Anthropology

Existing studies characterizing gut microbiome variation in the United States suffer from population ascertainment biases, with individuals of American Indian ancestry being among the most underrepresented. Here, we describe the first gut microbiome diversity study of an American Indian community. We partnered with the Cheyenne and Arapaho (C&A), federally recognized American Indian tribes in Oklahoma, and compared gut microbiome diversity and metabolic function of C&A participants to individuals of non-native ancestry in Oklahoma (NNIs). While the C&A and NNI participants share microbiome features common to industrialized populations, the C&A participants had taxonomic profiles characterized by a reduced abundance of the anti-inflammatory bacterial genus Faecalibacterium, along with a fecal metabolite profile similar to dysbiotic states described for metabolic disorders. American Indians are known to be at elevated risk for metabolic disorders. While many aspects of this health disparity remain poorly understood, our results support the need to further study the microbiome as a contributing factor. As the field of microbiome research transitions to therapeutic interventions, it raises concerns that the continued exclusion and lack of participation of American Indian communities in these studies will further exacerbate health disparities. To increase momentum in fostering these much needed partnerships, it is essential that the scientific community actively engage in and recruit these vulnerable populations in basic research through a strategy that promotes mutual trust and understanding, as outlined in this study.

Presents an insightful, interdisciplinary approach for preventing elder abuse E ncompassing the contributions of leading scholars in public health and gerontology, this is a rich repository of key ideas, concepts, and issues regarding elder abuse and the role of public health initiatives in its prevention. Th e text frames elder abuse as a public health problem, stressing that eff orts toward prevention are well within the scope of work performed by public health professionals. It describes major public policy/public health initiatives as they relate to elder abuse, analyzes elder mistreatment as a global and human rights issue, and supports the development of core competencies for public health work to prevent elder abuse. Th e text describes in detail major theoretical and applied issues within elder mistreatment and grounds these issues within the basic functions and essential services of public health. It then addresses skill development using the core competencies for public health professionals. The book is the first to tie the basic functions and essential public health services to core public health competency domains and creates a topic-specific framework for effective public health practice. An annotated section includes the most up-to-date resources for both public health and elder abuse, including toolkits, stakeholder lists, and references. A discussion of future directions for the fi eld sets the agenda for a committed interdisciplinary approach to ameliorating and preventing elder abuse.