Research Paper: American Indian and Alaska Native This research paper is going to study and analyze health related issues among the American Indian and Alaska Native population in the United States. The report will start by presenting an overview of this racial group, and then it will go more into depth about specific health aspects. It will examine concerning chronic diseases, health disparities, smoking- related mortality, the relation between poverty and health problems of the children, the effects of grandparents raising their grandchildren, and suicide. This research paper will conclude by explaining some recommendations for health planning and promotion for American Indians and Alaska Natives. AI/AN Profile Overview According to the …show more content…
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a 27% of families with children from this racial group live in poverty. They also have the highest per-capita rate of violent victimization, in which children of ages 12 to 19 are more likely to victims of a violent crime. AI/AN children between the ages 1 to 4 years old happen at almost nearly three times the rate of children in the general population. Another particular health disparity among this group’s children are childhood obesity and overweight. National studies reveal that they are twice as likely to be overweight, and three times as likely to be obese. As mentioned early in this report, there is a critical shortfall of available mental and physical health services for the larger AI/AN population, so it is not surprising that services related to physical, emotional, or social needs of these children are even more limited. There is also a lack of research about AI/AN children and their communities, which makes it even harder to address the needs explain earlier in this …show more content…
This group has the highest suicide rate of any other racial group in the United States, and is even higher than the suicide rate of the total U.S. population. The first factor influencing suicide that will be analyzed is residential status. About seventy percent of AI/AN live in nonmetropolitan areas. These rural areas have low access to mental health services due to social barriers and provider shortages. The main solution are financial programs, or for example loan forgiveness for mental health specialists. Due to the high rates of suicide among young people, school based programs are an effective option for early prevention. Another factor contributing to be high suicide rates is suicide contagion. AI/AN who experience a loved one suicide, are more likely to commit suicide themselves. Some ways to decrease this is to improve programs that are centered on post prevention and survivor support groups, as well as safe reporting by the media. Finally, the last factor influencing suicide is substance use. A high percentage of this group consumed alcohol before their suicide and had alcohol abuse problems. Some ways to reduce this are enforcement of laws, such as increased alcohol taxes or reinforcement of laws prohibiting the sale of alcohol to minors, as well as better access to substance abuse treatment and life skills programs for younger
This paper will discuss the Native American culture and briefly review their history, some beliefs and roles in society today. A short description into their culture with References will be used to show how Native Americans have been affected throughout hundreds of years. The trauma this culture endured has created many barriers, yet one often seen today is their extreme problem with the disease of Alcoholism. The Native American culture has gone through endless struggles, which has cost them to lose so much and still continues to impact them today. They are slowly moving back toward getting benefits that should have been available long ago, but in today’s world Native Americans still battle with many barriers not only in society, but in getting appropriate treatment for mental health or addiction issues.
American Indians have had health disparities as result of unmet needs and historical traumatic experiences that have lasted over 500 hundred years.1(p99) Since first contact American Indians have been exposed to infectious disease and death2(p19), more importantly, a legacy of genocide, legislated forcible removal, reservation, termination, allotment, and assimilation3. This catastrophic history had led to generational historical traumas and contributes to the worst health in the United States.2 American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) represent 0.9 percent of the United States population4(p3) or 1.9 million AI/AN of 566 federally recognized tribes/nations.5 American Indians/Alaska Natives have significantly higher mortality rates of intentional and unintentional injuries, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease and chronic lower respiratory disease than other American.6
In the recent decades, obesity has grown into a major health issue in the United States within young people. With 31 percent of the United States of children being obese, the United States has become the country with the highest rate of obesity in the world. Obesity is not only found among adults, but it is also now found mainly among children and teenagers. The childhood is a very important period for the initiation of obesity especially in this time. Eating practices that children are taught or learn during childhood affects a person later in their life whether they know or not. Multiple studies have confirmed that childhood obesity in the U.S has been on a rise for years. One out of three children in the U.S are obese, most of them face a higher risk of having medical, social and academic problems. Childhood obesity also leads to many health problems among young people. Those problems include diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and many more others. These problems cause a rise in health care costs that their families might have to pay sooner or later. The influence of parents and the media play a big role in causing these problems to happen. Some people believe that a family with an obese child should not raise child protection concerns if obesity is the only cause for concern (Callaghan, 2010). However, doctors should always be mindful of the possible role of abuse or neglect in contributing to obesity. The result of some research that was done on the symptoms of neglect shows a clear correlation between childhood abuse and obesity in childhood. A study of American school children has found that after controlling for socioeconomic status, those who were physically abused were more likely to be obese (Callaghan, 201...
Carter , T., Morse, K., Giraud, D., & Driskell, J. (2008). Few differences in diet and health behaviors and perceptions were observed in adult urban native american indians by tribal association, gender, and age grouping. Nutrition Research, 28(12), 834-841. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2008.10.002
Within this community the most significant social determinant of health is healthy childhood development. Healthy childhood development is key for this community because 16% of the neighbourhoods population is considered to be a child between the ages of 0-14 years (City of Toronto, 2011a). Healthy childhood development is influenced by other social determinants of health like housing, proper nutrition, and an adequate guardian income. Further, regulated childcare and education have a strong impact on childhood development (Bryant, Raphael, Schrecker, & Labonte, 2011). These conditions not only impact their immediate childhood health and development but the above determinants are the foundation for the childs future health as adult (Raphael, 2012). If the child is provided with adequate and safe housing, a nutritious food supply, and a pro...
A long family tree of mistreatment and undue suffering in addition to present lack of resources and poverty has resulted in considerable distress among tribal members and families living within the majority of reservations today. As a result of such distress and despair, many Native American families living in reservations have been torn apart as alcohol, drugs and family violence have become rampant within their communities. Furthermore, the inaccessibility of most reservations combined with lack of resources proves challenging to provide proper housing for families. In addition, the American Indians make up a minority of the least educated, sickest and poorest people within our country. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for Native American youths in the 15-24 age group and 2.5 times the national rate.
Through showing the different definitions of health, the authors explain how those different understandings affect patterns of behavior on health depend on different cultures. In addition, an analysis of the models of health demonstrates even western medical approaches to health have different cognitions, same as the Indigenous health beliefs. The most remarkable aspect is a balance, a corresponding core element in most cultures which is an important consideration in Indigenous health as well. From an Indigenous perspective, health is considered as being linked, and keeping the connection is a priority to preserve their health. Consequently, health is a very much culturally determined. Health practitioners should anticipate and respect the cultural differences when they encounter a patient from various cultures. In particular, this article is good to understand why the Indigenous health beliefs are not that different than western medicine views using appropriate examples and comparative composition, even though the implementation the authors indicated is a bit abstract, not
"American Indian & Alaska Native Populations." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2012. .
Many people believe that Native Americans are a disadvantaged group of individuals in many ways. Culturally, in that many of the cultures of the various tribes across the Americas were taken from them by Europeans and their descendants. Socially, in that they are unlike other minorities in the United States because of their extra-constitutional status; and even medically, stemming from the general belief that Natives are at a higher risk for disease than other ethnicities due to tobacco and alcohol use, especially when used together (Falk, Hiller-Sturmhöfel, & Yi, 2006).
There have been many instances of suicide that have occurred in the past years at universities across the country, and since it is such a sensitive subject, there have not been nearly enough coverage as this topic deserves, considering this issue does not seem to be going away. When collecting data about suicide statistics, the age range is broken down as people ages 15-24, which spans most developmental years. Within this bracket are college-age students and this age-group has by far the most troubling statistics around it.
Childhood obesity is a consequential medical condition that effects the youth and adolescence of society. This disorder creates health problems that were once only seen in adults, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Although childhood obesity is a world wide issue, the percentage of overweight children differs, especially throughout the United States. Today, the greatest population suffering from this disease are African American children who reside in the southern part of the country. Parents, as well as children, continue to support unhealthy lifestyles even though they are well aware of the life-threatening diseases caused by obesity.
Native Americans have specific culture characteristics health care providers should have basic knowledge of to provide optimal health care. They received the title “Native” because they are indigenous to North Ame...
Children in the United States live in widely diverse circumstances. Though most children are healthy and well cared for, according to the 2010 Census data, 21.6 percent of all children were in families with incomes at or below the poverty line. Many of these children face serious health concerns and according to the 2010 report of the Center for Disease ...
The article references to data collected by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention which articulates that in the United States, Latinas have a high rate of suicidal ideation and attempts compared with other non-Hispanic groups. The data yields statistics about adolescents being at a twenty-one percent for suicide ideation and fourteen percent for suicide attempts. These numbers reflect data for Latina Adolescents between the age ten to twenty-four years of age in the United States. Among these statistics, suicide is remarked as the third leading cause of death within the same age bracket (ten to twenty-four y/o) mentioned above. The article references to numerous sources to evaluate the relationship of specific factors (i.e. family intervention,
Teen suicide as an extremely complex tragedy, that unfortunately happens all the time throughout the United States. There are friends, parents, and peers that are facing the misfortune of losing a young, close, loved one to suicide. Most people don't realize that adolescent suicide is common. They don't want to believe how often this occurs in the secure environment found in the small towns of America, as well as in its largest cities.