Responsible Research With Urban American Indians and Alaska Natives.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities harbor understandable mistrust of research. Outside researchers have historically controlled processes, promulgating conclusions and recommended policies with virtually no input from the communities studied. Reservation-based communities can apply sovereignty rights conferred by the federal government to change this research trajectory.

Changes in Physical Activity Barriers among American Indian Elders: A Pilot Study​.

The objective of the present study was to assess whether selfreported physical activity barriers could be reduced among American Indian elders who participated in a 6-week randomized physical activity trial that compared the use of a pedometer only to that of pedometers with step-count goal setting. Elders (N = 32) were compared on the Barriers to Being Physically Active Quiz after participating in a pilot physical activity trial. Elders were classified into high- and low-barrier groups at baseline and compared on self-reported physical activity, health-related quality of life, pedometer step counts, and 6-minute walk performance.

Addressing the Challenges of Research With Small Populations.

Public health policy relies on accurate data, which are often unavailable for small populations, especially indigenous groups. Yet these groups have some of the worst health disparities in the United States, making it an ethical imperative to explore creative solutions to the problem of insufficient data. We discuss the limits of widely applied methods of data aggregation and propose a mixed-methods approach to data borrowing as a way to augment sample sizes.

Does pedometer goal setting improve physical activity among Native elders? Results from a randomized pilot study.

We examined if step-count goal setting resulted in increases in physical activity and walking compared to only monitoring step counts with pedometers among American Indian/Alaska Native elders. Outcomes included step counts, self-reported physical activity and well-being, and performance on the 6-minute walk test. Although no significant between-group differences were found, within-group analyses indicated that elders significantly improved on the majority of step count, physical activity, health-related quality of life, and 6-minute walk outcomes.

Barriers and facilitators to walking and physical activity among American Indian elders.

Introduction: Physical inactivity is common among older American Indians. Several barriers impede the establishment and maintenance of routine exercise. We examined personal and built-environment barriers and facilitators to walking and physical activity and their relationship with health-related quality of life in American Indian elders.

A randomized controlled calendar mail-out to increase cancer screening among urban American Indian and Alaska Native patients.

This study seeks to ascertain whether a culturally tailored art calendar could improve participation in cancer screening activities. We conducted a randomized, controlled calendar mail-out in which a Native art calendar was sent by first class mail to 5,633 patients seen at an urban American Indian clinic during the prior 2 years. Using random assignment, half of the patients were mailed a "message" calendar with screening information and reminders on breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer; the other half received a calendar without messages.

Adaptation of a smoking cessation and prevention website for urban American Indian/Alaska Native youth.

Tobacco use among American Indian youth is a disproportionately significant problem. We adapted and modified an existing web-based and youth-focused tobacco control program to make it appropriate for young urban American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). The results of the focus group indicate that AI/AN youth were very receptive to the use of a web-based Zine-style intervention tool.

Education is associated with physical activity among American Indian elders.

Although educational attainment and physical activity levels tend to be positively associated in majority populations, this relationship has not been investigated in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) elders. This study examined the association between education and physical activity among AI/AN elders (N = 107) using self-report and behavioral outcomes. Regression models showed that higher education was significantly associated with total caloric expenditure for moderate intensity physical activities and distance traveled during a 6-minute walk test of fitness.

Urban American Indian and Alaska Native youth: youth risk behavior survey 1997-2003.

Objective: To examine the prevalence of health risk-behaviors among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth in urban areas.

Methods: Data from the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) for the years 1997-2003 were used for the analyses (Urban sample = 52,364). The YRBS is a self-report questionnaire administered to a sample of 9th-12th grade students intended to monitor health risk-behaviors.

A randomized trial to increase physical activity among native elders.

Objective: Physical inactivity is common among older populations and American Indians. Our objective was to compare two methods for increasing physical activity and walking among American Indian elders.

Methods: We conducted a two arm randomized trial to increase physical activity in 125 American Indians aged 50-74 years at the Seattle Indian Health Board in 2005.

A nationwide population-based study identifying health disparities between American Indians/Alaska Natives and the general populations living in select urban counties.

Objectives: Despite their increasing numbers, little is known about the health of American Indians/Alaska Natives living in urban areas. We examined the health status of American Indian/Alaska Native populations served by 34 federally funded urban Indian health organizations.

Methods: We analyzed US census data and vital statistics data for the period 1990 to 2000.

Journeys of the Circle: a culturally congruent life skills intervention for adolescent Indian drinking.

There has been an increasing call for and development of culturally appropriate substance prevention/intervention for ethnic minorities in schools and communities, especially among reservation and in urban American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities. Past attempts to intervene in and reduce misuse of alcohol and other drugs have not had great success. The Journeys of the Circle Project utilized innovative programs with a strong emphasis on historic cultural traditions.