Prevalence Estimates of Parkinson Disease among American Indian and Alaska Native People (P07.130)

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of Parkinson disease (PD) among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people. Background Health disparity, related to underfunding and rural living environments, continues to be a major problem for AI/AN people. Neurological diseases, like PD, may be under-recognized and under-treated, which negatively impacts quality of life and health for those living on reservations. Design/Methods: We analyzed records for AI/AN people with PD during 2002-2009 using inpatient and outpatient direct and contract health care data from the Indian Health Service (IHS). The PD case definition included at least one inpatient or two outpatient visits with a PD diagnosis. For prevalence rate calculations, the population was the number of AI/AN patients seen within the IHS health care system for any reason during the study period. Crude and age-adjusted prevalence, using the 2000 projected US population as the standard, were determined overall and by age group, gender, time period and IHS region. Results: Among almost 2 million AI/AN people, 2613 carried the diagnosis of PD (crude prevalence = 143.8/100,000). The prevalence increased with age through 84 years of age. The overall age-adjusted rate for AI/AN people was 355.7; 822.6 for those aged >40 years and 2350.4 for >65 years. Age-adjusted prevalence was higher among men than women (p Conclusions: Parkinson disease is at least as prevalent among AI/AN people as other populations. Similar to other reports, the prevalence of PD increased with age, was higher in men than women and varied by geographic region. Community-based studies are needed to define incidence, examine risk factors, and determine reasons for gender and regional differences in PD among AI/AN people. Disclosure: Dr. Gordon has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mehal has nothing to disclose. Dr. Holman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rowland has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cheek has nothing to disclose.