PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - D G Redwood AU - K D Hagan AU - R D Perkins AU - H B Stafford AU - L J Orell AU - A P Lanier TI - Safety behaviours among Alaskan Native and American Indian people living in Alaska AID - 10.1136/ip.2008.019851 DP - 2009 Feb 01 TA - Injury Prevention PG - 30--35 VI - 15 IP - 1 4099 - http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/15/1/30.short 4100 - http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/15/1/30.full SO - Inj Prev2009 Feb 01; 15 AB - Objective: To examine self-reported safety behaviours among 3828 Alaskan Native and American Indian people enrolled in the Alaska Education and Research Towards Health (EARTH) Study, 2004–2006.Design: A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a cohort study. A non-random sample of participants (2322 women and 1506 men) aged ⩾18 years from three regions of Alaska completed questions on safety behaviours as part of a comprehensive health and lifestyle computer-assisted self-administered questionnaire.Results: Most participants reported never driving after drinking (94.1%) or riding with a driver who had been drinking (91.3%). Fewer (74.1%) participants reported using a seatbelt always or almost always when riding in a vehicle. Only about half (55%) always kept to the speed limit when driving or used a personal flotation device when boating (51.5%). Even fewer (20.5%) reported using a helmet when riding on off-road vehicles, including four-wheelers and snowmobiles. Factors identified among those least likely to use safety devices and practise good safety behaviours are: younger age, lower household income and education, non-married, speaking only English at home, and a self-reported health status of poor to fair (p<0.05).Conclusions: Recommendations for future injury prevention efforts in this population are to increase use of personal flotation devices while boating and address the underuse of helmets with off-road vehicles. Limited prevention resources should be used to target those who engage in risky behaviours to maximise programme impact.