The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #51065

Dawn McCusker, MS, MPH, Stephen Everett, MPH, Dina George, and Nancy Miller-Korth, MSN. Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Inc., Great Lakes EpiCenter, P.O. Box 9, LAc du Flambeau, WI 54538

Over the past decade, the practice of public health and epidemiology have changed in Native American communities. As a result, the Indian Health Service (IHS) has funded regional epidemiology centers to provide epidemiological technical assistance at the local level. The Great Lakes Epidemiology Center is one of six IHS funded Epidemiology Centers (EpiCenters) throughout the U.S. serving Tribes in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Tribes are developing an understanding of the need for epidemiologic surveillance, research, and evaluation and are building capacity for these activities through the technical assistance and training provided by the EpiCenter. Since 1996, the EpiCenter has evolved with the Tribes to develop a better understanding of what epidemiological services are needed and methods for ensuring tribal involvement in research. A few barriers have included: 1) lack of understanding of the need and usefulness of health data; 2) lack of capacity to interpret health data; 3) lack of understanding and use of currently available health data resources; and 4) lack of policies and awareness (on behalf of the Tribes and researchers) of data issues in research involving Tribal communities. Over the past 5 years, the Great Lakes EpiCenter has worked on addressing these barriers. Tribal Health Administrators, tribal health staff, and tribal government leaders increasingly use health information when negotiating with government agencies, seeking funding, setting health priorities, and designing and evaluating public health programs. Additionally, policies surrounding research (i.e. data sharing and publication rights) have been developed to ensure Tribal partnership in research conducted in tribal communities.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe public health and epidemiologic issues impacting Native People in the upper Midwest United States and how the Great Lakes Epidemiology Center is addressing some of them.
• To identify common themes about how epidemiologic capacity can be built in Indian County in the US
• Describe relevant epidemiologic methods or important health and health risk findings from activities conducted by the "Epi Centers" that could be used to improve the health and well being of Native peoples in the US.

Keywords: Epidemiology, American Indians

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.