Diabetes Among American Indians and Alaska Natives in California: Prevention is the Key

This fact sheet examines diabetes prevalence, co-morbidities of diabetes, health insurance status, and access to care for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIANs) in California and offers policy recommendations in response to these findings. Using data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey, the study demonstrates that, although AIANs have favorable rates of diabetes management measures, they have moderate rates of uninsurance, high rates of key risk factors as well as high rates of diabetes co-morbidities. Some key findings include:

• One in five AIAN adults age 65 and over report having diabetes.
• Approximately six in ten AIAN adults with diagnosed diabetes have also been diagnosed with high blood pressure -- nearly 2.8 times the rate of AIAN adults not diagnosed with diabetes.
• Over eight in ten AIAN adults with diabetes are overweight or obese as compared to six in ten AIANs not diagnosed with diabetes.
• Only 4.5% of AIAN adults report being covered by IHS and nearly 20% report being uninsured.
• Nearly 65% of AIAN adults with diabetes live below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level.

Funding for the research and the development of this fact sheet was provided by the California Endowment.

Publication Authors:

• Delight E. Satter, MPH
• Nilka Rios Burrows
• Melissa S. Gatchell
• Maile Tauali'i
• D. Tecumseh Welch