Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of disabilities among older American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIANs) and compare these estimates with those of other major racial/ ethnic groups. To estimate, within the population with disabilities, the health-risk behaviors, obesity, and chronic conditions of older AIANs and compare them with estimates for other racial/ethnic groups.
Design: State-based surveillance system that collects data on a monthly basis using an independent probability sample of households with telephones among the noninstitutionalized population aged > or =18 years.
Methods: We analyzed data on 434,972 noninstitutionalized adults aged > or =50 years from the 2003-2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
Results: Among older AIAN adults, the unadjusted prevalence of disability (38.4%) was higher than among Whites (29.7%), Blacks (33.5%), Asians (15.6%), and Hispanics (26.9%). Among older adults with disabilities, AIANs were younger than their counterparts in other groups and were as likely to be male as female. After adjustment for age and self-rated health, both AIAN men and women with disabilities had the highest prevalence of current smoking, heart disease, and asthma.
Conclusions: Efforts to prevent, delay, and reduce disabilities and associated secondary conditions in persons with disabilities must be culturally sensitive and targeted toward reducing racial/ethnic disparities in health-risk behaviors and chronic conditions.