Native American/Alaska Native Health

Health Status among American Indian and Alaska Natives
Jasmin Smith
Grand Canyon University: NRS-429V
April 19th, 2105

Indian American/Alaska Native
Indian American/Alaska Natives are one of the minority groups that struggle daily for improvement in cultural status, providing for their families, and living a healthy life. The percentage of Indian American/Alaska Natives who lacked health insurance in 2013 was 2.6% (CDC Feb 3rd, 2015). This paper will discuss the Indian American/Alaska Natives current health status, health promotion among this diverse minority group, and how this group relates to health disparities. Lastly, this paper will discuss three levels of health prevention that is likely to be the most effective given
Demographics, culture, and education define what socioeconomics the Indian American/Alaska Natives are categorized into. For example, low class, middle class, high class economics. The difficulties for equal employment and educational opportunities is key to pointing out these problems. The Leadership conference states, that as of 2004, thegraduation rate for American Indian high school students was less than 50 percent, and Native people were twice as likely as whites to have less than a 9th grade education. How is a person of a minority group able to provide health care and health maintenance to their family, if one can never increase or better themselves in a job that is unstable and low paying? Poverty, decreased access to healthcare, and low educational levels hinder the environmental growth for Native American children (TLC,
Primary prevention is ultimate health, it has no disease or dysfunction and is applied to people who are healthy. (Potter, P., Perry Griffin, A. Fundamentals of Nursing, 2005). For example, it is aimed to improve the health of a population, community through education, prevention, immunization, physical and fitness activities. Its focus is on individuals at risk for disease and promotes education on specific disease or prevention he main goal it to improving the general health of a population. This author believes this level of prevention is a good start to health promotion in the IA/ANs population. A good way to utilize this approach in the IA/ANs would be to help maintain good health practices already in place. Encourage people who already go to the doctors for wellness checks to keep going. Continue to educate why physical activates and prevention is so important to a person’s