The health of Navajo women: findings from the Navajo Health and Nutrition Survey, 1991-1992.
Cancer-screening behaviors, reproductive history, risk behaviors during pregnancy and chronic disease risk factors were examined in a representative sample of 566 Navajo women residing on the Navajo Reservation in 1991-1992. Among all women 15 y and older, 59% were overweight, 4% were current smokers, 10% currently used smokeless tobacco and 12% were anemic. Seventy-one percent of Navajo women aged 18 and older reported ever having had a Pap smear, but only 35% of women aged 50 and over reported ever having had a mammogram. Among parous women, the prevalence of having received no prenatal care for any pregnancy declined from 60% among women 60 and older to 13% among women 20-29 y of age, and the prevalence of ever having had a child born at home declined from 82 to 2%. These data suggest marked secular improvement in these pregnancy-related risk behaviors. However, data on cancer-screening behaviors indicate opportunities to improve health of Navajo women by increasing their use of mammography and Pap smear screening services.
Strauss
K F
KF
Nutrition and Dietetics Section, Indian Health service, Rockville, MD 20857, USA.
Mokdad
A
A
Ballew
C
C
Mendlein
J M
JM
Will
J C
JC
Goldberg
H I
HI
White
L
L
Serdula
M K
MK
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D015206:Southwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D016387:Women's Health; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data