title: Self-reported asthma among American Indian and Alaska Native people in Alaska.
abstract: This study describes the lifetime prevalence of self-reported asthma among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people who participated in the Education and Research Towards Health (EARTH) study in Alaska. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of asthma prevalence by sex and its associations with sociodemographic, health, and environmental factors. Among 3,828 AI/AN adults, we found a higher age-sex adjusted prevalence of asthma (15.4%) than is found in the general U.S. adult (11.0%) population based on the 2006 National Health Interview Survey. After multivariable analysis, self-reported asthma among men was associated with increased age, unemployment, lower income, and obesity. Among women, self-reported asthma was associated with increased age, being divorced/separated, living in Alaska's southcentral region, self-reported fair/poor health status, obesity, and indoor mold. Our data suggest that AI/AN adults have higher prevalence of lifetime asthma than the general U.S. population. Further study is necessary to understand asthma in this population.
authors.affiliation: Southcentral Foundation. ljorell@anthc.org
authors.forename: Laurie J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Orell
authors.forename: Elizabeth D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Ferucci
authors.forename: Anne P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Lanier
authors.forename: Ruth A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Etzel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000413:Alaska / Q000453:epidemiology; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004930:Inuit / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D057566:Self Report; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult