What is the health and economic status of Minnesotas American Indian population?
According to a recent Minnesota Department of Health publication, “Populations of Color in Minnesota Health Status Report,” American Indians fare poorly on many measures of health status and economic well-being. For example: • The infant mortality rate for American Indians actually increased between the 1978-1982 time period and the 1989-1993 time period, from 13.9 up to 16.2 deaths per 1,000 live births. The rate for other Minnesota minority groups declined. • For some age groups, American Indians have death rates three times higher than for whites. For example, among persons aged 25 to 44, the death rate for American Indians was 338 per 100,000, and for whites was 106 per 100,000. • American Indians have high rates of death from accidental injury, suicide, cirrhosis of the liver, heart disease, diabetes, and other causes. • 21.5 percent of American Indians lack health insurance, compared with 8.8 percent of the white population. • Between 1979 and 1989, the percentage of American Ind
