Mental, physical and social dimensions of health equity and wellness among U.S. Indigenous peoples: What is known and next steps

ABSTRACT

This special issue and introduction focuses on promoting health equity and addressing health disparities among Indigenous peoples of the United States (U.S.) and associated Territories in the Pacific Islands and Caribbean. We provide an overview of the current state of health equity across social, physical, and mental health domains. In Part 1 of the special issue, we trace promotive, protective, and risk factors related to Indigenous health equity. Part 2 of the special issue describes interventions that address and promote wellness, providing promising pathways to achieving and transcending health equity.

KEYWORDS:

• Health
• health disparities
• health equity
• Native American/American Indian
• Alaska Native
• Native Hawaiian
• Indigenous
• Pacific Islanders

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Correction

Acknowledgments

A special thanks to Jessica Liddell and Jenn Miller Scarnato for their important and instrumental contributions to this special issue.

Notes

1. Much of the research is limited to AI/AN or Native Hawaiians specifically. Thus, when reporting extant research we limit the scope to those peoples reported on in the primary research rather than Indigenous peoples, which would be inclusive of the aforementioned groups.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [K12HD043451]; National Institute of General Medical Sciences [U54 GM104940].