Page 39 - Cultural Competence in Health Education

Changing U.S. Demographics 17

Data on the health status of this population show that Pacific Islanders have higher

rates of smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity than other racial and ethnic groups
do (OMH, 2007). Some leading causes of morbidity and mortality among Pacifi c
Islanders are cancer, heart disease, unintentional injuries (accidents), stroke, diabetes,
hepatitis B, and tuberculosis (OMH, 2007).

American Indians and Alaska Natives
In 2004, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated over 4 million people to be American Indi-
ans or Alaska Natives, entirely or in combination, representing slightly more than 1
percent of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007a). In 2005, 4.5 million peo-
ple were classifi ed as American Indian or Alaska Native (OMH, 2007). This group is
made up of individuals who have their origins in any of the original peoples of North,
Central, and South America and who maintain tribal affi liation or community attach-
ment (OMH, 2007; U.S. Census Bureau, 2007a). In 2004, American Indians and
Alaska Natives other than those living in Alaska were most likely to live in one of four
states: Arizona, California, Oklahoma, or New Mexico. Alaska had the highest propor-
tion of any state of single - race American Indians and Alaska Natives in its population
(U.S. Census Bureau, 2007a). Among American Indians, Cherokee, with 15 percent of
the population, was the largest tribal grouping, followed by Navajo (11 percent).
Among Alaska Natives, the Eskimo and Tlingit - Haida groups were the two largest
tribal subgroups (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007a).
American Indians and Alaska Natives were younger than non - Hispanic whites in
2004, with a median age of 31.9 years. American Indians and Alaska Natives aged 15
and older were less likely to be married than non - Hispanic whites (42 and 57 per-
cent, respectively). Approximately 68 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native
households were family households, with a large percentage (21 percent) maintained
by a female with no husband (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007a). Although only 7 percent
of American Indian and Alaska Native grandparents lived in the same household as
their grandchildren, a large percentage of them (58 percent) were responsible for the
care of the grandchildren. Finally, approximately 75 percent of American Indians
and Alaska Natives aged 5 and older spoke only English at home (U.S. Census
Bureau, 2007a).
Information on educational attainment showed that approximately three - quarters
of American Indians and Alaska Natives aged 25 and over had at least a high school
diploma and 14 percent had attained a bachelor ’ s degree or higher level of education
(OMH, 2007; U.S. Census Bureau, 2007a). American Indians and Alaska Natives aged
16 and older were employed in a variety of occupations, including 25 percent in man-
agement, professional, and related occupations; 23 percent in sales and offi ce occupa-
tions; and 22 percent in service occupations (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007a).
Still, the median household income of $ 31,600 for these two groups was $ 17,000
less than the median household income for non - Hispanic white households. Twenty -
five percent of American Indian and Alaska Native households lived below the poverty

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