In California,
approximately 30,000 American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) adults
(7.4% of the AIAN population in CA) have been diagnosed with
diabetes. Prevalence increases with age 2.6% of AIAN adults
between the ages of 18 and 44 report having diabetes, increasing to
8.9% among those aged 45 54, 15.3% among those aged 55 64, and 21.9%
among those age 65 and older. Diabetes is a risk factor for health
conditions such as hypertension, heart disease and stroke.
As of 2003, almost one-third of
American Indian/Alaska Natives in California were current
smokers.
Only 4.5% of AIAN adults in
California report being covered by Indian Health Service and nearly
20% report being uninsured.
In California in 2003, a
significantly greater proportion of American Indians with asthma
(51%) said they had had an attack compared with Whites (35.1%) and
Latinos (32.4%).
Proportionately more American Indians in California
suffer from heart disease than other ethnic minorities.
Source:
UCLA Center for Health
Policy Research,
California Interview Health Survey (2003)
PDF files when clicked.