate recruitment and data collection, testing various protocols to determine the most efficient and effective way to conduct the study.

An estimated 3,500 Alaska Natives, 6,000 American Indians from the Navajo Nation, and 5,000 American Indians from the Plains states will be enrolled over a 24-month period. This number of participants is needed to adequately test the ability to enroll large numbers of individuals, as well as to determine potential burden to clinics as a result of enrollment. After the pilot study, the goal is to ultimately enroll 80,000 American Indians/Alaska Natives.

The major scientific goal of the cohort study is to determine how diet, physical activity, and other lifestyle and cultural factors relate to the development and progression of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, chronic lung and respiratory diseases, and related mortality from these diseases.

Study data will be used to assess health status and identify groups of the population at risk for various health conditions. Longitudinal data will be used to identify factors that contribute to health and prevent disease. The cohort will serve as a resource to enhance research and training activities of students of these populations who are interested in careers in health research, health education, and general public health.