Demographic and epidemiologic transition among the Navajo Indians

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Abstract
The theories of demographic transition and epidemiologic transition provide vehicles for the examination of Navajo fertility, mortality and growth patterns. The Navajo population is growing rapidly due to decreased mortality and fertility rates which have declined but remained twice as high as USA rates. Infectious diseases are now less important as a factor in mortality, but remain a problem larger than that in the overall USA. Rates of death from degenerative diseases have not yet become a great problem among the Navajo, but mortality from social pathology (accidents, alcoholism, suicide, homicide and cirrhosis of the liver) is considerably higher than that in the general USA. Discussion of each of these specific behaviors and possible etiological factors are presented. The Navajo Indians represent a group which is in the transitional stage of both the demographic and epidemioogic transition, although some exceptions are noted.

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