Food Insecurity and Diabetes Risk Among the Northern Cheyenne

ABSTRACT

Using data from a 2001 survey of a representative sample of Northern Cheyenne reservation residents, this paper examines use of a variety of food sources, nutritional health and risk factors, diabetes risk factors, and food insecurity. Results indicate that substantial proportions of the respondents had high levels of nutritional risk, food insecurity, and diabetes risk. Importantly, those using community emergency food sources and informal economic strategies to meet food shortages were more likely to be food insecure. Those with higher nutritional risk and lower nutritional health were also more likely to be food insecure. Finally, being younger, educated and using wages to obtain food increased the risk for diabetes.

KEYWORDS:

• American Indian
• food security
• diabetes risk
• Northern Cheyenne