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Infectious disease hospitalizations among American Indian and Alaska native infants
Robert C Holman1, Aaron T Curns, James E Cheek
1Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases (DVRD), National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
Insights
Infectious disease hospitalizations significantly decreased for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) infants but remain higher than in the general US infant population. Lower respiratory tract infections were the leading cause, highlighting an ongoing health disparity.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Infectious diseases pose a significant health burden on infants.
- Understanding hospitalization trends is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the burden and trends of infectious disease hospitalizations among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) infants.
- To compare these trends with the general US infant population.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Indian Health Service/tribal hospital discharge data (1988-1999).
- Analyzed National Hospital Discharge Survey data for the general US infant population.
- Calculated and compared hospitalization rates for infectious diseases.
Main Results:
- Infectious diseases comprised 53% of AI/AN infant hospitalizations versus 43% in the general US infant population (1988-1999).
- AI/AN infant infectious disease hospitalization rates declined but remained higher than US infants, particularly in Alaska, Southwest, and Northern Plains regions.
- Lower respiratory tract infections were the primary cause, with AI/AN infants experiencing twice the hospitalization rate compared to US infants.
Conclusions:
- Despite a decline, AI/AN infants face a disproportionately higher burden of infectious disease hospitalizations.
- Significant regional disparities persist, indicating a need for continued focus on specific AI/AN populations.
- Lower respiratory tract infections represent a critical area for public health intervention among AI/AN infants.
Objective:
To describe the burden and trends in hospitalizations associated with infectious diseases among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) infants.
Methods:
First-listed infectious disease hospitalizations and hospitalization rates among AI/AN infants and infants in the general US population from 1988-1999 were analyzed by using Indian Health Service/tribal hospital discharge data and the National Hospital Discharge Survey data, respectively.
Results:
Infectious disease hospitalizations accounted for 53% of all AI/AN infant hospitalizations and approximately 43% of all US infant hospitalizations during 1988-1999. The annual hospitalization rate for infectious diseases among AI/AN infants declined from 27,486 per 100,000 infants in 1988 to 14,178 per 100,000 infants in 1999. However, the rates for AI/AN infants within the Alaska, Southwest, and Northern Plains regions remained higher than that for the general US infant population at the end of the study period. Lower respiratory tract infection hospitalizations accounted for almost 75% of AI/AN infant infectious disease hospitalizations, and the lower respiratory tract infection hospitalization rate for AI/AN infants was twice that for US infants.
Conclusions:
Although infectious disease hospitalization rates for AI/AN infants have declined, AI/AN infants continue to have a higher infectious disease burden than the general US infant population.