Infectious disease hospitalizations among American Indian/Alaska Native and non–American Indian/Alaska Native persons in Alaska, 2010-2011

Prabhu P. Gounder; Robert C. Holman; Sara M. Seeman; Alice J. Rarig; Mary McEwen; Claudia A. Steiner; Michael L. Bartholomew; Thomas W. Hennessy

doi:10.1177/0033354916679807

Infectious disease hospitalizations among American Indian/Alaska Native and non–American Indian/Alaska Native persons in Alaska, 2010-2011

Prabhu P. Gounder, Robert C. Holman, Sara M. Seeman, Alice J. Rarig, Mary McEwen, Claudia A. Steiner, Michael L. Bartholomew, Thomas W. Hennessy

School of Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: Reports about infectious disease (ID) hospitalization rates among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons have been constrained by data limited to the tribal health care system and by comparisons with the general US population. We used a merged state database to determine ID hospitalization rates in Alaska. Methods: We combined 2010 and 2011 hospital discharge data from the Indian Health Service and the Alaska State Inpatient Database. We used the merged data set to calculate average annual age-adjusted and age-specific ID hospitalization rates for AI/AN and non-AI/AN persons in Alaska. We stratified the ID hospitalization rates by sex, age, and ID diagnosis. Results: ID diagnoses accounted for 19% (6501 of 34 160) of AI/AN hospitalizations, compared with 12% (7397 of 62 059) of non-AI/AN hospitalizations. The average annual age-adjusted hospitalization rate was >3 times higher for AI/AN persons (2697 per 100 000 population) than for non-AI/AN persons (730 per 100 000 population; rate ratio = 3.7, P < .001). Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), which occurred in 38% (2486 of 6501) of AI/AN persons, was the most common reason for ID hospitalization. AI/AN persons were significantly more likely than non-AI/AN persons to be hospitalized for LRTI (rate ratio = 5.2, P < .001). Conclusions: A substantial disparity in ID hospitalization rates exists between AI/AN and non-AI/AN persons, and the most common reason for ID hospitalization among AI/AN persons was LRTI. Public health programs and policies that address the risk factors for LRTI are likely to benefit AI/AN persons.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	65-75
Number of pages	11
Journal	Public health reports
Volume	132
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0033354916679807
State	Published - Jan 1 2017

Keywords

Epidemiology
Indian health service
Minority health
Native american

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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10.1177/0033354916679807

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@article{5f1df15cd24c4cb899460cd9df20f033,

title = "Infectious disease hospitalizations among American Indian/Alaska Native and non–American Indian/Alaska Native persons in Alaska, 2010-2011",

abstract = "Objective: Reports about infectious disease (ID) hospitalization rates among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons have been constrained by data limited to the tribal health care system and by comparisons with the general US population. We used a merged state database to determine ID hospitalization rates in Alaska. Methods: We combined 2010 and 2011 hospital discharge data from the Indian Health Service and the Alaska State Inpatient Database. We used the merged data set to calculate average annual age-adjusted and age-specific ID hospitalization rates for AI/AN and non-AI/AN persons in Alaska. We stratified the ID hospitalization rates by sex, age, and ID diagnosis. Results: ID diagnoses accounted for 19% (6501 of 34 160) of AI/AN hospitalizations, compared with 12% (7397 of 62 059) of non-AI/AN hospitalizations. The average annual age-adjusted hospitalization rate was >3 times higher for AI/AN persons (2697 per 100 000 population) than for non-AI/AN persons (730 per 100 000 population; rate ratio = 3.7, P < .001). Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), which occurred in 38% (2486 of 6501) of AI/AN persons, was the most common reason for ID hospitalization. AI/AN persons were significantly more likely than non-AI/AN persons to be hospitalized for LRTI (rate ratio = 5.2, P < .001). Conclusions: A substantial disparity in ID hospitalization rates exists between AI/AN and non-AI/AN persons, and the most common reason for ID hospitalization among AI/AN persons was LRTI. Public health programs and policies that address the risk factors for LRTI are likely to benefit AI/AN persons.",

keywords = "Epidemiology, Indian health service, Minority health, Native american",

author = "Gounder, {Prabhu P.} and Holman, {Robert C.} and Seeman, {Sara M.} and Rarig, {Alice J.} and Mary McEwen and Steiner, {Claudia A.} and Bartholomew, {Michael L.} and Hennessy, {Thomas W.}",

note = "Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study received in-kind support (no grant support) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Indian Health Service, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Preliminary results from this study were presented at the 16th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Oulu, Finland, June 10, 2015. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health All rights reserved.",

year = "2017",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1177/0033354916679807",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "132",

pages = "65--75",

journal = "Public health reports",

issn = "0033-3549",

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number = "1",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Infectious disease hospitalizations among American Indian/Alaska Native and non–American Indian/Alaska Native persons in Alaska, 2010-2011

AU - Gounder, Prabhu P.

AU - Holman, Robert C.

AU - Seeman, Sara M.

AU - Rarig, Alice J.

AU - McEwen, Mary

AU - Steiner, Claudia A.

AU - Bartholomew, Michael L.

AU - Hennessy, Thomas W.

N1 - Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study received in-kind support (no grant support) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Indian Health Service, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Preliminary results from this study were presented at the 16th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Oulu, Finland, June 10, 2015. Publisher Copyright: © 2016, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health All rights reserved.

PY - 2017/1/1

Y1 - 2017/1/1

N2 - Objective: Reports about infectious disease (ID) hospitalization rates among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons have been constrained by data limited to the tribal health care system and by comparisons with the general US population. We used a merged state database to determine ID hospitalization rates in Alaska. Methods: We combined 2010 and 2011 hospital discharge data from the Indian Health Service and the Alaska State Inpatient Database. We used the merged data set to calculate average annual age-adjusted and age-specific ID hospitalization rates for AI/AN and non-AI/AN persons in Alaska. We stratified the ID hospitalization rates by sex, age, and ID diagnosis. Results: ID diagnoses accounted for 19% (6501 of 34 160) of AI/AN hospitalizations, compared with 12% (7397 of 62 059) of non-AI/AN hospitalizations. The average annual age-adjusted hospitalization rate was >3 times higher for AI/AN persons (2697 per 100 000 population) than for non-AI/AN persons (730 per 100 000 population; rate ratio = 3.7, P < .001). Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), which occurred in 38% (2486 of 6501) of AI/AN persons, was the most common reason for ID hospitalization. AI/AN persons were significantly more likely than non-AI/AN persons to be hospitalized for LRTI (rate ratio = 5.2, P < .001). Conclusions: A substantial disparity in ID hospitalization rates exists between AI/AN and non-AI/AN persons, and the most common reason for ID hospitalization among AI/AN persons was LRTI. Public health programs and policies that address the risk factors for LRTI are likely to benefit AI/AN persons.

AB - Objective: Reports about infectious disease (ID) hospitalization rates among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons have been constrained by data limited to the tribal health care system and by comparisons with the general US population. We used a merged state database to determine ID hospitalization rates in Alaska. Methods: We combined 2010 and 2011 hospital discharge data from the Indian Health Service and the Alaska State Inpatient Database. We used the merged data set to calculate average annual age-adjusted and age-specific ID hospitalization rates for AI/AN and non-AI/AN persons in Alaska. We stratified the ID hospitalization rates by sex, age, and ID diagnosis. Results: ID diagnoses accounted for 19% (6501 of 34 160) of AI/AN hospitalizations, compared with 12% (7397 of 62 059) of non-AI/AN hospitalizations. The average annual age-adjusted hospitalization rate was >3 times higher for AI/AN persons (2697 per 100 000 population) than for non-AI/AN persons (730 per 100 000 population; rate ratio = 3.7, P < .001). Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), which occurred in 38% (2486 of 6501) of AI/AN persons, was the most common reason for ID hospitalization. AI/AN persons were significantly more likely than non-AI/AN persons to be hospitalized for LRTI (rate ratio = 5.2, P < .001). Conclusions: A substantial disparity in ID hospitalization rates exists between AI/AN and non-AI/AN persons, and the most common reason for ID hospitalization among AI/AN persons was LRTI. Public health programs and policies that address the risk factors for LRTI are likely to benefit AI/AN persons.

KW - Epidemiology

KW - Indian health service

KW - Minority health

KW - Native american

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Infectious disease hospitalizations among American Indian/Alaska Native and non–American Indian/Alaska Native persons in Alaska, 2010-2011

Abstract

Keywords

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