Abstract
Background. American Indians present with high rates of diabetes and smoking. Methods. A randomized intervention was implemented on 4 Plains Indian reservations. Information on chronic diseases, nutrition, and exercise was presented interactively. In this article, we specifically discuss the high risk behavior of cigarette smoking. Results. Findings indicate an extremely high smoking rate of 57.8% overall, with significantly different rates by age group. Of the participants between the ages of 18 and 24 years, 72.7% were smokers. Conclusion. Culturally appropriate smoking prevention, cessation, and control programs are needed to combat the high incidence of cigarette smoking for the American Indians of the Northern Plains.
