Bi-cultural dynamics for risk and protective factors for cardiometabolic health in an Alaska Native (Yup’ik) population

Abstract

Alaska Native people experience disparities in mortality from heart disease and stroke. This work attempts to better understand the relationships between socioeconomic, behavioral, and cardiometabolic risk factors among Yup’ik people of southwestern Alaska, with a focus on the role of the socioeconomic, and cultural components. Using a cross-sectional sample of 486 Yup’ik adults, we fitted a Partial Least Squares Path Model (PLS-PM) to assess the associations between components, including demographic factors [age and gender], socioeconomic factors [education, economic status, Yup’ik culture, and Western culture], behavioral factors [diet, cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use, and physical activity], and cardiometabolic risk factors [adiposity, triglyceride-HDL and LDL lipids, glycemia, and blood pressure]. We found relatively mild associations of education and economic status with cardiometabolic risk factors, in contrast with studies in other populations. The socioeconomic factor and participation in Yup’ik culture had potentially protective associations with adiposity, triglyceride-HDL lipids, and blood pressure, whereas participation in Western culture had a protective association with blood pressure. We also found a moderating effect of participation in Western culture on the relationships between Yup’ik culture participation and both blood pressure and LDL lipids, indicating a potentially beneficial additional effect of bi-culturalism. Our results suggest that reinforcing protective effects of both Yup’ik and Western cultures could be useful for interventions aimed at reducing cardiometabolic health disparities.

Health effects of Indigenous language use and revitalization: a realist review

“…Some reports include multiple issues and/or techniques and will thus be listed more than once. Health Outcome Positive Neutral Negative a. Qualitative studies General [ 21 ], [ 35 ], [ 40 ], [ 41 ], [ 42 ], [ 43 ], [ 44 ], [ 45 ], [ 46 ], [ 47 ], [ 48 ], [ 49 ], [ 50 ], [ 51 ], [ 52 ], [ 53 ], [ 54 ], [ 55 ] [ 56 ] Education [ 57 ], [ 58 ], [ 59 ], [ 60 ], [ 61 ], [ 62 ], [ 63 ] b. Quantitative studies General [ 64 ], [ 65 ], [ 66 ], [ 67 ], [ 68 ], [ 69 ], [ 70 ], [ 71 ], [ 72 ], [ 73 ], [ 74 ], [ 75 ], [ 76 ], [ 77 ], [ 78 ], [ 79 ], [ 80 ], [ 81 ] [ 21 ], [ 82 ], [ 83 ], [ …”

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Diet quality is positively associated with intake of traditional foods and does not differ by season in remote Yup’ik communities

“…A high intake of traditional foods is associated with lower levels of metabolic syndrome [ 1 ] and cardiometabolic risk factors [ 2 ]. Ties to traditional food systems provide additional health benefits through adherence to cultural and spiritual practices and increased physical activity [ 3 , 4 ]. In Yup’ik communities, traditional foods are also the primary source of key nutrients including vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids and other vitamins [ 5 , 6 ] and are closely related to food security and diet quality [ 7–9 ].…”

Physical Activity, Sleep, and Demographic Patterns in Alaska Native Children and Youth Living in Anaktuvuk Pass

“…Other works undertaken with AI youth assessing objective measures do not report cross-sectional PA patterns [ 21 ], and one study with urban AI youth reports an average of 178.80 min of MVPA per day [ 22 ]. Moreover, pedometer and accelerometer data in Yup’ik adults report an average of 7531 steps per day [ 23 ] and an average of 201.90 min of MVPA/day [ 24 ], respectively. The sparse amount of work supports the need to better understand PA patterns in AIAN youth, especially Nunamiut in Anaktuvuk Pass.…”