TY - JOUR
T1 - Measuring the health status gap for American Indians/Alaska Natives
T2 - Getting closer to the truth
AU - Puukka, Emily
AU - Stehr-Green, Paul
AU - Becker, Thomas M.
PY - 2005/5
Y1 - 2005/5
N2 - Objectives. We compared the historical method of calculating cancer incidence rates with 2 new methods to determine which approach optimally estimates the burden of cancer among the Northwest American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) population. Methods. The first method replicates the traditional way of calculating race-specific rates, and the 2 new methods use probabilistic record linkages to ascertain cancer cases. We indirectly adjusted all rates to the standard 2000 US population, Results. Whereas the historical cancer incidence rates for all races are more than double those for the AIAN population, this apparent gap is considerably narrower when the all-race rates are compared with AlAN-specific rates calculated with probabilistic linkage methods. Similarly, there is no meaningful difference in incidence rates for selected site- and gender-specific cancers between the AIAN population and all races combined, and, in fact, some of these rates may be higher among the AIAN population. Conclusions. Our results suggest that the burden of cancer among the AIAN population is considerably higher than was previously understood. We recommend that a standardized approach based on probabilistic linkage methods be adopted and that adequate financial and technical support be made available for conducting routine linkage studies throughout Indian communities.
AB - Objectives. We compared the historical method of calculating cancer incidence rates with 2 new methods to determine which approach optimally estimates the burden of cancer among the Northwest American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) population. Methods. The first method replicates the traditional way of calculating race-specific rates, and the 2 new methods use probabilistic record linkages to ascertain cancer cases. We indirectly adjusted all rates to the standard 2000 US population, Results. Whereas the historical cancer incidence rates for all races are more than double those for the AIAN population, this apparent gap is considerably narrower when the all-race rates are compared with AlAN-specific rates calculated with probabilistic linkage methods. Similarly, there is no meaningful difference in incidence rates for selected site- and gender-specific cancers between the AIAN population and all races combined, and, in fact, some of these rates may be higher among the AIAN population. Conclusions. Our results suggest that the burden of cancer among the AIAN population is considerably higher than was previously understood. We recommend that a standardized approach based on probabilistic linkage methods be adopted and that adequate financial and technical support be made available for conducting routine linkage studies throughout Indian communities.
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U2 - 10.2105/AJPH.2004.053769
DO - 10.2105/AJPH.2004.053769
M3 - Article
C2 - 15855463
AN - SCOPUS:17844384199
SN - 0090-0036
VL - 95
SP - 838
EP - 843
JO - American journal of public health
JF - American journal of public health
IS - 5
ER -