Abstract:
Compared with other racial and ethnic groups in the United States, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people experience the highest incidence of acute hepatitis c (HCV). Cherokee Nation Health Services (CNHS) implemented a pilot health screening program from January through May 2019 to assess whether conducting HCV and other preventive health screenings at food distribution sites is a feasible, acceptable, and effective strategy to increase health screening among underserved community members. Data were collected among 340 eligible participants. Most (76%) participants reported being very comfortable receiving health screenings at food distribution sites and that getting screened at food distribution sites is very easy (75.4%). Most (92.1%, n = 313) participants received HCV screening, with 11 (3.5%) individuals testing positive for HCV antibodies. Of the 11 HCV seropositive individuals, six were confirmed to have active HCV infection of which four initiated treatment. Most (55.7%) participants exhibited a body mass index in the obese range, 33.1% exhibited high hemoglobin A1C (> 6.0), 24.5% exhibited high (> 200) cholesterol, 44.6% exhibited high blood pressure ( > = 140/90), and 54.8% did not have a current primary care provider. This project demonstrated that conducting HCV and other health screenings at food distribution sites within Cherokee Nation was an effective strategy to engage AI/AN people in preventive health screenings. Future programs are needed to scale-up preventive health screenings outside of traditional medical facilities as these types of screenings may help to decrease the HCV disparities among AI/AN people.
摘要:
与美国其他种族和族裔群体相比,美洲印第安人和阿拉斯加原住民(AI/AN)人的急性丙型肝炎(HCV)发病率最高。切诺基国家卫生服务(CNHS)于2019年1月至5月实施了一项试点健康检查计划,以评估在食品配送地点进行HCV和其他预防性健康检查是否可行。可接受,和有效的策略,以增加对服务不足的社区成员的健康筛查。收集了340名符合条件的参与者的数据。大多数(76%)的参与者报告说,在食品分发地点接受健康检查非常舒适,并且在食品分发地点进行筛查非常容易(75.4%)。大多数(92.1%,n=313)参与者接受了HCV筛查,11名(3.5%)个体的HCV抗体检测呈阳性。在11名HCV血清阳性个体中,6例确诊为活动性HCV感染,其中4例开始治疗.大多数(55.7%)参与者表现出肥胖范围内的体重指数,33.1%表现为高血红蛋白A1C(>6.0),24.5%的人表现出高胆固醇(>200),44.6%出现高血压(>=140/90),54.8%没有当前的初级保健提供者.该项目表明,在切诺基国家的食品配送地点进行HCV和其他健康检查是使AI/AN人员参与预防性健康检查的有效策略。需要未来的计划来扩大传统医疗设施之外的预防性健康检查,因为这些类型的检查可能有助于减少AI/AN人群之间的HCV差异。