Food Insecurity and Chronic Diseases Among American Indians in Rural Oklahoma: The THRIVE Study

Abstract

Objectives To examine food insecurity and cardiovascular disease–related health outcomes among American Indians (AIs) in rural Oklahoma. Methods We surveyed a cross-sectional sample of 513 AI adults to assess food insecurity domains (i.e., food quality and quantity) and obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Results Among AIs surveyed, 56% reported inadequate food quantity and 62% reported inadequate food quality. The unadjusted prevalence of diabetes (28.4% vs 18.4%), obesity (60.0% vs 48.3%), and hypertension (54.1% vs 41.6%) was higher among participants with inadequate food quantity than among those with adequate food quantity. These associations did not reach statistical significance after adjustment for age, gender, study site, education, and income. The unadjusted prevalence of obesity (60.7% vs 45.8%), diabetes (27.3% vs 18.8%), and hypertension (52.5% vs 42.5%) was higher among those with inadequate food quality than among those with adequate food quality, even after adjustment for age, gender, study site, education, and income. Conclusions Tribal, federal, and state policymakers, as well as businesses and nonprofit organizations, must collaboratively take aggressive action to address food insecurity and its underlying causes, including improving tribal food environments, reducing barriers to healthy foods, and increasing living wages.

Social Support and Physical Activity Among American Indians in Oklahoma: Results From a Community‐based Participatory Research Study

“…A community‐based participatory research (CBPR) orientation guided this study . Our ongoing tribal‐university partnership, initiated in 2012, is steered by a committee comprising university researchers experienced in conducting CBPR and key multisector stakeholders from the Chickasaw Nation and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, including representatives from tribal health promotion, nutritional and clinical services, tribal Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), and research divisions . The development of partnership processes and study methods were informed by partners’ previous CBPR with AIs in Oklahoma and elsewhere .…”

“…20,21 Our ongoing tribaluniversity partnership, initiated in 2012, is steered by a committee comprising university researchers experienced in conducting CBPR and key multisector stakeholders from the Chickasaw Nation and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, including representatives from tribal health promotion, nutritional and clinical services, tribal Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), and research divisions. 22,23 The development of partnership processes and study methods were informed by partners' previous CBPR with AIs in Oklahoma and elsewhere. [24][25][26][27] A unique aspect of this partnership was the participation of tribal commerce and marketing divisions, which provide economic and business expertise in creating environmental and policy interventions to promote health.…”

Negative health outcomes associated with food insecurity status in the United States of America: A systematic review of peer-reviewed studies

“…We identified seventeen peer-reviewed USA articles studying the association between FIS and diabetes (29,55,61,82,107,109,(111)(112)(113)(114)(115)(116)(137)(138)(139)(140). Of those manuscripts, twelve of them show a significant association (Table S2- patterns which may be difficult for FIS individuals (141).…”

Latent Class Analysis Offers Insight into the Complex Food Environments of Native American Communities: Findings from the Randomly Selected OPREVENT2 Trial Baseline Sample

“…More recently, Love et al found that frequent shopping at convenience stores, gas stations, or dollar stores as regular food sources was associated with an increased prevalence of obesity and diabetes [15]. Previous studies describing Native American food environments [12,13] did not examine the relationship between the food environment and BMI, although Jernigan et al described an association between food insecurity of Native American participants and higher prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension [42]. To our knowledge, no studies have examined the association between Native American food environments and food insecurity, and this could be explored in future research.…”