Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2007 Sep 1;166(5):606-15.
doi: 10.1093/aje/kwm109. Epub 2007 Jun 22.

A prospective cohort of American Indian and Alaska Native people: study design, methods, and implementation

M L Slattery  1 , M C Schumacher, A P Lanier, S Edwards, R Edwards, M A Murtaugh, J Sandidge, G E Day, D Kaufman, S Kanekar, L Tom-Orme, J A Henderson
Affiliations

A prospective cohort of American Indian and Alaska Native people: study design, methods, and implementation

M L Slattery et al. Am J Epidemiol. .

Abstract

In 2001, the National Cancer Institute funded three centers to test the feasibility of establishing a cohort of American Indian and Alaska Native people. Participating tribal organizations named the study EARTH (Education and Research Towards Health). This paper describes the study methods. A computerized data collection and tracking system was developed using audio computer-assisted survey methodology with touch screens. Data were collected on diet, physical activity, lifestyle and cultural practices, medical and reproductive history, and family history of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. In addition, a small panel of medical measurements was obtained, including height, weight, waist and hip circumferences, blood pressure, and a lipid panel plus glucose. At the completion of the enrollment visit, data were used to provide immediate health feedback to study participants. During the initial funding period, the authors anticipate enrolling 16,000 American Indian and Alaska Native participants. The age distribution of the study population was similar to that reported in the 2000 US Census for the relevant populations. A component critical to the success of the EARTH Study has been the partnerships with tribal members. The study has focused on involvement of American Indian and Alaska Native communities in development and implementation and on provision of feedback to participants and communities.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: none declared.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Organization of the Education and Research Towards Health (EARTH) Study of American Indian and Alaska Native people.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Tracking system bar used in the Study Computer Assisted Participant Evaluation System (SCAPES) of the Education and Research Towards Health (EARTH) Study of American Indian and Alaska Native people. Hr, hours; Min, minutes; DHQ, diet history questionnaire; HLPA, Health, Lifestyle, and Physical Activity Questionnaire.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Data flow overview. Data are initially entered into the Study Computer Assisted Participant Evaluation System (SCAPES) and are managed through the Education and Research Towards Health (EARTH) Data Management System (ESDM) for the EARTH Study of American Indian and Alaska Native people.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Comparison of age distribution between Alaska and Navajo study participants in the Education and Research Towards Health (EARTH) Study to 2000 US Census data.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Rhoades ER. American Indians and Alaska Natives—overview of the population. Public Health Rep. 1996. pp. 49–50. - PMC - PubMed
    1. US Indian Health Service, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Legislation, Division of Program Statistics. 1996 trends in Indian health. Rockville, MD: US Indian Health Service; 1997.
    1. US Indian Health Service, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Legislation, Division of Program Statistics. Regional differences in Indian health. Rockville, MD: US Indian Health Service; 1997.
    1. Fox CS, Evans JC, Larson MG, et al. Temporal trends in coronary heart disease mortality and sudden cardiac death from 1950 to 1999: the Framingham Heart Study. Circulation. 2004;110:522–527. - PubMed
    1. Colditz GA, Manson JE, Hankinson SE. The Nurses’ Health Study: 20-year contribution to the understanding of health among women. J Womens Health. 1997;6:49–62. - PubMed

Publication types