Health observances

Diabetes awareness

Rates of early-onset diabetes are disproportionately high in Indigenous populations. Therefore, including youth in diabetes prevention efforts is crucial.

In observance of American Diabetes Month, read about Together Overcoming Diabetes (TOD), a home-based, family-centered program that centers intergenerational learning to help youth and adults adopt healthier habits.

The program was initially developed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health with White Mountain Apache and Navajo communities. Since then, TOD has been adapted by Ojibwe communities in the Great Lakes and, more recently, Lakota communities in the Great Plains.

Families participating in TOD receive hands-on support and regular follow-up from health coaches. Early results suggest TOD:

• Increases awareness of healthy choices and lowers consumption of sugary drinks among youth
• Improves self-care and reduces emotional stress among adults with type 2 diabetes

Alzheimer’s disease awareness

During National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, read a success story (PDF, 396 KB, 2 pp) about how community health aides make it possible for Native elders to age in place with dementia.

Mt. Sanford Tribal Consortium is a tribal health organization that operates a community health aide primary care clinic in Chistochina, an Athabascan village in rural Alaska.

The consortium partnered with the Cheesh’na Tribal Council and the Community Health Aide/Practitioner Program to increase access to timely interventions that help improve quality of life for people with dementia. As a result of that partnership:

• Clinic staff, first responders, and other community members are trained to identify early signs of dementia and notify the care team accordingly
• Health aides and elders spend more time together during longer, more frequent home visits
• Health aides are empowered to advocate for elders who might require extra support from their family or care team

Lung cancer awareness

November is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and this year, November 20 is the Great American Smokeout.

The American Indian Cancer Foundation reports that rates of smoking are higher among Native people, compared with other racial or ethnic groups. Habitual use of commercial tobacco increases one’s risk for lung cancer. Unlike traditional tobacco used for ceremonial purposes, commercial tobacco is both addictive and toxic.

Know someone who wants to stop smoking? Let them know Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace plans offer coverage for counseling to help people quit.

Additional resources

Motivational interviewing

Motivational interviewing is a collaborative, non-judgmental, and empathetic approach to building rapport with patients and empowering them to make informed decisions.

The National Council of Urban Indian Health now offers two fact sheets on the use of motivational interviewing to improve vaccine confidence.

Intended for health care providers, both fact sheets highlight the importance of:

• Open-ended questions to encourage patients to share their stories, personal beliefs, and fears
• Affirmations to validate each patient’s strengths and experiences
• Reflective listening to demonstrate that a patient’s concerns have been heard
• Summaries of the conversation to confirm understanding and invite the patient to provide additional context

Funding opportunities

Calendar of events