American Indian Health : Innovations in Health Care, Promotion, and Policy

Disease Processes Among American Indians And Alaska Natives Often Have Distinct Manifestations That Need To Be Considered By Clinicians And Health Policy Makers Involved With These Populations. Equally Important, All Aspects Of Indian Life, Including Health, Are Governed By The Special Relationship Between Indian Tribes And The U.s. Federal Government. For American Indian Health, Everett R. Rhoades Has Gathered A Distinguished Group Of Scholars And Practitioners To Present A Comprehensive Assessment Of The Health Of American Indian Peoples Today And The Delivery Of Health Services To Them. Book Jacket.--jacket. The Demographics Of Indian Health. The Aboriginal Peoples Of America -- Health Conditions Before Columbus : The Paleopathology Of Native North Americans -- Selected Demographic Characteristics Of Indians. The Political And Administrative Bases Of Indian Health. The Relation Of Indian Nations To The U.s. Government -- The History And Organization Of Indian Health Services And Systems -- Data Sources And Subsets Of The Indian Population. Major Diseases And Health Conditions Affecting Indians. Health Status And Clinical Indicators -- Genetic Polymorphism And American Indian Origins, Affinities, And Health -- Maternal, Child, And Youth Health -- The Rise Of Cardiovascular Diseases -- Cancer Among American Indians And Alaska Natives -- Nutritional Health And Diet-related Conditions -- Diabetes Mellitus And Its Complications -- Unintentional Injuries And Trauma -- Suicide Among American Indians And Alaska Natives -- Alcoholism And Substance Abuse -- Tobacco Use -- Mental Health And Mental Disorders -- Diseases Of The Immune And Collagen Vascular Systems -- Infectious Diseases -- Oral Health -- Environmental Health And Construction Programs. Special Cultural And Ethical Considerations. Traditional Indian And Modern Western Medicine -- Cultural Considerations In Providing Care To American Indians -- Research Ethics And The American Indian -- The Future Of Indian Health. Edited By Everett R. Rhoades. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Disease processes among American Indians and Alaska Natives often have distinct manifestations that need to be considered by clinicians and health policy makers involved with these populations. Equally important, all aspects of Indian life, including health, are governed by the special relationship between Indian tribes and the U.S. federal government. In American Indian Health, Everett R. Rhoades brings his extensive expertise to bear on these themes -- he is an American Indian physician specializing in internal medicine and infectious diseases; from 1982 to 1993 he served as assistant surgeon general, and he was the first Indian director of the Indian Health Service.In this book, Rhoades gathers experts to present a comprehensive assessment of the health of American Indian peoples and the delivery of health services to them. The book is organized into four parts. Part I describes the migration and history of aboriginal peoples in North America, health conditions before Columbus, and demographic characteristics of Indians. Part II discusses the relations of Indian nations to the U.S. government, the history and organization of the Indian Health Service, and data sources for the Indian population. Part III forms the bulk of the book (chaps. 7-22); it addresses specific health problems, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, injury, suicide, and alcoholism. Part IV looks at the interaction of traditional Indian and modern Western medicine, cultural considerations involved in providing care to Indians, and research ethics.

Disease processes among American Indians and Alaska Natives often have distinct manifestations that need to be considered by clinicians and health policy makers involved with these populations. Equally important, all aspects of Indian life—including health—are governed by the special relationship between Indian tribes and the U.S. federal government. For American Indian Health, Everett R. Rhoades has gathered a distinguished group of scholars and practitioners to present a comprehensive assessment of the health of American Indian peoples today and the delivery of health services to them.

As presently understood, the story of American Indian health begins about 20,000-14,000 years ago, when, for reasons obscure but undoubtedly associated with shifts in climate, the first humans known to inhabit the Western Hemisphere made their appearance in North America.