Cancer risks and Native Americans: The ‘Healthy Living In Two Worlds’ study

Abstract

Objective: This project collected data on cancer risk factors among urban Native American youth in the northeast to inform development of a prevention initiative. Design: Face to face interviews were conducted. Setting: Interviews were conducted in homes, at a social service agency, and in a private space at a Native American cultural event in Buffalo and Niagara Falls, New York. Methods: Forty-one youth (ages 9–13) and 17 caregivers were interviewed about their health behaviours. Results: Poor dietary choices and a sedentary lifestyle places these youth at risk for developing cancer later in life. Many of these youth’s family members and some of their peers smoke, thus exposing them to the temptation to initiate smoking and the effects of second hand smoke. Conclusion: This data informed development of a curriculum designed to reduce the cancer risk factors of poor diet, recreational tobacco use, and limited physical activity.