Partnership to Strengthen the Heartbeat of Native American and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Communities

12-12. Increase the proportion of adults who have had their blood pressure measured within the preceding 2 years and can state whether their blood pressure was normal or high.

27-1. Reduce tobacco use by adults.

22-1. Reduce the proportion of adults who engage in no leisure-time physical activity.

Prevent Development of Risk Factors

Through population and clinical approaches, increase the percentage of children and adults who engage in heart-healthy behaviors to prevent the development of cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Detect and Treat Risk Factors

Increase the percentage of patients who have their CVD risk factors detected and who implement lifestyle and/or pharmacologic intervention and successfully control their blood pressure and cholesterol levels and weight to prevent the development of CVD.

1. Increase awareness of the burden of CVD in the target communities and promote the adoption of heart health behaviors and practices in a culturally appropriate way.

2. Engage the community through a partnership of various groups to become involved in the development and implementation of heart health education and outreach.

3. Implement outreach activities with the unique approaches identified by each community using the products and materials developed for each one.

4. Monitor and assess the progress made in each community.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in adult American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. More AI/AN over 45 years die of heart disease than any other disease. High blood pressure is increasing in Native populations. Recent data from the DHHS Office of Women’s Health revealed that AI/AN women are least likely to have a blood pressure screening (27 percent) compared to Caucasian women (80 percent). In 1998, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute funded three CVD assessment projects in AI/AN communities. The contract was carried out by the Native American Mangement Services, Inc. The purpose of the project was to conduct formative research to better understand the specific heart-health needs and opportunities to implement community-based interventions to reduce CVD-related health disparities in these communities. The communities were: 1) Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma with about 2,500 members; 2) Bristol Bay Area Corporation with 32 villages in Southwestern Alaska; and 3) Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico with about 4,000 members.