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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Catherine A. Okoro, MS¹, Clark H. Denny, PhD², Lisa C. McGuire, PhD¹, Lina S. Balluz, ScD, MPH¹, and Ali H. Mokdad, PhD¹. (1) Division of Adult and Community Health, Behavioral Surveillance Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, M/S K66, Atlanta, GA 30341, 7704882477, cokoro@cdc.gov, (2) Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, M/S K47, Atlanta, GA 30341

Objectives: To estimate and compare the prevalence of self-reported disability among older American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIANs) with that of other race/ethnic groups. To estimate and compare health risk behaviors and comorbidities of older AIANs with other race/ethnic groups within the disabled population.

Methods: Data were analyzed for 259,810 community-dwelling adults age 50 years or older from the 2003 and 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Logistic regression was used to estimate conditional marginal probabilities of health risk behaviors (e.g., current smoking, physical inactivity, heavy and/or binge drinking) and comorbid conditions (e.g., diabetes, doctor-diagnosed arthritis, asthma) by race/ethnicity among those with disabilities.

Results: Among older adults, the unadjusted prevalence of disability was 42.3% among AIANs, 29.6% among whites, 32.8% among blacks, 13.3% among Asians, and 26.4% among Hispanics. After adjustment for age, sex, and disability severity, AIANs were significantly more likely to smoke than whites, blacks, and Hispanics (24.9% vs. 14.6%, 17.0%, and 10.7%, respectively); and they were more likely than Hispanics to consume <5 fruits or vegetables per day (80.2% vs. 70.4%). AIANs were significantly more likely to have diabetes than whites (29.0% vs. 19.0%).

Conclusions: AIAN older adults have a higher prevalence of disability than the other race/ethnic groups examined. Public health interventions for AIANs should be designed to specifically target health risk behaviors and comorbid conditions that disproportionately affect them.

Learning Objectives:

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• Participants will be able to articulate the differences in self-reported disability by race/ethnicity in older adults. (
• Participants will be able to articulate the differences in health risk behaviors and comorbid conditions experienced by older American Indians and Alaska Natives in comparison to other race/ethnic groups.

Keywords: American Indians, Disability

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered