| Title | Family health history and health behaviors in Alaska native and American Indian people |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2009 |
| Authors | Slattery, ML, Murtaugh, MA, Lanier, AP, Ma, KN, Ferucci, ED, Etzel, RA, Edwards, S |
| Journal | J Health Care Poor UnderservedJ Health Care Poor Underserved |
| Volume | 20 |
| Pagination | 678-94 |
| Date Published | Aug |
| ISBN Number | 1049-2089 (Print)<br/>1049-2089 (Linking) |
| Accession Number | 19648697 |
| Keywords | Adult, Alaska/epidemiology, Diabetes Mellitus/ethnology, Family Health/ ethnology, Female, Health Behavior/ ethnology, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Health Surveys, Humans, Indians, North American, Inuits, Male, Middle Aged, Myocardial Infarction/ethnology, Neoplasms/ethnology, Prevalence, Stroke/ethnology |
| Abstract | BACKGROUND: Family history of diseases among American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) people may influence health. METHODS: We examine the prevalence of family health history among a cohort of AIAN people (n= 10,374) enrolled in the Education and Research Towards Health (EARTH) Study. We evaluate the association between having a positive family history and health behaviors to determine if those reporting a family history were more likely to report lifestyles that put them at risk of developing these health conditions. RESULTS: Among participants, 17.7% reported not knowing their family history and 23.5% preferred not to answer the family history component of the questionnaire. Eight percent of participants reported a family history of colorectal cancer, 7.9% a family history of breast cancer, 25.8% a family history of heart attack, and 46.7% a family history of diabetes. Obesity, physical activity, cholesterol, and perceived health were associated with family history. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with a family history of diseases may have lifestyles that influence their disease risk. |
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