Alaska Resources

A Scoping Review of Traditional Food Security in Alaska
Summarizes a literature review examining traditional foods and food security in rural Alaska. Discusses how the pillars of food security apply to traditional foods of Alaska Natives.
Author(s): Amanda Walch, Andrea Bersamin, Philip Loring, Rhonda Johnson, Melissa Tholl
Citation: International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 77(1)
Date: 01/2018
view details

The Importance of Local Foods to Users of Food Pantries in Accessible Rural Alaska
Discusses how home-grown foods and wild protein enhance food security in a group of rural, mostly non-Native Alaska communities accessible by ground transportation. Compares the status of Alaska Natives with non-Natives, and explores the harmful effects of food insecurity, in terms of obesity, child development, and general health.
Author(s): Tracey Kathleen Burke, Cara Durr, David Reamer
Citation: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 8(1), 53-69
Date: 2018
view details

Store Owners as Potential Agents of Change: Energy Drinks in the Interior of Alaska
Discusses how store workers can act as health advocates by limiting or promoting specific products to improve the health status of their rural Alaskan community members.
Author(s): Janet M. Wojcicki, Peter de Schweinitz
Citation: International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 76(1)
Date: 11/2017
view details

High Tobacco Use Prevalence with Significant Regional and Sex Differences in Smokeless Tobacco Use among Western Alaska Native People: The WATCH Study
Describes tobacco use patterns for Alaska Natives in two western regions of Alaska to inform tobacco cessation efforts and reduce the prevalence of tobacco use. Includes baseline characteristics and tobacco use statistics for Alaska Native adults.
Author(s): Kathryn R. Koller, Christie A. Flanagan, Gretchen E. Day, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 76(1)
Date: 11/2017
view details

Health Impacts of Methamphetamine Use in Alaska
Presents a report on methamphetamine use in Alaska. Analyzes rates of usage and mortality by demographics, such as age, race, and region of the state, among others.
Author(s): Laura Coughlin, Deborah Hull-Jilly
Citation: State of Alaska Epidemiology Bulletin, 19(4)
Date: 11/2017
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Division of Public Health
view details

Promoting Community Conversations about Research to End Suicide: Learning and Behavioural Outcomes of a Training-of-Trainers Model to Facilitate Grassroots Community Health Education to Address Indigenous Youth Suicide Prevention
Discusses the theoretical and practical considerations of Promoting Community Conversations About Research to End Suicide (PC CARES), a community health intervention. Assesses the feasibility, behavioral outcomes, and culturally competent, evidence-based multilevel suicide preventive efforts for youth in rural Alaska Native communities.
Author(s): Lisa Wexler, Lucas Trout, Suzanne Rataj, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 76(1)
Date: 08/2017
view details

Dental Utilization for Communities Served by Dental Therapists in Alaska's Yukon Kuskokwim Delta: Findings from an Observational Quantitative Study
Presents results from a program evaluation designed to assess the impact of dental therapists on dental utilization and oral health outcomes in the Yukon Kuskokwim (YK) Delta of Alaska. Examines utilization and outcomes based on total dental therapist treatment days, presents results for both child and adult populations, and focuses on three primary measures: preventive dental care use, extraction of teeth, and dental care under general anesthesia.
Author(s): Donald L. Chi, Dane Lenaker, Lloyd Mancl, et al.
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organization: University of Washington
view details

Alaska Opioid Policy Task Force: Final Recommendations
Provides recommendations supporting comprehensive public health prevention strategies to prevent and reduce opioid use, misuse, and abuse in rural and urban Alaska.
Date: 01/2017
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Department of Health
view details

Cybersecurity: How a Rural Alaska Hospital Is Safeguarding Its Patients' Information
Provides an overview of cybersecurity threats and challenges faced by rural healthcare facilities. Describes how the IT staff at the South Peninsula Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital in Alaska, safeguards their hospital's data.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2017
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details

Alaska Health Workforce Coalition 2017-2021 Action Agenda
Outlines priorities and provides guidance on system and capacity building initiatives to address Alaska's healthcare workforce needs. Includes discussion on rural recruitment programs, such as loan repayment and incentives, and a rural professional recruiting network.
Date: 2017
Sponsoring organizations: Alaska Center for Rural Health and Health Workforce, University of Alaska Statewide Workforce Programs
view details