NEWS

American Indian breast health survey – first of its kind – is now being distributed statewide

CHAPEL HILL -- American Indian women statewide over the age of 40 can participate in the N.C. American Indian Breast Health Survey, the first population-based survey of its kind.

Funded by the National Cancer Institute, the survey is being conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partnership with the N.C. Commission of Indian Affairs.

The first surveys were distributed among the Waccamaw-Siouan, Coharrie and Occaneechi in June. The survey will be distributed beginning Friday (July 4) among the Lumbee tribe. Women in other tribes will receive the survey by the end of July.

"A survey like this has never been done before among American Indian women," said Dr. Bonnie Yankaskas, professor of radiology at UNC’s School of Medicine. "Its purpose is to gather information for North Carolina American Indian tribes and associations on the practice and attitudes among women about mammography use and information on risk factors for breast cancer."

This project was funded by the Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Branch of the National Cancer Institute to two American Indian graduate students in the department of epidemiology at UNC’s School of Public Health: Jada Locklear (Lumbee) and Ursula Tsosie (Navajo). The students are working with Yankaskas at the Carolina Mammography Registry in the department of radiology.

They have been working with Indian tribes to create a plan to reach women 40 or older in American Indian communities statewide.

In collaboration with the health committee of the N.C. Commission of Indian Affairs, Locklear and Tsosie have developed and pre-tested a survey for distribution in American Indian communities and urban Indian associations.

"The data will belong to each American Indian community for their own information, and for research on the North Carolina American Indian women taken as a total community," Yankaskas said.  "It will be most successful if every eligible woman completes a survey."

Along with demographic information, the survey will ask for screening history, attitudes towards screening and presence of breast cancer risk factors. "There are no data on use of mammography by American Indian women in North Carolina," said Yankaskas. Funds for education and services to serve these women could result from having such information, she added.

"We will also be able to shed light on the incidence of breast cancer among these women, something we do not have accurate data for as a result of the lack of identification of Indian women as American Indian on cancer reports."

The tribes collaborating for this survey include Coharie, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band, Sappony (Indians of Person County) and Waccamaw-Siouan.

Associations include the Cumberland County Association for Indian People, Guilford Native American Association, Metrolina Native American Association and Triangle Native American Society.

American Indian women statewide are advised to watch for the survey in their own communities. For more information, women may call Missy Brayboy at the N.C. Commission of Indian Affairs at (919) 733-5998 or the Carolina Mammography Registry at (919) 966-0492.

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Note: Contact Yankaskas at (919) 966-6936 or bcy@med.unc.edu.
School of Medicine contact: Les Lang, (919) 843-9687 or llang@med.unc.edu