Research consistently shows that American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) face substantial health inequities related to both chronic conditions and substance use. 

Driven by structural factors including historical trauma, systemic racism, socioeconomic disadvantage, and lack of access to quality, culturally appropriate healthcare, AIAN adults in the U.S. live with hypertension and diabetes at rates substantially higher than those among all U.S. adults. 

While this is important information for AIAN communities, healthcare professionals, researchers, and advocates, it’s also incomplete. The data fail to capture the key differences that exist within the diverse AIAN population. 

Join us Thursday, July 23, as the authors of a series of UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (CHPR) publications discuss findings from their research that highlight key differences in chronic conditions and substance use across some of California’s AIAN demographic subgroups. The new research is the first in a series of projects funded by the California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc. (CRIHB) California Tribal Epidemiology Center (CTEC) that examines the health of American Indian and Alaska Native populations in the state.

Using combined 2020 to 2024 data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), researchers will compare overall rates of chronic conditions (diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, uncontrolled blood pressure) and substance use (cigarette and e-cigarette smoking, marijuana use, binge drinking) among AIAN adults with other racial and ethnic groups. 

Researchers will provide a closer look at several demographic groups within California’s AIAN population, highlighting differences by educational level, income, gender identity, and sexual identity. They will also discuss some policy recommendations that would help direct prevention and treatment resources toward the communities that need them most.