Patterns of health risk behaviors for chronic disease: a comparison between adolescent and adult American Indians living on or near reservations in Montana.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the chronic disease health risk behavior patterns of adolescents and adults among American Indians living on or near reservations in Montana.


METHODS
We analyzed data from the 1993 Youth Risk Behavior Survey of American Indians in Grades 9-12 living on or near Montana reservations. Risk factors included tobacco use, low physical activity, attempted weight loss, and low consumption of fruits, vegetables, and green salad. Similar data were analyzed from a 1994 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey of American Indian adults living on or near reservations in Montana.


RESULTS
The prevalence of most adolescent health risk behaviors was high, especially cigarette smoking (45% for males, 57% for females), smokeless tobacco use (44% for males, 30% for females), and infrequent consumption of salad or vegetables (59-76%). With the exception of daily cigarette smoking and inadequate fruit consumption among adolescents of both genders and physical inactivity among adolescent males, the prevalence of chronic disease health risk behaviors among adolescents was similar to or higher than the prevalence of the same risk behaviors among adults.


CONCLUSIONS
Many health risk behaviors for chronic diseases are common by the time this group of American Indians in Montana has reached adolescence. Possible reasons may include modeling of familial behaviors, peer pressure, advertising, or age cohort effects. If these risk behavior patterns continue into adulthood, morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases are likely to remain high. Substantial efforts are needed to prevent or reduce health risk behaviors among adolescents and adults in this population.
Nelson
D E
DE
Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3724, USA.
Moon
R W
RW
Holtzman
D
D
Smith
P
P
Siegel
P Z
PZ
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008019:Life Style / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009009:Montana / Q000453:epidemiology; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless