American Indian Population Research Paper

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Health status is a term used to describe a combination of issues that can affect a population comprising the accessibility and availability of health care services, the incidence of chronic diseases and/or illnesses, individual behaviors, contact with risk factors for disease and illness, and social elements such as income and education. Having the highest rates of certain health problems of all ethnic populations in the United States means that American Indians also have the highest mortality rates for certain associated conditions. Moreover, about one-fifth of American Indians have two or more chronic conditions. For example, American Indians have the highest prevalence of being overweight or obese of all ethnic groups and, as a consequence, …show more content…

American Indians also have one of the highest reported rates of depression or anxiety and, consequently, suicide is the 8th largest cause of death among this group. More than one-quarter of American Indians are a smoker which is a higher rate than any other ethnic group, and about one-fifth of American Indians are binge drinkers. Risky health behaviors such as these can lead to health problems including cancer, chronic liver disease, unintentional injuries, diabetes and heart conditions, which are the top five leading causes of death for American Indians. Furthermore, the rate of unintentional injuries among American Indian individuals is higher than any other racial and ethnic group and constitutes the third leading cause of death. Almost half of these unintentional injuries are due to motor vehicle accidents and, of the deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents on reservations, 56% are due to alcohol-related crashes which is 15% more than the national average. The overall mortality rate is the third highest among American Indians when compared to that of other ethnic groups, and many of these deaths are from preventable conditions. In fact, American Indians are the only ethnic group for whom preventable chronic liver disease is one of the ten leading causes

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