Chronic Health Conditions Hit Native Elders Early

New Report on Native Elder Health Finds Asthma, Diabetes, Obesity Prevalent in Native Elders Years Before General Population

Native elders are aging earlier than other elderly groups, according to a new Center report that provides the first comprehensive information on American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) elder health in California.

Using the 2005 and 2007 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the report provides omnibus data on native elder health on topics ranging from demographics, obesity, alcohol and tobacco use, as well as cancer screening, mental health, health insurance and more.


The authors, Center researcher Delight Satter and Center Associate Director Steven P. Wallace, found significant health disparities between AIAN elders and other senior racial and ethnic groups on issues ranging from diabetes and cancer screening to the high risk of falls.

The report, which follows a fact sheet on native elder health published earlier this year, provides evidence to show that native elders are developing chronic conditions earlier than other racial and ethnic groups.

Among the findings:

Diabetes

One-quarter (26 percent) of AIANs aged 55-64 have been diagnosed with diabetes compared to 12 percent of whites.

Asthma

One in five AIAN elders ages 55-64 have been diagnosed with asthma (20 percent) compared to 9 percent of Latinos of the same age.

Obesity

Nearly one-half (44 percent) of AIAN elders age 55-64 are obese, compared to 38 percent of African-Americans, 34 percent of Latinos and 25 percent of whites.

“Chronic health problems for Natives are cresting ten years earlier than the general population,” said Satter. “While researchers have heard anecdotally about this phenomenon for a long time, this is the first data in California that shows the drastic early aging that is afflicting the native community.

“Hopefully the data will also be a rallying call to health experts, advocates, policymakers and the native community to support the programs and policies that contribute to healthier aging.”

Although national health status data exist on the AIAN population as a whole, there is a severe lack of state-level and sub-state level data focused on the health of AIAN elders. This report presents the first comprehensive population-level health data on California’s Native Elders.

This report was funded by the California Wellness Foundation, the California Area Indian Health Service, the Mayo Clinic Spirit of Eagles and the UCLA Tribal Learning Community and Educational Exchange.

Read the report: Health of American Indian and Alaska Native Elders in California


UCLA Center for Healthpolicy Research