Navajo EARTH Study is seeking data collectors

By Mervyn Tilden
For The Independent

WINDOW ROCK — Because Native Americans seem more prone to chronic diseases, a long-term health study has been undertaken on the Navajo Nation to determine the causes and in order to collect the data needed, Native American volunteers are needed.

The University of Utah and the Fort Defiance and Shiprock. Health boards have begun the Navajo Education And Research Towards Health (EARTH) Study and are currently conducting a recruiting drive to meet their goal of having 10,000 individuals participate in their study.

At two sub-offices in Window Rock and one in Shiprock, individuals can make an appointment or walk in for the intake process and answer questions on a touch screen computer that takes about two hours to complete and submit to a finger prick for a blood test.

The questions are self-reporting and range from a person's traditions, lifestyle and physical activity, to what they eat and drink (going back 12 months to present), and to their medical history and risk factors. The Navajo version takes a bit longer and the EARTH Project staff is available to guide a person through.

The medical component is a finger prick that is necessary to determine a person's total (HDL: "good" and LDL: "bad") cholesterol count and blood sugar level; the individual must have been on a fast for nine hours to get a valid reading prior to the test. A person's waist/hip measurements and blood pressure is also taken; height and weight determine their Body Mass Index (BMI).

Randall Comb, Study Coordinator II at the Window Rock sub-office, said approximately 3,234 Navajos have gone through the study in the Shiprock and Window Rock sub-offices.

"This study has given a lot back to the Navajo people," he said. "We want to make their health a priority because people don't tend to make it their priority until a person gets sick. We hear testimony of how it has impacted their lives for the better." Comb added that the data will be shared with the Navajo Nation and the communities.

According to their brochure, the Navajo EARTH study has been approved by the Navajo Nation, University of Utah, and National Indian Health Service Institutional Review Boards. The study is funded by the National Cancer Institute.

Getting personal
All of the health research data collected is preliminary and will eventually be used to determine why chronic diseases are increasing among Native Americans and how their lifestyle factors are affecting them. The questions are personal and privacy is protected in accordance to federal and state laws and Indian Health Service regulations.

"Our lifestyle has really changed compared to the old days," Comb said. "Back then when someone was herding sheep they would walk, now, they use four-by-fours or ATVs because it's convenient. That's a big problem when people don't get enough exercise."

Clarina Clark, Study Coordinator at the Shiprock office said even something like pow- wow dancing and eating more fruits and vegetables can make a difference because it is physical exercise combined with healthy foods.

"From the comments we are hearing, it sounds like people are thinking more about their physical activity and diets," she said. "They are thinking about how well they are taking care of themselves and what they do on a daily basis.

"Diseases don't develop in a week but over a period of time and when people hear they may have a disease, they take it seriously," Clark said. Clark emphasized the requirement of fasting for nine hours for the finger prick and lab work involved. "We can tell if a person has been fasting or not and nine hours is needed for a good reading," she said. "Your blood will tell the truth."

'Comb said there are also offices in Alaska, Rapid City, S.D., and the Pima reservation near Phoenix, Ariz.

Reaching out
With Navajos, Comb said they are taking the study to the people wherever they can.

"We're taking the services out to the community and planning mobile clinics as a part of the outreach," he said. "Word-of-mouth is going around and a lot of the comments suggest this is a wake up call. People who have never taken it seriously are concerned. They know their family history and they don't want to experience what they have gone through."

Outreach areas include setting up at flea markets, health fairs, work and school sites, chapter houses, food distribution sites, and any event that is sponsored by the Navajo Nation.

The study will enroll any interested Native American over 18 at the upcoming Navajo Nation Fair Sept. 8-11 and will be at the Navajo/Red Lake mobile office Sept. 19-30. Other sites will be announced and Comb said there are numerous requests for their services.

"We need to get more participants into the study," Comb said. "We do presentations at the request of chapters and other organizations and there has been a lot of interest created in other communities. People are becoming more health conscious."

Information
The Window Rock field office is located in the Navajo Shopping Center, Space 13, Highway 264 Route 12 and can be reached at 928-871-3034. The Shiprock field office is located in the Ayani Neez Center, Suite 6, (former Old Fairchild Building) 101 SE Ayani Neez Blvd. And can be reached at 505-368-4918.