The American Indian Adult Tobacco Survey

Who?

The Western Tobacco Prevention Project (WTPP), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and 11 tribal communities throughout the US.

What?

The American Indian Adult Tobacco Survey (AI ATS) is a questionnaire of people’s knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding tobacco use. The original Adult Tobacco Survey (ATS) was implemented in individual states using telephone interviews. The Center for Disease Control has worked in collaboration with the seven tobacco Tribal Support Centers (TSC) to develop a comprehensive, culturally appropriate survey instrument to assess American Indian/Alaska Native tobacco use. Extensive cognitive interviews and focus group testing has been done on the survey instrument in American Indian/Alaska Native communities throughout the nation.

When?

The development of a culturally appropriate survey tool began in 2002. Project completion is anticipated for fall of 2005.

Why?

While we have some national, regional, and state-level tobacco related data broken down by age, gender, and urban or rural populations, factors affecting tobacco use within tribal communities is still largely unknown.
National studies show American Indians/Alaska Natives as having the highest tobacco use rate of all ethnic groups. There is a need for a better understanding of the social, cultural, economic, and environmental factors that make tribal communities and American Indian tobacco prevalence rates differ drastically from national rates. These factors have not been comprehensively evaluated in American Indian communities, and may be critical in developing effective, culturally appropriate prevention and cessation programs for tribal communities.

Where?

The AI ATS is currently being implemented in 11 tribal communities throughout the US. Upon project completion, we are hopeful that the survey instrument will be available for use in other northwest tribal communities.

Northwest Tribes call for Greater Recognition of Data Ownership

In July 2005, members of the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) unanimously passed a joint resolution calling for greater “Tribal Ownership of Health-Related Data.” The Resolution serves as a formal statement to researchers and funding agencies, calling for unequivocal tribal ownership of the data collected.

For decades, Tribes have been the subject of medical and anthropological research, with few benefits returning back to the tribe as a result of their participation. In doing so, researchers have failed to recognize tribal sovereignty and their right to self-determination.

Both in the Northwest and in other regions of Indian Country, concerns about tribal “ownership” have arisen upon discovery of unethical research practices. The most recent notable example involved the Havasupai Tribe, which filed a lawsuit against Arizona State University in 2004 after learning that nearly 400 blood samples were used by the University to study schizophrenia, migration, and inbreeding without the consent of the Tribe. Tribal members originally provided the samples to support diabetes testing and research, and were not told that a their genetic information would be used for alternate purposes.

The “Tribal Ownership” Resolution passed by the NPAIHB was designed to pre pre-empt such occurrences in the Northwest, and to help safeguard Tribal interests from unauthorized scientific research. To view a PDF version of this document click on the following link: Resolution 05-04-04.pdf

For further information on this project, contact Karen Schmidt, ATS Coordinator, at (888) 909-3279 or email at kschmidt@npaihb.org