Understanding the Health Status of American Indians/Alaska Natives

New HHS Office of Minority Health and CDC Collaboration to Improve Understanding of the Health Status of American Indians and Alaska Natives

A new Intra-Agency agreement between the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will enhance a behavioral risk factor surveillance survey (BRFSS) to provide an improved understanding of the health status of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. As part of the CDC’s 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the CDC will conduct an oversampling in 11 states that have a higher proportion of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). 

The oversampling of AI/AN communities will increase understanding of health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, access to care and use of preventive services in the AI/AN population. Because of small sample sizes among American Indians and Alaska Natives, this information has typically been omitted from reports citing national health statistics. Data from the BRFSS oversample of American Indians and Alaska Natives will help public health officials tailor health promotion activities in these communities to achieve health equity. The survey is expected to be launched in early 2017.